2023 Annual Report Bloomington

2023 Annual Report

Message from the PRESIDENT

I am very excited to share highlights from a busy and productive year in this 2023 annual report. Bloomington hotels continued to see increases in occupancy and rate and led the state in both indicators, showing a strong preference for travelers to stay in Bloomington when visiting Minnesota.

As you will see in the group section, we also saw a continued increase in meetings and group business, which is a positive sign for our industry. We were a key partner in hosting the national conference Connect Marketplace, held in downtown Minneapolis during summer 2023. Prior to the event, the Bloomington Travel & Tourism sales team hosted a pre-familiarization trip with 30 planners to showcase Bloomington hotels for future meetings. More good news came from Minnesota Sports and Events, who secured several large events for 2024 and beyond that Bloomington hotels will greatly benefit from.

On the international front, BMTT hosted a reception in our office to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Icelandair’s first flight into Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and also welcomed groups from Visit USA France and Delta Air Lines to showcase all that Bloomington has to offer international visitors. New air service from Aer Lingus and Lufthansa will launch in 2024, marking an exciting new era in international travel to Bloomington.

Our organization began the significant undertaking of launching a new name and brand in 2023. It was rewarding to work on creating this new look and bold approach to marketing our destination. Alongside the rebrand, the BMTT marketing team began work on a new website, which will go live in summer 2024 with improved navigation and usability.

We were also honored to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our signature Diamond Service Awards with over 800 guests. The Bloomington tourism community came together to recognize stars of the hospitality community, including Hospitality Hall of Fame inductees and the recipient of the Spirit of Hospitality Award.

As always, I want to recognize and thank our board of directors for their guidance and support throughout the year, along with all our hotel and industry partners. I also want to thank my incredible team at Bloomington Travel & Tourism for their continued dedication in marketing our destination to visitors throughout the world. You are the backbone of our organization and I am grateful to have you by my side.

Bonnie L. Carlson, CDME President & CEO, Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism

Message from the CHAIR

As post-pandemic travel resumed across the United States, Bloomington was well positioned to welcome customers back to its many hotels, restaurants, and special attractions.

From its offices adjacent to Mall of America and overlooking the runways at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (ranked by travelers as the best airport in North America), Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism (BMTT) moved aggressively to welcome visitors to Minnesota and to make sure they had a comfortable and rewarding experience. Along with marketing Bloomington’s convenient location, BMTT continued to promote the variety of hotel options available, a major selling point for the destination.

The state of Minnesota, recognizing the value of tourism, invested some $25 million to attract both visitors and new residents. BMTT staff works closely with both Explore Minnesota Tourism and Minnesota Sports and Events to attract major events to the state. This year the NCAA Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships filled Bloomington hotels and restaurants, and record crowds are expected for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials this summer.

The board of directors appreciates our close working relationship with the City of Bloomington, and we are well served by a strong and committed group of volunteer directors who are privileged to work with a creative and highly motivated staff.

Dave Mona Chair, Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism Board of Directors Founder, Former CEO & Chair, Mona Meyer McGrath and Gavin

Strategic Plan

The Bloomington MN Travel & Tourism team continues to focus on the key initiative pillars that are the foundation of our five-year plan priorities. Here are some of our top achievements from 2023:

Market the Destination

• Approved new brand logo and organization name

• Completed direction, discovery, and definition stages of the website redesign, which delivered an approved website architecture, functional requirements, and content strategy

• Enhanced ARES packaging program tool on our website with a booking widget that allows users to streamline their search-to-purchase process

• Created and distributed 2023 marketing plan

• Launched a new journalist/influencer request form on website to help manage inquiries

Target Travel Decision-Makers

• Hosted several large FAMs for key vertical markets

Invest in Traveler Insights

• Fully transitioned to utilizing Google Analytics 4, a new data collection tool

• Implemented a leisure persona refresh that identified key behaviors, signature activities, and media and social media preferences and consumption

• Incorporated several data platforms, including Adara and Zartico, for media direction

• Invested in Kalibri Labs to assist the sales team with monthly industry forecasting for hotels’ occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR

Champion Service Excellence

• Marked the 25th anniversary of the Diamond Service Awards program

• Grew relationships within the hospitality community

Strengthen Our Organization

• Refreshed our strategic plan with new key initiatives

• Hosted strategic partners at industry receptions and events at Bloomington MN Travel & Tourism office

Strategic Plan

PURPOSE

Inspire travelers to visit Bloomington, MN

GOAL

Maximize economic impact to Bloomington by driving hotel stays.

STRATEGY

We put the traveler first by deeply understanding their motivations and showcasing the convenience and fun of a Bloomington visit.

