Meet Minneapolis is reflecting on 2014 as one of the most successful years of tourism in the city’s history. Among the many successes included: record highs in hosted events, hotel occupancy, average daily hotel rate, revenue per available room, and leisure and hospitality jobs. The city also locked in the 2018 National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl and the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Final Four. Minneapolis hosted the 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game and the Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress.
Meet Minneapolis met all four annual goals stated in its contract with the City of Minneapolis in 2014. The group booked nearly 504,000 future hotel room nights for meetings and conventions, as well as nearly 71,000 leisure room nights. Over $16.6 million in revenue was earned at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the highest revenue recorded in the history of the facility. Minneapolis hosted a record 534 meetings and conventions, with an annual hotel occupancy of 72 percent. “Collectively, these results are the envy of other cities,” said Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis president and chief executive.
The City of Minneapolis now features over 31,000 leisure and hospitality industry jobs. Meet Minneapolis expects a busy convention season in 2015. “We certainly hope to replicate the past year’s success in the future,” said Tennant. “We at Meet Minneapolis see nothing but a bright future for our city and our quest to become the destination of choice.”
Significant events in 2015 include the National Senior Games, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, and the Society of Government Meeting Professionals.
