About Meet Minneapolis

Mission
Structure
Board of Directors
Executive Staff
History
Funding

MISSION

The mission of Meet Minneapolis™, Official Convention + Visitors Association, is to sell, market and internationally promote Minneapolis as a premier, year-round destination for convention, trade show, corporate meeting and leisure travel. We are committed to service and excellence for all of our clients. We do this for the economic benefit and vitality of the members, businesses and communities we serve.

STRUCTURE

Meet Minneapolis is a 501(c)6 organization that is contracted by the City of Minneapolis to sell the city and its surrounding areas as a convention site and visitor destination.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are served by a 40-member Board of Directors:

32 from the private sector, elected by members
6 City Council members
Mayor of Minneapolis
City Contract Administrator
6 Ex-officio and 8 Directors Emeritus

Officers

Chair: Dave Mona, Weber Shandwick
Vice Chair: Jay Novak, MSP Communications
Treasurer: Lynn Casey, Padilla Spear Beardsley
Secretary: Pete Mihajlov, Parasole Restaurant Holdings
Past Chair: Sharon Bredeson, Staff Plus
President/CEO: Greg Ortale, Meet Minneapolis

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Melvin Tennant, Interim Chief Executive Officer/president
Madonna Carr, director of convention services
Bill Deef, vice president of tourism
Karyn Gruenberg, vice president of marketing
Marido Huber, director of finance
Kevin Lewis, vice president of sales
Sylvia Olson, executive assistant
Maureen Scallen, director of government affairs

HISTORY

The organization was formed as the Greater Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association in 1987 as an offshoot of the Minneapolis Convention & Tourism Commission. In August 2006, the organization officially changed its name to Meet Minneapolis™, Official Convention & Visitors Association, to better convey what the organization does. See the press release.

FUNDING

The efforts of Meet Minneapolis are the result of a public/private partnership. Of our $9 million annual budget, approximately 77% is funding from the City of Minneapolis. The rest comes from the downtown hotel tax, membership dues, sponsorship revenue, service fees and other misc. sources.

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