PRIORITIES

Market the Destination Target Travel DecisionMakers Invest in Traveler Insights

• Maximize marketing budget with high impact annual plan

• Optimize digital platforms

KEY INITIATIVES

• Enhance MOA partnership

• Evaluate role of AI in future marketing activities

• Execute on partner platforms for group marketing & sales (all segments)

• Grow youth, national & amateur sports events

• Maximize international partnerships

• Utilize data suppliers for deeper traveler & market insights

• Convert data insights into action

• Solidify BCVB as an insights partner to hotels

• Monitor business travel market for growth opportunity

Champion Service Excellence Strengthen Our Organization

• Ensure Diamond Service Awards are a signature annual celebration

• Continue and grow education relationships for regional hospitality programs

• Focus on employee retention, hiring & workload efficiency

• Serve as voice of the industry in Bloomington

• Continue strong role in new development (e g , water park, event center, hotels, etc .)

• Host industry relations & events

Meetings and Events

By the Numbers

Potential Group Room Nights

• 234,617

2023 Smith Travel Research Results

• 63.9% OCCUPANCY

• $130.17 AVERAGE DAILY RATE

• $83.24 REV PAR

• Bloomington had the highest occupancy in the state of Minnesota and amongst similar-sized competitive markets

2023 Threshold

2023 Highlights

• Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Mike Leven Leadership Conference: Hosted 120 chapter leaders to celebrate excellence in education, communications, membership, partnership, special events, and leadership

• Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) National Education Conference: Welcomed 400 government event planners for the annual event

• HelmsBriscoe Cares: Sponsored the charitable event at Radisson Blu Mall of America alongside our longtime partner Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP); volunteers stuffed 400 kids’ birthday bags with cake mix, crayons, party supplies, and more

• Esports Travel Summit: Won bid to host 2025 summit, the world’s largest gathering of esports tournament and video-game event organizers

360 Virtual Tours Results

• 1,128,849 UNIQUE VIEWS

• 1,135,779 ENGAGED VIEWS

CONNECT MARKETPLACE

• Prior to the conference kickoff, Bloomington MN Travel & Tourism hosted 40 planners at a FAM and visited Bloomington’s top meeting hotels during a culinary-themed tour

• Bloomington MN Travel & Tourism sponsored the opening reception at Connect Marketplace, which was held in downtown Minneapolis outside of Orchestra Hall. 3,000 planners and suppliers attended and enjoyed a Prince-themed event, along with beer from Nine Mile Brewing and seafood from Smack Shack

Sporting Events

ONLINE HOUSING

• Room nights handled by housing team: 7,896

• Events managed: 16

• Signature events had a record-breaking year

• Minnesota Made Stars and Stripes: 400 teams and 3,400 room nights

• North Tartan Summer Jam and Minnesota Meltdown: 300+ teams

Bloomington MN Travel & Tourism continued to partner with Minnesota Sports and Events to bring mega events to our destination. Super-sized hospitality will continue in 2024 and beyond!

• Events held in 2023:

• NCAA Big 10 Women’s Basketball Tournament

• 3M Open golf tournament

• U.S. Pond Hockey Championships

• NCHC Frozen Faceoff

• Target USA Cup

• U.S. Figure Skating Midwestern Sectional (held at Bloomington Ice Garden and televised nationally on NBC)

• Future events secured in 2023:

• 2024 USA Olympic Gymnastics Trials

• 2030 U.S. Golf Association Women’s U.S. Open LARGE-SCALE SPORTING EVENTS

• 2024 U.S. Golf Association Amateur Championships

• 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships

PASSENGERS (11 .3% increase over 2022)

2,916,280

31,325,542

41

168

International Markets

2023 HIGHLIGHTS

• Held 7 FAMs for international tour operators and travel agents from Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, and the United States

• Hosted the 25th anniversary celebration of Icelandair’s first flight to MSP International Airport in our office

• Conducted site visits with Hotelbeds, Priceline, and WebBeds, partners that drive significant room nights to Bloomington

• Participated on panel about launch of new WestJet flight from Edmonton, Canada

2023 Highlights

REBRAND

• Conducted research and stakeholder interviews about organizational new name and branding

• Selected new organization name (Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism) in preparation for 2024 rebranding

• Completed significant work to prepare for the launch of a new website in 2024, including discovery and research, an integration assessment, and wireframe completion

ASSET CREATION

• Conducted social media video shoot with marketing agency MMGY to capture key locations in Bloomington and Mall of America

