We are certainly not suggesting that we would want to emulate Chicago, however, Burnham’s words are nonetheless applicable to the Minneapolis hospitality/tourism community as we look to 2017 and beyond. Minneapolis approaches an unprecedented series of major events, infrastructure enhancements and overall economic prosperity, and we are called to make the most of these golden opportunities.

Meet Minneapolis laid out its plans to capitalize on this convergence of events last week at its annual Sales and Marketing Outlook event held at the brand new Embassy Suites in downtown Minneapolis. The Embassy Suites is a shining example of one of these golden opportunities as it the largest hotel property opened in Minneapolis in at least two decades. Two key themes emerged from the event based on what our team shared.

1. Make Hay While the Sun Shines

With the build up to major events like the Super Bowl, Final Four, ESPN X Games, the National Education Association convention and USA Girls’ Volleyball Junior Nationals, we must make certain that this time of prosperity and opportunity doesn’t come and go without a permanent positive impact on our status as a destination. It is not enough to be able to boast that we have secured and hosted events such as these. Individual visitors and event planners should now be looking at our city in a whole new light. Our 2017 plans include many key sales and marketing initiatives designed to engage customers that may not have given us consideration in the past, as well as those who may have outdated perspectives on our destination appeal.

2. Let Authentic Neighborhood Voices Be Heard

Another key theme we shared is the fact that our marketing messages must cut through the clutter that consumers face daily. As with any major purchase, consumers do a significant amount research and vetting in advance. More and more, consumers are using word of mouth and other sources that are perceived to be objective in making buying decisions. That is why the way in which we are presenting our destination assets to visitors is evolving to include local neighborhood voices representing our residents and business owners. The sophisticated and exciting urban experience is still our calling card as a city. However, more and more, visitors want to live the locals. The rapid rise of alternative lodging options like Airbnb is evidence of this, especially since Airbnb reports that 40 percent of the spending of the guests who stay in one of their affiliated facilities occurs in that neighborhood.

These themes clearly resonated with the more than 120 partner organization representatives who were in attendance at the event. For those who didn’t get to attend, check out the presentation here and I encourage you to reach out to one of our Meet Minneapolis team members as you make your big plans for 2017 and beyond.

We are certainly not suggesting that we would want to emulate Chicago, however, Burnham’s words are nonetheless applicable to the Minneapolis hospitality/tourism community as we look to 2017 and beyond. Minneapolis approaches an unprecedented series of major events, infrastructure enhancements and overall economic prosperity, and we are called to make the most of these golden opportunities.

Meet Minneapolis laid out its plans to capitalize on this convergence of events last week at its annual Sales and Marketing Outlook event held at the brand new Embassy Suites in downtown Minneapolis. The Embassy Suites is a shining example of one of these golden opportunities as it the largest hotel property opened in Minneapolis in at least two decades. Two key themes emerged from the event based on what our team shared.

1. Make Hay While the Sun Shines

With the build up to major events like the Super Bowl, Final Four, ESPN X Games, the National Education Association convention and USA Girls’ Volleyball Junior Nationals, we must make certain that this time of prosperity and opportunity doesn’t come and go without a permanent positive impact on our status as a destination. It is not enough to be able to boast that we have secured and hosted events such as these. Individual visitors and event planners should now be looking at our city in a whole new light. Our 2017 plans include many key sales and marketing initiatives designed to engage customers that may not have given us consideration in the past, as well as those who may have outdated perspectives on our destination appeal.

2. Let Authentic Neighborhood Voices Be Heard

Another key theme we shared is the fact that our marketing messages must cut through the clutter that consumers face daily. As with any major purchase, consumers do a significant amount research and vetting in advance. More and more, consumers are using word of mouth and other sources that are perceived to be objective in making buying decisions. That is why the way in which we are presenting our destination assets to visitors is evolving to include local neighborhood voices representing our residents and business owners. The sophisticated and exciting urban experience is still our calling card as a city. However, more and more, visitors want to live the locals. The rapid rise of alternative lodging options like Airbnb is evidence of this, especially since Airbnb reports that 40 percent of the spending of the guests who stay in one of their affiliated facilities occurs in that neighborhood.

These themes clearly resonated with the more than 120 partner organization representatives who were in attendance at the event. For those who didn’t get to attend, check out the presentation here and I encourage you to reach out to one of our Meet Minneapolis team members as you make your big plans for 2017 and beyond.