Minneapolis (June 28, 2018) – The Minneapolis Convention Center is going to be the center of activity in downtown Minneapolis this summer, with more than 25,000 visitors attending three upcoming conventions, starting at the end of this week. The National Education Association (NEA) will hold its Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly beginning June 30, followed by the American Legion’s 100th National Convention starting August 23, and culminating with the National Baptist Convention, USA, starting Labor Day weekend.

Cumulatively, these three conventions represent 65,000 room nights for local hotels this summer, bringing additional money and tax revenue to the local economy. These events add to what is shaping up to be a banner year for the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC). As of June 30, the MCC will have hosted 195 events for the year including Super Bowl-related events, and is currently on pace to exceed its goal of securing $20 million in revenue for the year.

By the Numbers:

National Education Association’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly

• June 30 – July 5
• Expecting more than 7,500 attendees and exhibitors
• More than 40,000 room nights in the greater Minneapolis area

American Legion 2018 National Convention

• August 23 – August 29
• More than 9,500 attendees and exhibitors expected
• Approximately 15,000 room nights in Minneapolis

National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.

• September 2 – September 7
• An estimated 8,000 attendees and exhibitors
• More than 10,000 room nights in Minneapolis

“Those outside of our industry might have anticipated a letdown in our business levels after Super Bowl LII. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Meet Minneapolis President and CEO, Melvin Tennant. “Thanks to the sales and marketing groundwork laid by our team and our community partners, we have a bevy of diverse events set for the rest of 2018 that will allow us to sustain our strong start to the year. That’s good news for our local economy and the more than 36,000 individuals working in the travel and hospitality industry in Minneapolis."

Another highlight for 2018 will be in the fourth quarter when the MCC hosts nearly 6,000 women engineers for the Society of Women Engineers’ 2018 Annual Conference in October. In all, Meet Minneapolis will bring well over 600 events to the city and region this year, including more than 300 events to the MCC.

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ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER
The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) is owned by the City of Minneapolis and marketed through Meet Minneapolis. The 1.6 million square foot facility features 475,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 3,400 fixed-seat auditorium, 87 meeting rooms and two ballrooms. The MCC is both LEED and GMIC certified, and works to serve its constituencies and stakeholders as the face of Minneapolis to visitors. Through its efforts, the MCC helps sustain nearly 7,500 jobs in the community.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit to the greater Minneapolis area.

Anticipated attendance numbers are provided by partner organizations and are subject to adjustment based on meeting planner projections and post event results. Forecasted room night numbers reflect historical averages of room nights for the meeting or event.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International.

CONNECT WITH US

Online: www.minneapolis.org and for deals and exclusive experiences: http://go.minneapolis.org
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/meetminneapolis

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetminneapolis
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/meetminneapolis
Watch: You’ve never met a place quite like this

MEDIA CONTACT

Kim Insley, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations and Communication Manager, 612-767-8118
KimI@minneapolis.org

Or email MeetMinneapolisPR@Minneapolis.org