Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal

Venue Highlight: On the Water

If you're like me, as the end of summer draws near, you will be trying to pack in as much time outdoors as possible. One way to do this would be to take your next meeting, event, or gathering to the water. In the Location Location section of our summer issue, we featured companies whose vessels offer this type of unique venue. From Stillwater to Duluth and points between, here are the many locations and vessels you have to choose from.  

Paradise Charter Cruises
Serving two popular waterways, Paradise Charter Cruises has a vessel to suite almost any group's needs. Depart from Boom Island in Minneapolis and travel on the Mississippi River past the city's skyline, Stone Arch Bridge, the University of Minnesota campus and through the Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. If you'd prefer to see the cottages and mansions that dot Lake Minnetonka's landscape, take a cruise out of the ports of Excelsior or Wayzata. All vessels offer full food and beverage services as well as audiovisual components.
Fleet Capacity: Minneapolis Queen: 125 total; Paradise Lady: 145 total; Paradise Destiny II: 100 total; Paradise Grand: 60 total; Paradise Princess II: 60 total

Padelford Riverboats
Docked at Harriet Island in St. Paul, Padelford Riverboats offers a fleet of vessels to take guests on the Mississippi River. Each venue offers indoor and outdoor seating, catering services, professional charter consultants and audiovisual equipment. The upriver route is narrated by a tour guide and will take you past sites such as Fort Snelling, Pike Island, Pig's Eye Cave and Minnehaha Falls. For a more unique experience, take in a showing of The Vampire, performed by the University of Minnesota Showboat Players on the stationary Minnesota Centennial Showboat.
Fleet Capacity: Jonathan Padelford: 160 total, 114 (dining room); Anson Northrop: 300 total, 224 (dining room); Betsey Northrop: 300 total, 176 (dining room); Minnesota Centennial Showboat: 500 total, 100 (dining seating)

Vista Fleet
Explore the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth aboard a Vista Fleet Harbor Cruise. The vessels will take you around the harbor, under the Aerial Lift Bridge and up to the St. Louis River. The company offers both public and private cruises, as well as daily sightseeing tours. Each of the vessels has audiovisual capabilities, including LCD TV monitors, wireless microphones and computer or monitor hookups. 
Fleet Capacity: Vista Star: 60 (reception); Vista Queen: 250 (reception)

St. Croix Boat and Packet Company
With a luxury yacht and several paddleboats in its fleet, St. Croix Boat and Packet Company offers a number of ways to see the St. Croix River in Stillwater. Depending on bridge lifts and water levels, tours will take you either north or south on the river, spending approximately 2.5 to 3 hours on the water. Catering services are available on all excursions, in addition to lunch, brunch, dinner and Saturday night feast cruises.
Fleet Capacity: Majestic Star: 300 total; Avalon: 675 total; Express: 225 total; Showboat: 150 total; Jubilee II: 150 total; Anastasia: 75 total

Treasure Island Resort and Casino
Besides card games and slots at its casino, Treasure Island Resort and Casino offers its own vessel for exploring the Mississippi River. Public cruises run for dinner daily, with lunch cruises offered Wednesday through Saturday and brunch cruises on Sunday. Also available for private charters, the yacht can be rented in full or part. The captain will adjust your tour depending on preferences, river traffic, and desire to learn about the area. 
Fleet Capacity: Spirit of the Water: 100 total

-- Molly Schelper
Assistant Editor

[Photo courtsey of Paradise Charter Cruises]

In This Issue: People to Know

With each issue of the magazine, we like to highlight different professionals who are making their mark on the hospitality industry. Here are just four of the many you meet in our summer issue.

Q+A: Cole Carley
After serving as president and CEO of Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau for more than two decades, Carley joins us in this interview to discuss his accomplishments, how destination marketing has changed and what makes Fargo-Moorhead such a unique destination.

In the Lead: John Basill (pictured)
As the president of Discover St. Louis Park, the city's new convention and visitors bureau, Basill discusses his plan to bring visitors to the city as well as what makes this southwest suburb a travel desitnation.

Peers: Tyge Nelson 
With previous experience at other chef-driven area restaurants, Nelson became the executive chef at Chino Latino last fall. From rotating menus to focusing on different cultural cuisines, learn how Nelson is putting his own stamp on this Uptown hotspot.

