TRADESHOW RESULTS IN $3800+ IN IN-KIND DONATIONS TO TUBMAN

Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2011 Minneapolis Northwest / The Minneapolis Northwest Convention & Visitors Bureau team including the Arbor Lakes Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn Maple Grove, Northland Inn & Suites Brooklyn Park and Rush Creek Golf Course Maple Grove transformed attendees into everyday heroes by leveraging a service project at the Midwest Society of Association Executives (MSAE) tradeshow booth on June 7th. The expo resulted in impacting association meeting planners with a different type of message of service, plus a donation of $3800+ in in-kind donations of 200 bags filled with hygiene products to benefit Tubman (formerly Tubman Center) in Minneapolis.

In a series of pre-planning meetings by the Minneapolis Northwest team, MSAE’s event theme “Your Inner Super Hero” inspired visions of capes and masks. The group’s decision to look differently at the theme and incorporate a service project angle transformed the vision to place the metaphorical cape on the association planner verses the group that would be exhibiting at the booth.

With connections to many charitable organizations, Minneapolis Northwest was able to connect with Alison Nelson of Tubman, an organization that helps women, children and families struggling with relationship violence, substance abuse and mental health. Each member of the team would donate hygiene products from their respective companies such as shampoo, toothbrushes, soap and hand lotion and decided to utilize the booth to assemble bags to donate to Tubman.

Although there were no capes and masks present at the booth, the participants who assemble bags were given a badge to wear stating, “Ask Me Why I’m A Hero Today” to transform them from a regular attendee into an everyday hero. All the partners felt this feel-good message would create & inspire conversations and make a more lasting impression than dressing up as a super hero and distributing standard collateral about planning a meeting or event in the area. It also represented the symbolic reflection on the service, dedication and out-of-the-box thinking provided to planners by all of the CVB staff and the hotel and venue partners found throughout the Minneapolis Northwest region.

Although the team missed winning best booth by one or two votes, the ultimate goal was reached as planners continue making positive comments about the experience and how they were transformed into everyday heroes.

About Minneapolis Northwest Convention & Visitors Bureau
Minneapolis Northwest is a destination marketing organization that represents 3 cities in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis including: Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove. Its mission is to offer complimentary services to assist planners and organizers of tourism, sports, and meetings & conventions to encourage the utilization of lodging and venues within its member cities. For more information about Minneapolis Northwest, please visit www.minneapolisnorthwest.com.