Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal

Tune In Friday: PBS Airs Guthrie's HMS Pinafore

This summer, Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater staged an energetic production of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore directed by Artistic Director Joe Dowling (Star Tribune review). The show caught the attention of PBS, which filmed a performance that will air this Friday at 8 p.m. and kick off the PBS Arts Fall Festival--if you missed it on stage, make sure to tune in tomorrow! According to the New York Times, which called the Guthrie an "esteemed regional theater" and credited the show with an "exuberantly choreographed" performance of “He Is an English Man," the last time the theater had a show on a national PBS broadcast was in 1975. Other shows on the PBS Arts Fall Festival schedule include: Pearl Jam Twenty, Miami City Ballet, Il Postino from the LA Opera, Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park.

You can also vote now for the Guthrie in Travel & Leisure's Best New Landmarks survey.

--Ellie M. Bayrd
Associate Editor

[Photos by Michal Daniel, 2011]

Weekly Roundup: Block E casino, Cirque du Soleil, MIA Book Club & more!

Well, we here at Meetings are definitely ready for the Snow. To. Stop. But, we're hanging in there. How about you? Here's your news:

+ The winner of America's Next Great Restaurant will get the chance to open their restaurant in Minneapolis. Judge Bobby Flay calls us a "great food town."

+ Cirque du Soleil returns to the Twin Cities with OVO. The famous blue-and-yellow big top will set up at Mall of America in the North Lot. The show arrives May 26 (through June 12), and tickets go on sale this Sunday.

+ So, could Minneapolis get a casino in Block E? It's an interesting idea. Some people like it, some aren't so sure.

+  Parents Magazine named the Minnesota Children's Museum one of its top 10 for 2011.

+ A book club at a museum? Sounds awesome. The MIA is hosting book tours, featuring discussions of how works of art relate to popular books. Current books: Eat, Pray, Love and Seven Days in the Art World.

+ Did you read the USA Today article about using holograms at meetings and conventions? It's expensive, but is it the future?

+ Expose your kids to The Bard during the Guthrie's Shakespeare Classic on March 13 (then stay and listen to Joe Dowling's convo with David Hyde Pierce). Busy place!

-- The Editors

A Look Back: January posts

Happy New Year! Here's what we were talking about during past months of January.

January 2010

+ I still love this video by three guys from St. Cloud, Minnesota State of Mind.

+ Martin Bastian's Kris Young wrote a book that came out last winter.

+ Saffron's Chef Sameh Wadi was on Iron Chef.

January 2009

+ We started talking about uncertainty in the luxury hotel market.

+ We post about tradeshow waste. Hey tradeshow execs, what do you do to limit your waste?

+ We redesigned the magazine! We joined Twitter!

+ A State of the Sustainable Meeting Industry report was released.

January 2008

+ A look at some future technology. Three years later, I have yet to see LCD screens that can roll up and fit in our pockets become mainstream.

+ The Hollywood writers' strike was three years ago. We talk about its effect on the event planning industry.

+ I thought this electronic group card was an awesome idea. But then I never tried it out. Lame!

+ Car rental myths.

What do you remember from past New Years?

-- Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Weekly Roundup: MOA hotel, planner iPhone app, webinars, kielbasa & more!

After the weather week we've had, we're looking forward to a break in the heat. Hope you all enjoy your weekend. Anyone going to the Irish Fair? Here's your news:

+ The Bloomington Port Authority has asked for some $40 million to be allocated for a 500-room hotel attached to Mall of America.

+ Have you seen the new "Super Planner" iPhone app? Features include calculators for room capacity, staffing, staging, catering and more.

+ Shawna Suckow's Senior Planners Industry Network (SPIN) offers up some great webinars this month: August 17: Can Smaller Supplier Companies with Smaller Budgets Get Visibility With Top Planners?; August 26: How to Conduct Site Inspections That Win Business From Top Planners; and August 31: A Rare Look Inside the Buying Process of Senior-Level Planners.

+ The W Minneapolis - The Foshay is hosting a Design & Branding conversation and presentation by @Issue editor Kit Hinrichs, and Art Director Delphine Hirasuana.

+ The Franklin Street Bakery opened up another location in Edina. Check out our Q&A with owner and James Beard Humanitarian of the Year recipient Wayne Kostroski.

+ Kramarczuk's is holding its first-ever Kielbasa Festival Sept. 10-11. Celebrate Eastern European heritage with music, beer and sausage. Tickets are limited, so get yours today! (Plus, check out Kramarczuk's on the Aug. 30 episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.)

+ Last but not least, please take 10 minutes and complete our 7th annual State of the Industry survey. We appreciate it!

-- The Editors

Four Minnesotans Win Big at James Beard Awards

The James Beard Foundation Awards were held Monday night at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. The James Beard Foundation Awards are the highest honors for professionals working in the culinary industry. Congrats to all the locals who won.

Winners from the Twin Cities dining scene:

+ Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma was named Best Chef Midwest, the second Minnesotan to win this award. Tim McKee of La Belle Vie won last year.

+ Minnesota Monthly’s own Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl won Best Writing on Spirits, Wine or Beer for an excerpt “Chardonnay Uncorked” from her book, Drink This: Wine Made Simple.

+ Andrew Zimmern won the award TV Food Personality for his show, Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

+ Wayne Kostroksi, co-owner of Cuisine Concepts, was named Humanitarian of the Year for his efforts to end hunger with his organization, The Taste of the NFL. Watch for an article about Kostroski in our summer issue.

But let’s not forget about all of the great local nominees, who we listed earlier this spring. What a great week for local cuisine.

--Nicole Etter
Contributing Writer