Podium: Joel Carlson 
The owner of Sociability, a social media management and consulting services company, gives us insight into the world of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as tips on how to make the platforms work for you.

--Molly Schelper
Assistant Editor

 

 

Weekly Roundup: Zoo makes People mag, Vision Awards deadline, Hotel news & more

Happy weekend! Happy Olympics! Here's your news:

+ You have the weekend to submit nominees for our Vision Awards. Next week we'll be picking the winners. Get your nominations in!

+ The Minnesota Zoo made People magazine!

+ Morrissey Hospitality opens up Crossings Inn & Suites in Parkers Prairie, Minn., today.

+ The Northland Inn in Brooklyn Park finally became a Marriott.

+ Did you hear about the new restaurant, Union, that will open up in downtown Minneapolis, with a pretty awesome rooftop to boot!

+ Buy early and you can save on your bus fare to the Fair.

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Trend or Standard: What's New in Catering?

Food not only provides nourishment and enjoyment, but it always brings people together. Food is so central to our lives that it is served in all manners of celebrations and styles. Here we examine a few of catering's latest concepts and rate them as either a trend–here today, gone tomorrow–or a standard–‘til death do us part.

Social Networks Events of all sizes and types are including interactive, short plates or demonstration stations, making them social between the guests. As social mediums take over the world, people want fun events where they can intermingle and “network” rather than just sit at a table.

Trend or Standard? People are social creatures and we enjoy interacting with other people in person rather than on our smartphone or computer. Social style events are here to stay.

Wedding Breakfast For the right couple in the right circumstances, having a wedding breakfast reception can be a fresh and creative way to create a unique experience for guests. The food can be locally sourced with fresh orange juice and fruit to start and pancakes and waffles for dessert with a myriad of sweet and savory toppings.

Trend or Standard? Wedding traditions are rich in history and follow a relative standard procedure and schedule. A wedding reception, before noon, is creative and different, but is likely a trend.

Sustainability From biodegradable napkins, silverware, cups and plates and sugar packets to composting food and using recycle products during events makes sure we have and will continue to have the world in which we live. Not only can food be organic (and delicious at the same time), but events can be planned to ensure our natural environment strives for future generations.

Trend or Standard? Doing this well and for the right reason is the perfect combination contributing to a successful and enjoyable event. Sustaining the world we live will and should be a standard.

What current catering concepts do you see sticking around or fading away?

-- Arthur Morrissey
Corporate Director of Marketing
Morrissey Hospitality Companies, Inc.

[Photos courtesy of Morrissey Hospitality]

10 Years: Where Are They Now?

When we were planning our summer issue, we knew we wanted to commemorate our 10-year anniversary as a magazine. We came up with the idea to search our archives and find a handful of people we interviewed back when the magazine was new and find out where they are in their hospitality careers now.

Not only was it fun to look back at the way the magazine used to look and read, but it was fun to see some of the same players in the local industry not only with different haircuts but in completely different places than where they are now.

I've said it before, my favorite part of my job is interviewing and meeting the awesome people in our local industry. This story let me do that once again.

So take a read of Where Are They Now? These folks have been around the block and back again. They're wise, funny, informative and smart. You'll learn something. I sure did.

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Meet Molly, Our New Assistant Editor

We're so excited to welcome Molly Schelper to our team here at Meetings. Molly has been our intern for the past several months and we were lucky enough to snag her for a full-time position. She'll be blogging regularly here, helping me tweet and writing for many parts of the magazine. We asked her a few questions so you could get to know her.

Where were you born and raised?
I'm a Twin Cities native, born and raised. I have lived in the same house in Minnetonka my entire life, growing up as a part of a family of five people and countless animals. 
   
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I graduated from Winona State University with a degree in mass communication-journalism and a minor in psychology. During my third year of college I studied abroad at CAPA University in London, which was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had.

Why did you want to get into journalism?
To me, there's almost nothing better than a eloquently constructed sentence. I love words and the power that they have to generate emotion, inform and bring life to things. So, being in an occupation where I get to be behind the scenes of those effects is a dream.

