Members of the media wait for players to take the field for batting practice at last year's Major League All-Star Game at Target Field. Tourism officials hope to book more big sports events this year.
Carlos Gonzales/ Star Tribune
Minneapolis convention and tourism officials say last year's record-setting success in landing big events, hosting visitors and booking hotel rooms will be hard to duplicate in 2015.
But at the annual meeting of Meet Minneapolis, the organization that sells the city as a destination, officials pointed to several major events they plan to bid for this year. Plus, they said, a long list of upcoming improvements like the makeover of Nicollet Mall and renovations at the Target Center are likely to help attract visitors.
Among the events the city hopes to secure in 2015: a college football playoff game in 2020, the USA Volleyball Boys' Junior National Championships in 2017, the USA Cycling Fat Bike National Championships and WrestleMania, a professional wrestling event.
Rob Moor, chairman of the Meet Minneapolis board and CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves, said Minneapolis' success in landing the 2018 Super Bowl and the NCAA men's basketball Final Four in 2019 has put the city in an elite group.
Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis' president and CEO, said the city is also benefiting from the significant public and private investments that have been made in improvements ranging from hotel upgrades to the construction Metro Transit's Green Line.
"I can assure you the team at Meet Minneapolis sees nothing but a bright future for the city," he said.
