Media Contacts

Kristen Montag
Minneapolis Convention Center
Convention trade
General Inquiries
Travel and leisure
Local media
612.767.8038

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About Us

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 39-member Board of Directors:

32 from the private sector, elected by members
6 City Council members
Mayor of Minneapolis

In addition, the board has as members:

6 Ex-officio and 8 Directors Emeritus

Officers

Chair: Lynn Casey, Padilla Speer Beardsley
Vice Chair: Peter Mihajlov, Parasole Restaurant Holdings
Treasurer: Rob Moor, Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx
Secretary: John Luke, Hilton Minneapolis
Past Chair: Jay Novak, Twin Cities Business

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.

Funding

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

Executive Staff + Spokespeople

The staff of Meet Minneapolis™, the Official Convention + Visitors Association, are experts in many areas of the tourism and convention industry.

Melvin Tennant
CEO and President

Melvin oversees the day-to-day operations at Meet Minneapolis and iDSS, including the professional and support staff. Melvin serves as the voice of Meet Minneapolis through speaking engagements, civic activities and political council meetings. He has served as president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis since November 2007.

Areas of expertise: Overall direction and goals of the organization, industry trends, innovative solutions, public speaking
Liva Wolf
Senior Vice President of Destination Branding & Strategy

Serving as Senior Vice President of Destination Branding & Strategy, Liva brings a healthful resume with a wide variety of expertise. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Architecture program and has a background in sports, fashion and entertainment. Joining the Meet Minneapolis team in 2009, Liva has overseen a new advertising initiative that seeks to bring the city’s marketing direction into the 21st century.

Areas of Expertise: Marketing guru, team building and high-profile advertising expert. Her enthusiasm and knowledge are valuable assets to the entire staff.
Leslie Wright
Senior Vice President of Sales + Services

With more than 20 years of sales and management experience in the hospitality industry, Wright joined Meet Minneapolis in 2009. She oversees the destination sales and services staff at Meet Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Convention Center. She also manages all destination services functions to ensure maximum customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Areas of Expertise: Hotel information—occupancy, new development; convention bookings, multi-cultural meetings, industry-wide convention travel trends; Meet Minneapolis destination services
Bill Deef
Vice President of International Relations

Bill and his department promote Minneapolis as a viable travel destination to tour operators, individual tourists, media and niche markets in order to attract international leisure travelers. Since 1987, Deef has made significant contributions to the Minnesota tourism industry—from serving as a chair of the Washburn Academy of Hospitality and Tourism to working as a liaison for Minneapolis's sister city program.

Areas of expertise: Minneapolis Saint Paul's international travel markets, Minneapolis sister cities, group travel, airline service to and from the market, what attracts travelers to Minneapolis Saint Paul.
Adam Heffron
Director of Sales, Minneapolis Convention Center

As Director of Sales at the Minneapolis Convention Center since 2004, Adam manages the 10-member sales team and builds relationships with area hotels and convention facilities to organize bids for local and national conventions.

Areas of Expertise: Minneapolis Convention Center facility and sales, Sales management and team building; relationship building with clients and employees
Jeff Johnson
Executive Director

Jeff was named Executive Director in 2010 after joining the Convention Center in 2004 and managing Guest Services and as Director of Event Services. Jeff brings an event-focused background to this position, which he has cultivated from an employee-focused and client-centered approach to management. His varied event experience includes a background in professional and collegiate sports, arenas, stadiums, concerts, special events and the convention industry. Under Jeff’s leadership, as a multi-use facility, the Convention Center will be focused on providing opportunities for our clients to create successful events through our experienced staff, world-class facility and great community.

Areas of Expertise: crowd and sports management, Convention Center event operations, technology services, event coordination, guest and security/safety services.
Kristen Montag
Marketing Communication Manager

Kristen is responsible for public and media relations at Meet Minneapolis. She serves as the primary liaison between Meet Minneapolis and local and national media while managing marketing communications for the Minneapolis Convention Center and convention business. Kristen has been at Meet Minneapolis since March 2009.

Areas of Expertise: Minneapolis Convention Center facility updates and general operations, upcoming conventions booked by Meet Minneapolis, general Minneapolis hotel, travel and leisure information, all general inquiries or to schedule interviews with anyone at Meet Minneapolis or the Minneapolis Convention Center. Contact Kristen at 612-767-8038.

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