Minneapolis (Wednesday, July 24, 2019) – Just two days after celebrating the third anniversary of opening its doors, U.S. Bank Stadium has been recognized with the Venue Excellence Award, a prestigious award for operational excellence from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). The Venue Excellence Award criteria centers around the areas of operational excellence, team building/professional development, safety and security, overall best practices and service to the community. This international award for venue management considers facilities from across the globe from a myriad of categories including convention centers, arenas, stadiums, complexes and more.

“U.S. Bank Stadium is honored to receive international recognition for operational excellence and venue management,” said Michael Vekich, Chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. “This award is an endorsement of the support we receive from our stakeholders around the State, as well as our stadium operations team who do such a great job in delivering, maintaining and operating this world-class facility."

U.S. Bank Stadium was recognized for the award due to several achievements and milestones in its three-year history. A few of these accomplishments include building a sustainability program that was recognized in 2018 by the Green Sports Alliance as an Innovator of the Year and being the first NFL stadium in history to host ESPN’s Summer X Games (2017-2020) and the NCAA DI Wrestling Championships (2020). Additionally, U.S. Bank Stadium was recognized for hosting hundreds of events that directly benefit the community, including Minnesota State High School Championships, University of Minnesota baseball games, proms, graduations, and charity run/walk events.

“Since opening U.S. Bank Stadium, our team has been committed to creating memorable experiences through service excellence,” says Patrick Talty, SMG General Manager at U.S. Bank Stadium. “Through this mission, we’ve built a solid foundation for success. Being recognized with the Venue Excellence Award just three years after opening our doors is something our staff is extremely proud of.”

Five total venues were recognized with the Venue Excellence Award this year including the Hawaii Convention Center, State Farm Arena, Tacoma Events & Venues, Walton Arts Center/Walmart AMP and U.S. Bank Stadium. NFL stadiums to be recognized with this award in the past include TIAA Bank Field (formerly EverBank Field) in 2016, AT&T Stadium in 2015, MetLife Stadium in 2014, Georgia Dome in 2013, and State Farm Stadium (formerly University of Phoenix Stadium) in 2012. More information on IAVM and the Venue Excellence Award can be found at www.iavm.org.