Roadshow
08/27/2024
Twin Cities, MN
U.S. Travel hit the road in Minnesota, where we visited Bloomington, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and ended at the iconic Minnesota State Fair.
Key Speakers
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senator (D-MN)
The Honorable Tim Busse
Mayor, City of Bloomington
Renee Alexander
CEO, Minnesota State Fair
Tori Barnes
EVP, Public Affairs & Policy, U.S. Travel Association
Bonnie Carlson
President & CEO, Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau
Geoff Freeman
President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association
Dan Jasper
Senior Vice President, MOA Press, Mall of America
Lauren Bennett McGinty
Executive Director, Explore Minnesota
Jill Renslow
Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer, Mall of America
Sarah Strommen
Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Melvin Tennant
President & CEO, Meet Minneapolis
Itinerary
- Industry Roundtable Discussion, held at the Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism office, brought together over 30 business leaders from Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Saint Paul, along with industry executives and elected officials.
- Mall of America, the largest retail shopping mall in the United States, welcomes over 40 million visitors and adds nearly $2 billion to Minnesota’s economy annually.
- Editorial Board Meeting, held at the Minnesota Star Tribune’s office in downtown Minneapolis, brought together the Tribune’s editorial staff and industry leaders to discuss travel’s role as a vital economic driver.
- Reception, hosted by U.S. Travel and Meet Minneapolis, gathered industry leaders and elected officials to celebrate how Travel Works for Minnesota and local communities.
- Minnesota State Fair, located halfway between Saint Paul and Minneapolis, draws over 100,000 visitors daily during its annual 14-day run—showcasing the best of the state’s culinary, agriculture, art and cultural offerings.
Key Topics
- Economic impact of travel
- Global sporting events
- Lowering visa wait times
- Agritourism’s positive regional impact
- Economic growth
Discussion Summary
Our roadshow kicked off with a roundtable discussion, where more than 30 Minnesota business leaders gathered at Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism’s office to hear from industry executives, elected officials—including Bloomington’s very own Mayor Tim Busse—and local business leaders about the tangible impact that travel has on the local region and businesses. Travel is indispensable to Minnesota—supporting more than 180,000 jobs, welcoming 80 million visitors annually and generating $24 billion in economic impact.
Next, we toured the iconic Mall of America, the largest retail shopping mall in the United States. Welcoming 40 million visitors annually, the mall contributes nearly $2 billion to Minnesota’s economy. The U.S. Travel team, joined by Jill Renslow, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer, and Dan Jasper, Senior Vice President of MOA Press, enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour where they learned about the mall’s state-of-the-art security systems, innovative marketing strategies, key partnerships, and rich history that makes it one of Minnesota’s most treasured and visited cultural landmarks.
That evening, the U.S. Travel and Meet Minneapolis teams hosted a reception at their brand new office space in downtown Minneapolis, bringing together industry leaders and elected officials to celebrate and ‘toast to Travel Works.’ Melvin Tennant, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, spoke to the importance of travel to Minnesota and how events such as the Travel Works for Minnesota roadshow are critical for highlighting the vital role travel plays in benefiting cities and regions across the country, particularly the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.
Our final stop was at the renowned Minnesota State Fair, which attracts over 100,000 visitors daily during its 14-day annual run. At the fair, we had a special moment with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, who kicked off the day with remarks in front of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Park, highlighting the transformative power of travel. Sarah Strommen, DNR Commissioner, Renee Alexander, CEO of the Minnesota State Fair, and Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director of Explore Minnesota, also spoke, all emphasizing the travel industry’s critical role in the state’s economy and the significant impact of agritourism across Minnesota.
Following the morning remarks, Sen. Klobuchar led the U.S. Travel team through the expansive 322-acre fairgrounds, highlighting her favorite booths, venues, and food spots—each stop reinforcing why the fair is celebrated as the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Attendees
- Tori Barnes, EVP, Public Affairs & Policy, U.S. Travel Association
- Fay Beauchine, President, Brojure
- Robert Benson, MN Chief of Staff, Office of Congressman Tom Emmer
- Bonnie Carlson, President & CEO, Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Deb Frank, Director, Executive Communications, U.S. Travel Association
- Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association
- Eric Fryer, Manager, Grassroots and PAC, U.S. Travel Association
- Jaimee Lucke Hendrikson, President & CEO, Visit Saint Paul
- Dan Jasper, Senior Vice President, MOA Press, Mall of America
- Holly Masek, Port Authority Administrator, City of Bloomington
- Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director, Explore Minnesota
- Dave Mona, Founder, Former CEO & Chair, Mona Meyer McGrath and Gavin
- Tabitha Montgomery, Board Vice Chair, Meet Minneapolis
- Nolan Nichols, Manager, Video Production, U.S. Travel Association
- Dan O’Neill, VP of Strategy and Sales, Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism
- Brian Peters, Director of Air Service Development, Metropolitan Airports Commission
- Nicole Porter, Vice President, Political Affairs, U.S. Travel Association
- Jill Renslow, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer, Mall of America
- Courtney Ries, SVP, Destination Branding and Strategy, Meet Minneapolis
- Jack Smyth, Outreach Director, Office of U.S. Senator Tina Smith
- Greg Staley, Head of Media Relations, U.S. Travel Association
- Melvin Tennant, President & CEO, Meet Minneapolis
- Rachel Thompson, Executive Director, Visit Greater St. Cloud
- Jamie Verbrugge, City Manager, City of Bloomington
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