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What A Difference A Year Makes

The recent success of ESPN's X Games at U.S. Bank Stadium (USBS), along with the staggering list of other events held in the stadium, has perhaps overshadowed the fact that the facility has only been open one year as of this week. This first anniversary of the facility is worth celebrating, even after “The Bieb” just cancelled the remainder of his tour that included an August USBS date. He'll be back, so don't fret! In his place, couple of our own local “superstars” are worth mentioning today.

Prior to opening, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) selected facility management company SMG to handle operations, sales and marketing of the $1.2 billion stadium. SMG manages over 200 public facilities worldwide.

Patrick Talty was tapped as the general manager of USBS after major positions in the Middle East, Indianapolis, Phoenix and with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). (Yes, we do plan to pursue WWE's Wrestlemania again for a future year.)

Talty's relationships and expertise in sports and entertainment have opened many doors for the community, and made him a logical choice as a Sports Minneapolis board member where he serves as its vice chair.

According to Talty, the building's performance exceeded expectations. USBS hosted more than 600 public and private events with 1.6 million attendees. Events included professional, collegiate and amateur sporting events, trade shows, concerts, weddings, corporate events and, of course, Monster Jam!

Talty said, "I'm proud to be a part of this monumental project in the Twin Cities community. I take pride in all of the hard work that my team has accomplished, and I look forward to our successes for this facility in future years."

Lester Bagley, executive vice president of Public Affairs for the Minnesota Vikings, led the team's efforts to secure a stadium deal for a dozen years. Bagley served as a Meet Minneapolis board member at that time during which Meet Minneapolis was among the first business associations to support the team's value to the community and the need for a new facility. That persistence has paid off. We're also fortunate that Bagley continues his service, now as a member of the Sports Minneapolis board.

Sports Minneapolis is poised to work with MSFA, the Vikings, SMG and other community leaders to make the coming years as memorable as the first. Happy Birthday, USBS!