So many of Minnesota’s distinctive host cities deserve planners’ attention, and the hilly Lake Superior shoreline city of Duluth puts on a scenic show for attendees who gather there. With gorgeous vistas of the lake and the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge, the city is full of historic buildings that have turned into beloved locally owned businesses worth visiting time and time again. The sound of the waves along the lakeshore often makes attendees feel grounded and at peace.
Duluth is certainly an advantageous spot for corporate and association meetings and events. It offers many choices when it comes to lodging, and because the city has numerous recreation options in town and nearby, it’s also a natural fit for corporate outings and happy hours. Beyond these built-in benefits, Duluth also provides several historically significant venues for meetings and events, in addition to newer venues that capture the culture and spectacular scenery of Minnesota’s North Shore, a region that stretches 150 miles northeast from the city to the Canadian border.
The draw of Duluth for meetings and events is backed up with numbers. Lucie Amundsen, communications manager at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), says when annual conventions use fluctuating host cities around the state, it’s common for attendance to jump about 20% when they’re hosted in Duluth. “That’s because we’re a city you want to be in anyway,” says Amundsen. Whether you’re a resident planner or looking to book from afar, consider experiencing the Minnesotan magic found in Duluth—from meetings to leaf peeping in autumn, from brainstorming sessions to skiing in winter, and from networking to freighter watching in spring.
Scenery Scouting
Because the terrain slopes so sharply upward from the shores of Lake Superior, the sweeping colors of the changing autumn leaves can be appreciated from many vantage points in the city—even from inside some venues. One of these is the DECC, which is near Canal Park. The building has two convention centers, the Harbor Side Convention Center and the City Side Convention Center, with the former having floor-to-ceiling windows in its Harbor Side Ballroom, which overlooks the harbor and the lift bridge. Between the two convention centers, a total of 70,000 square feet of meeting space makes it possible for planners to hold large-scale conventions and conferences.
Regardless which side planners choose for their events, Amundsen says after meetings wrap up, groups will sometimes book boat tours and harbor cruises with Vista Fleet, based near the convention center. Groups of 20 or more can get discounted tickets for its public tours or book private charters for meetings on the water. Private groups of up to 42 attendees can charter the Vista Queen, and large groups of up to 220 can board the Vista Star. Keep in mind Vista Fleet vessels set sail through the end of October—the cruise season concludes just before chillier weather sets in.
When meetings and boat tours are over, convention-goers can stay at the Radisson Hotel Duluth–Harborview or Pier B Resort Hotel, which are both five-minute drives from the DECC. Both hotels have additional space for team breakouts, as well as larger meetings. The Radisson hosts groups of up to 250, while Pier B holds 300.
Another way to garner a beautiful vantage point of Duluth is from the Skyline Chalet at Spirit Mountain sky area, where the rentable Moosehead Saloon boasts views of the St. Louis River Estuary, the harbor, and the twinkling lights of Canal Park. The saloon is available to rent on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during ski season, since skiers take over the entire chalet the rest of the week. Before ski season starts around November, planners can rent the Bear Paw Room in the chalet for groups of up to 300 for receptions and happy hours. Active groups can visit its Adventure Park in the fall and experience thrills on the seated zip line, scenic chairlift rides, and an alpine roller coaster. In the winter, planners can book group ski lessons and tubing outings, or opt for bundled lift tickets.
The North Shore Scenic Railroad, which departs from the St. Louis County Depot on West Michigan Street downtown, clatters along the shoreline of Lake Superior and goes over bridges through the woods of the North Shore. First-class seats on certain excursions even have domed windows for prime views. Planners can secure group rates on public tours or book charters on a private train car.
Outings on the North Shore Scenic Railroad couple flawlessly with same-day meetings and events at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum inside the depot, says Ken Buehler, executive director of the museum and general manager of the railroad. Planners can inquire about museum buyouts or book its Great Hall for groups up to 175. “The Great Hall is a magnificent space, whether you like trains or not,” says Buehler. “It has high ceilings, big windows, and solid wooden beams. It’s just incredible.” Planners can request stationed docents throughout the museum to provide details about artifacts and dispalys to attendees during events or tour guides to lead small groups throughout the exhibits. For the most memorable experience, planners of small gatherings might opt to meet within a historic Iron Range train car.
Historic Places
While Duluth provides plenty of natural vistas, it also contains buildings with intriguing histories that have been repurposed into venues and meeting space—and several of them are operated by the Brewhouse Family group, the owners of Fitger’s Brewhouse Brewery & Grille. The Barrel Room is a private event space located within Fitger’s Brewhouse that can hold 45 in the back room and 75 with full buyouts, perfect for corporate dinners and presentations. An old holding cell where inmates waited before they went to court is now The Rathskeller, a dimly lit speakeasy in downtown popular for holiday parties of up to 60. In the same building is newly opened Snively’s Lounge, which, in contrast, has a space that’s light and bright for 30 people.
Clyde Iron Works used to be a steel fabrication plant in Duluth, but now it’s an industrial, yet elegant restaurant and event space. The 12,500-square-foot event space is split between the main floor and two balconies in a room with 40-foot ceilings. The space holds up to 600 attendees seated and up to 1,200 reception-style. If that’s still not enough space, full buyouts allow groups to occupy the entire 36,000-square-foot building.
The historic Hotel Duluth also has been transformed into a venue, now called Greysolon Ballroom by Black Woods. Duluth-based Black Woods Group preserved as many of the original design elements as possible, including the mahogany bar, hand-painted murals, mosaic tile flooring, and chandeliers. Now, the space hosts fundraising galas, corporate dinners, and holiday parties for up to 330. Even though Greysolon Ballroom is a popular wedding and gala venue, event planners can get creative and use the space for conferences, too—which is what the Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA) of Minneapolis chose to do for its annual conference of 160 attendees. The group used the ballroom as the main session space, and the Moorish Room and West Wing Lounge for breakout rooms. While planners of the nonprofit’s annual conference have hosted at several types of venues over the years, including college campuses and community spaces, they were swayed by Greysolon Ballroom’s focus on giving back to the community, including offering discounted rates on weekdays for nonprofits. “We run our organization on a very, very minimal budget, and being able to find a partner who is willing to work within our budget—and even one that was so complementary to our mission—was really cool,” says Merry Grande, executive director of MPHA.
Out-of-towners attending events at Greysolon Ballroom often are referred to the Sheraton Duluth Hotel, which is adjacent to the venue. The Sheraton also has three meeting rooms, complete with audiovisual equipment, making it easy for meeting and event planners to get down to business from the get-go.
Team Bonding
After deals are sealed, trainings are over, and strategy sessions conclude, it’s nice to have time to unwind in a social setting—and any of Duluth’s many breweries might be a popular happy-hour choice among attendees. Groups of 10 to 75 might find a chance to mingle at Ursa Minor Brewing, which offers a private bar in a semiprivate space, providing some seclusion without being sequestered from the energy of the bustling brewery. “Giving people a casual place to kick back, relax, unwind, and reconnect is what we’re all about,” says Benjamin Hugus, CEO of Ursa Minor Brewing. The brewery releases one to two new beers a week, so even locals who frequent the brewery scene will have something new to try.
For attendees wanting a happy medium between relaxation and physical activity, exploring the Lakewalk leads to up-close views of the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge and provides access to locally owned boutiques and restaurants within sight of the Lake Superior shoreline.
