Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal

Weekly Roundup: Restaurant news, hotel offers and more

Editors' Note: We're starting a new Friday feature called Weekly Roundup. In this blog post, we'll compile quick bits of local hospitality news we think is interesting or relevant to our readers. Come back every Friday to see what's new!

+ By now most have probably heard (we tweeted about it yesterday), Cafe Brenda is closing.

+ Cafe Agri is also closing. Head over there to say goodbye and enjoy $1 glasses of wine Nov. 27-29. Minnesota Monthly's Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl has already made the announcement of what restaurants will take its place: Piccolo.

+ In more restaurant news, St. Paul's Pazzaluna will now be open for lunch Fridays in December (4, 11, 18) to accommodate holiday shoppers and corporate holiday lunch parties. [UPDATE 11-23-09: Just got a press release from Pazzaluna saying they won't be starting Friday lunches until the New Year. Stay tuned.]

+ Ike's Food & Cocktails at the MSP Airport has opened another spin-off location on Concourse F: Ike's On Summit.

+ It's about time! The Minnesota Shubert Center broke ground yesterday on 6th Street and Hennepin. It's scheduled to open in 2011 and feature a 500-seat theater and provide a home for two local dance companies.

+ The W Minneapolis-The Foshay is partnering with Neiman Marcus and JB Hudson to offer a ritzy holiday package, including a makeover from Neimans, two cocktails and $500 toward a $1,000 purchase at JB Hudson. The hotel has several other special offers as well.

+ The Midwest Society of Association Executives (MSAE) has revamped its Web site.

+ Ramada Mall of America is offering a Park 'n Fly deal, which includes a one-night stay, up to 14 days of parking, shuttle service to and from the airport, and they'll even clean the snow off your car - if we ever get any snow.

+ Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is seeking nominations for its RISE awards. Nominees should be individuals and communities that have made a significant contribution to the meetings and events industry through influence, innovation, and global reach. All documentation must be received by Dec. 15. The full awards program will be presented in Vancouver, BC, Canada at the World Education Congress in 2010. You don't have to be an MPI member to submit a nomination.

+FireLake is hoping to spice up the downtown retail scene with its latest offer. Through December 30, anyone who spends $100 or more at any downtown retailer can enjoy their first cocktail on the house.

+The Midwest Poultry Federation and the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Authority began Thanksgiving celebrations early by contributing twenty-five large turkeys that will go to families served by Neighborhood House on Saint Paul’s West Side.  The turkeys will become the centerpiece on the Thanksgiving tables of twenty-five families from across Saint Paul.

+The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has awarded the Minnesota Zoo Brass Ring Awards for its marketing efforts promoting this past summer’s seasonal exhibit, Africa! The awards were given at the annual convention in Las Vegas this week. 

+Macy's 47th annual holiday auditorium display opens on Saturday, Nov. 21. A Day in the Life of an Elf at Macy’s Santaland will tell a magical tale of Santa's elves at the North Pole as they prepare for Christmas from waking up and getting Santa's mail to teaching the reindeer how to fly and learning about Christmas traditions. 

-- The Editors

Give to the Max, Tuesday Nov. 17, 2009

[UPDATE 11-19-09: On Tuesday, nearly 40,000 donors raised more than $14 million for 3,434 Minnesota charities. Impressive! Second Harvest Heartland had that most donors with more than 1,200.]

Minnesota has been lauded several times over in years past as one of the top states for charitable giving, and according to the Star Tribune, we give more than $3 billion to nonprofit groups every year. This fall our giving opportunities were taken to the Web with GiveMN, an opportunity for Minnesotans to easily and quickly give online. Earlier this month the Strib wrote about GiveMN and how, while online giving still only accounts for about 1 percent of all donations, it's most likely the way things are headed. We do everything online, why not donate?

While I was at the Brave New Workshop, our fabulous local nonprofit improv theater, on Friday night for a performance, I learned tomorrow, Nov. 17, is a BIG day for GiveMN. Every donation made tomorrow (from 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday) on the Web site will be matched, up to $500,000 (courtesy of The Saint Paul Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation and Bush Foundation).

The Web site is slick to use. You can search for a specific charity - besides Brave New Workshop, I've already received press releases from Clare Housing and the James J Hill Library asking to be thought of tomorrow - or just search for a type of charity, if don't have a specific nonprofit in mind. And all the money goes to Minnesota charities.

With a minimum credit card donation of just $10, how can you say no? 'Tis the season.

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Fall Podcast

Our latest episode of the Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal podcast is now up on our Web site or on iTunes. I invite you to subscribe to quarterly show, if you have not done so already. This episode includes an interview with Jan Freitag, vice president of global development for Smith Travel Research. In our interview we discuss the state of the current hospitality climate, and about how the Twin Cities market compares to national trends. 

I also interview Kimberly Douglas, author of the book "The Firefly Effect: Build Teams that Capture Creativity and Catapult Results." An organizational psychology consultant, Douglas is a recognized expert in building the effectiveness of teams. She  has collaborated with with leaders at organizations such as AT&T, Cisco, United Way, and the U.S. Marine Corps. In our interview, we talk about her new book, the importance of creating effective teams, as well as some of the pitfalls of bad meetings.

And finally, we also have the latest from the Keep America Meeting initiative. The latest promotional item is a very creative rap song. Yep, you read correctly. TBA Global, along with artist NewSide, created a great song promoting the value of meeting face to face. You just have to hear it; a description doesn't do it justice.

--Joel Schettler,
Editor

Celebrating Our Success

Last night, we headed over to the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley for the annual Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association (MMPA) excellence awards event. Hosted by WCCO's Jason DeRusha, the 13th annual event awarded magazines in 88 categories (including, design, edit, photography and overall excellence). Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal earned three awards. 

BRONZE Overall Excellence

SILVER Best Overall Design

GOLD Best Use of Visuals/Photography (Spring '09, "Design Showcase")

In total, our custom publishing department earned four awards and our company, Greenspring Media Group, pulled in 22.

Great job, team!

Behind the Numbers

The writers over at MinnPost have started a series called Behind the Numbers, which shares various stories of how individuals are coping during these difficult times. One such profile is of Christina Anderson, a meeting planner in Shakopee.

These difficult times are affecting us all, but can it be true that the current economy is actually good for a meeting planner's business. Budgets may be shrinking, but when it comes to wedding planning, the money for a professional planner is actually money well spent.

"Couples are trying to save more money these days, she said, but they are still hiring wedding planners to organize their budgets and help them find the most efficient ways to pay for the big day."

According to the story, Anderson's business has grown considerably over the past five years. She planned 10 events during her first year in business, and this year she will likely plan between 40 and 45 events.

Do you have a similar story to tell? We'd love to hear it. Also, watch for our annual State of the Industry report in our upcoming winter issue, where we will provide our own look behind the numbers.

-Joel Schettler
Editor

A Look Back: November Blog Posts

Here's a quick peek at what we were talking about during past Novembers:

November 2008

+ We received a few comments on our post about making personal connections. Should your Facebook and Twitter friends be considered real relationships?

+ We discuss Prop 8 and how that could affect the events industry. 

+ We pat ourselves on the back after we won five Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association awards. This year's awards event takes place on Thursday - wish us luck!

+ We mention a great green resource: The Green Meeting. Where do you find your green information?

+ We mention some cool tech tools, courtesy of Popular Science. 

November 2007

+ Have we really been talking about social media for this long? Two years ago, we point to a few articles and blog posts that talk about the pros and cons of using social media in your business. 

+ Two new hotels, Cambria Suites in Maple Grove and Minneapolis' Hilton Garden Inn, both broke ground this month.

+ Amazon releases the Kindle.

+ Another social media post: allowing bloggers at the political conventions brings up the discussion of how social media has changed the events industry. What do you think, have we figured it all out yet?

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

SOI Event Preview: Our Keynote Speaker

 

Details are coming together for our annual State of the Industry Event. We're excited to announce that we selected Joan Eisenstodt, chief strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, as our keynote speaker. Eisenstodt is a respected expert in the hospitality industry; she founded Eisenstodt Associates, a planning and management support company, in 1981. Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal previously consulted with Eisenstodt for "Contingency Planning 101" in last year's winter issue. Learn more about Eisenstodt by following her on Twitter and reading her Meetings Collaborative blog then mark your calendar for the State of the Industry Event on February 2, 2010, when you can hear her give a keynote speech touching on the future of the industry and host a breakout session. Stay tuned for future announcements about the speakers at this year's event ...

--Ellie M. Bayrd, Associate Editor

Special Time of Year

Tomorrow, candy and costumes rule then we all rush to our alarm clocks to "fall back"--a busy weekend. Fall is a great time of year for some hospitality venues. This Halloween Forbes Traveler lists 10 Vampire Vacations; last year they presented a list of America's Haunted Hotels to check out for the holiday. When its time to change the clock, Historic Hotels of America celebrates with its Fall Back in Time promotion to help you decide what to do with that extra hour. Deals for each of the participating hotels center around pricing that matches the year the hotel first opened (For example 1913 =  rates of $191.30). How will you celebrate this weekend?

--Ellie M. Bayrd, Associate Editor

Walker Art Center Fun Facts

I was reading the Walker's bi-monthly newsletter/magazine and I found a list of "notable figures from the past year," which "highlight key aspects of the Walker's mission: artistic leadership and innovation, audience engagement and civic commitment, and stewardship." I thought the numbers were interesting, especially the number of people around the globe who are exposed to our contemporary art museum's touring productions. Very cool.

Walker Art Center: Notable Figures from the past fiscal year (2008-2009)

1,425 Artist presentations and engagement at the Walker (including visual and performing artists, filmmakers and designers)

1,575 Total number of artists in the Walker collection

12,661 Total number of artworks in the Walker collection

85 Newly acquired works

671,757 Total attendance at the Walker

382,328 Total visitors to the Sculpture Garden

10,281 Total number of attendees at Rock the Garden 2009

193 Partnerships with local arts and community organizations

60 Copresentations with local and national arts organizations

499,641 People around the globe who attended Walker-organized touring exhibitions at seven host museums in three countries

24,400+ People around the globe who attended Walker-commissioned touring performances at 40 host venues in 30 cities in eight countries

3,621,718 User sessions at walkerart.org, artsconnected.org, and mnartists.org

19,748 Fans on Facebook and Twitter followers.

Way to go Walker!

(Photo courtesy of Walker Art Center)

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Live from D'Amico Kitchen at Chambers Hotel

Those interested in a little "culinary voyeurism" can now be a fly on the wall at the new D'Amico Kitchen at the Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis. The restaurant has installed three video cameras in its kitchen, and every evening from 7:30 to 10 interested parties can hop on the Web site and watch live, unedited footage of the chefs in action behind the scenes. The footage will also be broadcast on a large screen outside of the kitchen so diners and Hennepin Avenue passersby can be in on the action.

Starting next Wednesday, Oct. 28, Executive Chef John Occhiato will post weekly video blogs to share his own thoughts and inside experience on a range of delicious topics, including the transition from D'Amico Cucina to D'Amico Kitchen during six weeks this past summer, how he uses seasonal ingredients in his dishes and how he orders when he goes out to eat. 

This is a pretty unique idea and the first time a Twin Cities restaurant has offered the experience. So, if you can't make it to D'Amico Kitchen in person, check out the video instead. It may just make you get out of the house and go out to eat.

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor