In 2025, Meet Minneapolis adopted its Destination Management Plan (DMP): Destination Minneapolis: Charting the Future of Minneapolis Tourism. The DMP identified goals and initiatives that codified both destination marketing priorities (promoting existing assets), and destination development priorities (creating new or enhancing existing assets). Proactive destination development is a trend among cities and DMOs nationally, combining investment in core public assets like convention centers with related district and corridor development through development management and placemaking. Managed multi-block development at a district scale unlocks the opportunity to enhance destination experience, and coordinated development of enhanced convention districts is emerging as the new norm. With these trends in mind, and reflecting the goals and intentions of the DMP, Meet Minneapolis engaged Duval in March 2025 to work with its executive team and its new Vice President of Destination Development to advise on implementation of the Destination Master Plan (DMP). 

In particular, Meet Minneapolis sought strategies for implementing destination development goals — especially the plan’s top strategic goal to “Create a nationally competitive convention center district.” Meet Minneapolis states: 

“Meetings and conventions play a crucial role in Minneapolis’ economy. Making significant investments in the Minneapolis Convention Center and encouraging development of additional nearby hotel rooms and amenities are essential to staying competitive. Cities nationwide are modernizing their facilities, and for Minneapolis to remain a top destination, expanding ballroom space, enhancing connectivity and creating a vibrant convention center district are key. A well-integrated district with dining, retail, and entertainment will attract attendees, boost local businesses and strengthen the city’s reputation as a premier events destination.” 

Over the course of more than a year, Duval engaged with key stakeholders, conducted discovery, studied the economic challenges facing Minneapolis and alternative futures for recovery, evaluated comparables, dug into Minneapolis competitiveness as a destination city for meetings and events, and worked with an Advisory Committee composed of a group of civic leaders. All of these efforts culminated in a series of strategic development, design, and implementation concepts, as well as Advisory Committee recommendations, in the final report: Implementing Destination Development.

Team:

Development Advisor: Duval Companies

Client:

Meet Minneapolis

Project Data:

Site Area: 10 acres

Building Areas: 1,400,000 SF

Use: Mixed

Photography / Images © Duval Companies, 2026