Meet Minneapolis Hosting Event at Obama Presidential Center
First DMO to Book There Since Grand Opening
Melvin Tennant
By Todd McElwee
Meet Minneapolis was looking for the right place to share an impactful story. The group found it at the Obama Presidential Center.
The Obama Presidential Center’s Grand Opening Weekend was June 19 – 21.
Meet Minneapolis will be first DMO to hold a client event at the Chicago facility since the opening when it hosts “The Power of Place: Minneapolis Shapes the Story” on July 14. Choose Chicago took a client FAM there for a reception in May. Choose Chicago took a client FAM there for a reception in May.
“Being the first destination marketing organization to host a client event at the Obama Presidential Center, since the official opening, is both an honor and a privilege,” Melvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO, Meet Minneapolis, told USAE. “It’s a unique opportunity to welcome our Chicagoland clients and supporters to our nation’s newest presidential landmark, while strengthening relationships in one of our key sales markets.”
He continued: “Places matter because they tell stories. That’s true of Minneapolis, and it’s true of the Obama Presidential Center. Bringing our clients together in a space dedicated to leadership, community and civic engagement creates a meaningful setting to talk about how destinations shape experiences and why Minneapolis continues to stand out as a place where people come together.”
Tennant credited Rosalind Dixon, the bureau’s Chicago-based Associate Director of Business Development, for recognizing the opportunity to create a truly memorable experience for clients in one of Minneapolis’ most important sales markets. The museum, including the full-sized replica of the oval office, will be open for guests, with the evening featuring a story-driven program in the facility’s Sky Room and networking.
“We chose the Obama Presidential Center because it perfectly complemented the theme of our event, ‘The Power of Place: Minneapolis Shapes the Story,’” said Tennant. “Great destinations create lasting impressions, and the places where people gather become part of the experience itself. The recently opened Obama Presidential Center offers our guests the opportunity to experience an extraordinary venue while also sparking a broader conversation about how meaningful places shape meetings, events and communities.”
Tennant added: “Rather than simply hosting another client reception, we want to create an experience that reflects the same values we share with meeting planners: that the right place can inspire new ideas, strengthen connections and leave a lasting impression.”
Save for no photography in certain spaces, holding an event at the Obama Presidential Center has been similar to other venues, the bureau said. The biggest challenge was planning an event in a venue that was still under construction.
“Additionally, one consideration for us throughout the planning has been honoring the significance of the space,” Tennant said. “It’s not just a beautiful or convenient space to hold an event—it’s a place that has mission, meaning and tells a story. Our Meet Minneapolis team was intentional in designing our event in a way that complements the deep meaning of the Center. We want to encourage our attendees to engage with the ideas it represents and what Power of Place really means.”
Asked by USAE what he hoped attendees take from the evening, Tennant said he hopes they leave “with a deeper understanding of Minneapolis and the people who make our city such a remarkable place to gather.”
Want more content like this? Subscribe for full access to USAE.