• Captured b-roll during holiday season for future creative asset development

• Maximized b-roll from the Bloomington episode of John McGivern’s Main Streets

TAYLOR SWIFT EFFECT

• Bloomington had record occupancy of 92% and 17,198 rooms sold on June 23rd and 24th due to two sold-out Taylor Swift concerts at U.S. Bank Stadium and Twin Cities Pride taking place over the same weekend

• Taylor Swift made a noticeable impact on U.S. hotel performance as she sold out shows throughout the country during the summer of 2023

SO MUCH MORE PODCAST

• Partnered with Mall of America as a presenting sponsor of their So Much More podcast, giving us the opportunity to inspire travelers to visit our destination and experience our world-class offerings while creating valuable content

By the Numbers

1,069,428

LEADS TO HOTELS

222,310

TRAVELER ENGAGEMENT

511,113

Influencer Partnerships

• Attended TBEX in Eau Claire, WI and met with dozens of content creators interested in visiting Bloomington; many reported that they spent time in our destination before or after TBEX due to its proximity to the conference location

• Mom and daughter pair from Families Love Travel visited Mall of America during the holiday season to create content for FLT’s social media channels and website

• Hosted influencers Christopher Lau, Rachel Kawate, and Lizanne Dooner in Bloomington; all three shared content from their trips in extremely successful social media posts

2023 INFLUENCER RESULTS

PARTNERSHIPS

2023 Partners

Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism develops strategic partnerships that bring value to Bloomington visitors and are a win-win for corporate and hospitality partners and our organization. Partnerships produce results through website positioning, leisure leads, event sponsorships, and digital campaigns.

• American Monsters

• ARES

• Artistry

• Bandwango

• Bloomington Hotels

• Bix Produce

• Brand USA

• Chick-fil-A

• Condor

• Crayola Experience

• Delta Air Lines

• Explore Minnesota Tourism

• EXPO 2027

• FlyOver America

• Global Minnesota

• Great American West

• Great Lakes USA

• Icelandair

• Love From Minnesota

• Mall of America

• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport

• Nickelodeon Universe

• SEA LIFE at Mall of America

• The Escape Game

• US Foods

• WestJet

• Wink World

• Worker Bee

VALUE OF 2023 PARTNERSHIPS

$117,417

The Bloomington Diamond Service Awards honors front-line service personnel in the Bloomington hospitality industry and celebrates those that enhance Bloomington’s reputation as a welcoming, world-class visitor destination. In 2023, we celebrated the 25th annual gala and gave awards in 15 different categories, along with recognizing Hospitality Hall of Fame recipients and Spirit of Hospitality Award winner U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. The event is a yearly highlight for the local hospitality community and a true labor of love for the Bloomington Travel & Tourism team. We look forward to the next Diamond Service Awards on April 25, 2024!

Diamond Service Awards

Meet the Team

BLOOMINGTON MINNESOTA TRAVEL & TOURISM

BONNIE L. CARLSON

President & CEO Sales

DAN O’NEILL

Vice President of Strategy & Sales

TODD LEHRKE

Destination Sales Director

TAMMY BARNUM

Destination Sales Account Manager

KARL HEIBERG

Destination Sales Associate

LISA CONNELLY

Online Housing Manager

SUSAN BREEN

Online Housing & Client Services Manager

Marketing

JAN KROELLS

Vice President of Marketing

SHERRI MULLERY

Vice President of Business Partnerships

JOELL MORIN

Director of Digital Marketing

PAIGE PAULSON

Marketing Communications Manager

OLIVIA HOLM

Digital Marketing Coordinator

ANNA STINSON

Special Projects & Events Manager

Administration

LORI REBERS

Director of Administration

EVE CAHOON

Finance Manager

LINDA MALMSTEDT

Receptionist

2023 Board of Directors

AT-LARGE

CHAIR: MR. DAVE MONA

Founder, Former CEO & Chair, Mona Meyer McGrath and Gavin

VICE CHAIR: MS. FAY BEAUCHINE

President, Brojure

DR. JOYCE ESTER

President, Normandale Community College

MR. DAN JASPER

Senior Vice President, Mall of America

MR. MITCH KILIAN

Vice President Governmental Affairs, Metropolitan Airports Commission

MS. KATHY TUNHEIM

Principal & CEO, Tunheim

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON

MR. TIM BUSSE

Mayor, City of Bloomington

MR. SHAWN NELSON

Bloomington City Council

MR. JAMIE VERBRUGGE

City Manager, City of Bloomington

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

MR. SHANE CHRISTENSON

General Manager, AC Hotel by Marriott

Bloomington Mall of America

MR. JIM SACCOMAN

Owner, SLY’s Kitchen