Working on Meetings for the last few months, what's one thing you learned about the hospitality industry that you didn’t know before?
I've learned that I didn't know as much as I thought I did. I've had a number of family members who have worked in the hospitality industry, so I thought I knew quite a bit about it. However, from working on Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal, I've discovered that it's a much larger and more powerful world than I originally thought.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy being able to take a break from reality and dive into a great book, TV show, or movie. I have a pretty serious case of wanderlust, so I enjoy thinking about and planning dream vacations. On more of a day-to-day basis, I enjoy going out for dinner and drinks with friends and spending time with my family and pets.

What are you most excited about in your new position?
I have spent years gathering as much knowledge as I could so that I could get to this point, so I am just beyond excited to put to use everything I have learned, while also continuing to learn and grow.

Welcome Molly!

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Weekly Roundup: Vision Awards deadline extended, Pinterest for business, Minneapolis restaurants & more!

We want your nominations! So, we extended the Vision Awards nomination deadline until July 27. Please take a moment to honor someone in your profession! Here's your news:

+ Lonely Planet named the Great River Road, which starts in Minnesota, as one of the best motorcyle roads.

+ Check out the awesome infographic for The 10 Commandments of Pinterest for Business.

+ Spirit Airlines is adding flights from MSP to Dallas and Florida.

+ This how-to over at PlannerWire is excellent and thorough: How to use Flickr Images for Your Event Website.

+ Food & Wine listed the Best Affordable Restaurants in Minneapolis.

+ By now everyone's heard that Figlio is coming back. Designed by Shea (who is also redesigning Murray's!).

+ The Minnesota chapter of MPI has some cool video up. Check out the latest Afternoon at the Races.

+ Masu Sushi & Robata opens at Mall of America this weekend.

+ If you've been touched by men's depression, get out to Alive at the Market tomorrow night. The event offers music, comedy and great food all in support of an important cause.

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Duluth Flood Recovery Fund Raising

If you want to help Duluth in its effort to rebuild after the flood, GiveMN is holding a fund raising effort. The goal of $35,000 is nearly reached! You can choose to dontate directly to the Lake Superior Zoo or to the American Red Cross.

In addition to the fund raising, the leadership in Duluth has made it very clear as well that the city is open for business.

Minneapolis News and Weather KMSP FOX 9

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Storytelling: The Bare Essentials

Seems like you can’t swing a cat these days without hearing about the importance of storytelling—in videos, in events and just in general. Well, we’re no exception to that train of thought and I would like to share an example of an event we did where storytelling really worked its magic.

Martin Bastian has had the good fortune of partnering with Children’s Cancer Research Fund for more than 12 years. During that time, we’ve told their story in a variety of ways at their annual Dawn of a Dream gala. But for the most recent event, we took a little bit of a different approach, with spectacular results.

For the 2011 event, we stripped everything away and simply focused on the core: the stories that make up Children’s Cancer Research Fund. No cute themes, no over-the-top decor, no re-lyriced songs—just real-life stories told in compelling ways. The goal was that each attendee would retain a nugget so the next morning they could go up to a neighbor and say, “Children’s Cancer Research Fund is really doing some amazing work! Listen to this story I heard last night at Dawn of a Dream...”

So the theme became simply “Stories that....”, and we completed that sentence over the course of the event with words like “Inspire,” “Engage,” and “Compel.” Those words were introduced in the invitation, which featured black and white images (of survivors, a family who lost a son, researchers), along with their stories, designed like a storybook.

Weekly Roundup: New recycling regulations, food trucks in the news, weekend events & more!

Happy weekend! Before you leave work today, please take a moment to help us out with two things: Nominate someone for a Vision Award and take our short, 10-minute annual survey. Here's your news:

+ Minneapolis is considering requiring large-scale events (races, parades) to follow recycling regulations. According to MinnPost, "The new rules would require planners for events, parades and races to submit a written plan for recycling paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal containers and “compostables.”

+ The Minnesota Zoo may replace the dolphins with sting rays.

+ MinnPost has an interesting article on some permanent restaurants and other businesses' thoughts on all the food trucks.

+ Speaking of food trucks, City Pages calls out its 10 favorites.

+ Yes please! Minneapolis' Cupcake is planning to open a location at Mall of America.

+ USA Cup starts today. It's a huge amateur sporting event that provides a big economic impact for the Twin Cities. Read more about it in Good Sports.

+ Minneapolis Aquatennial starts today!

+ No Cee Lo or Levine, but who's auditioning for The Voice this weekend at the RiverCentre?

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor