Twin Cities convention centers on track to reach pre-pandemic numbers, officials say

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic halted major gatherings and turned downtowns into ghost towns, events are gradually returning to convention centers in the Twin Cities.

The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) has more than 300 events scheduled this year and has already hosted nearly 509,000 guests — generating revenue of about $9.8 million in the first half of 2023, according to a statement from Kevin Kurtt, a spokesman for Meet Minneapolis, the city's convention bureau.

Last year, the MCC welcomed 480,000 people to 218 events, bringing in more than $16 million in revenue. That surpassed the combined revenue of 2020 and 2021 by nearly $3 million.

"There was a time where we weren't able to host events, and so any event that we can host is pretty fun, and we love doing it," said Jeff Johnson, the MCC's executive director.

The story is similar across the river, where the St. Paul RiverCentre also has seen a steady increase in events and attendance.

Before the pandemic, RiverCentre held 269 events annually on average, and welcomed about 462,000 attendees for trade shows, banquets, concerts and more, according to a statement from Cindy Dupont, interim president and CEO of Visit St. Paul.

Then the numbers fell as the pandemic set in. In 2021, RiverCentre hosted 109,000 attendees at 102 events — a 38% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers.

But numbers improved last year, when 207 events brought in 257,000 attendees. And this year, events and attendance are on track to return to pre-pandemic levels, Dupont said.

With revenue down by 70% from pre-pandemic years, Meet Minneapolis launched a three-year recovery plan in 2021 that will last through 2024, at a cost of more than $6.5 million. Goals included increasing hotel room occupancy and doubling hospitality workforce numbers.

Johnson said the convention center is hoping to reach total recovery by 2025.

Meet Minneapolis has developed different marketing and sales strategies to achieve the recovery plan's goals. One of its new campaigns, "See What All the Fuss is About," highlights the city's scenery and upends negative perceptions through digital, broadcast and print advertising.

The Minneapolis Convention Center — which, like RiverCentre, is city-owned — is an economic generator for downtown. In 2022, the MCC had an economic impact of $188 million for the city and supported more than 3,500 hospitality jobs, according to a January news release.

When Meet Minneapolis chooses which events to host, the goal is to draw people from outside the city for national conventions and meetings, Johnson said — attendees who may spend up to $1,000 on hotels, restaurants and other activities in the city's core.

"Many of the highest single-day hotel occupancy rates in Minneapolis have occurred on days when large events have been held" at the convention center, Kurtt said.

Recent events at the MCC have ranged from the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship, which drew more than 52,000 attendees, to the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, which brought in 33,100.

Emma Burns, operations director for the St. Paul Downtown Alliance, said RiverCentre is an attraction that helps downtown flourish, and city Planning and Economic Development Director Nicolle Goodman said the convention center is one of the most powerful economic development drivers for downtown St. Paul.

August events at RiverCentre include the Northstar Fashion Exhibitors, the Minnesota Digital Government Summit and Black Out Business Gala.

"Having those visitors and having that venue right in the heart of downtown is fantastic for our vitality," Burns said.