Minneapolis, Minnesota

With the highest ranked park system in the nation, multiple and easily accessible transportation options, world-renowned arts and theater, unique, spacious meeting venues and much more, Minneapolis, Minnesota is one of the most desirable destinations for meetings and events in the country. Conveniently located just minutes from a major international airport and just a quick jaunt from her twin city of St. Paul, planners will discover when they meet Minneapolis, it’s everything they thought it would be…and more.

1. Walkable City. Minneapolis’ park system is number one in the nation according to the ParkScore Index, and with 197 parks, discovering one isn’t hard to do. Our city is sprinkled with lakes, trails and parks that make it the most walkable city around. The compact, easily-accessible layout of downtown Minneapolis makes opting to walk to meetings and conventions an easy choice, whether at street-level or in the skyways.

2. Easily-accessible transportation. Minneapolis is one of the most accessible cities to which you’ll ever travel. Named the fastest airport in the U.S. by Yahoo! Travel, Minneapolis-St. Paul International is a Delta Air Lines hub, and a meeting traveler’s dream, with short security waits, easily-navigable terminals, punctual flights and dependable intra-airport transportation.

Once you’ve arrived in Minneapolis, you’ll find an array of transportation options, including eco-friendly METRO light rail train, taxis and ride-sharing options (like Uber) at every turn and convenient skyways that accommodate pedestrians when the weather outside is less than cooperative. What’s more, Minneapolis is one of America’s top bike cities, featuring Nice Ride bikes, a public bike-sharing program for a convenient, easy-to-use transportation option that gives visitors a healthy, fun, different way to get around from April to November.

3. Eclectic shopping experience with no clothing/shoe tax. Offering a tax-free apparel/shoe experience, shopping here is unlike anywhere else. The Mall of America is just the beginning of what Minneapolis’ fashion scene has to offer. The city offers a combination of ambitious young designers, funky neighborhood boutiques, major retailers, and big malls. Downtown is home to Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian shopping avenue that includes Target’s flagship store, Nordstrom Rack and Saks OFF 5TH, plus other unique shopping stops. Diverse, deal-oriented, chic, rustic, location-specific, flashy or reserved, Minneapolis shops offer something for everyone.

4. Top-notch arts and entertainment. Not many other places offer the opportunity for a visitor to attend a meeting in a convention facility in the morning, spend the afternoon riverside, and then watch a Broadway-touring show by night - all within a short walk. The history, art, culture, and beauty of Minneapolis are perfect for off-duty convention-goers.

Plus, Minneapolis offers a variety of historical and food tours, as well as award-winning dining, breweries, and distilleries, plus museums, professional sports teams, shopping and family venues – the choices are endless!

With so many entertainment options available, trying to make your own must-see-and-do-list can be overwhelming. That’s why Meet Minneapolis provides special city itineraries that make your meeting visit to Minneapolis a worthwhile trip and a memorable experience.

5. Unique meeting venues. See for yourself why nearly 33 million people visited the greater Minneapolis metro area in 2016. The combination of new, recently renovated, and historic buildings creates a diverse architectural space for Minneapolis, allowing meeting and event planners a variety of unique venues from which to choose. From U.S. Bank Stadium to the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) – which is home to a 3,400 fixed-seat auditorium, 475,000 square feet of exhibit space, 87 meeting rooms and both a 28,000 square-foot ballroom and a 55,000 square-foot ballroom – Minneapolis is well-suited to host your perfect event.

For more information about booking your meeting or event in Minneapolis, go to www.minneapolis.org and see why you’ve never met a place quite like this.