New Year, New Beginnings Minnesota

As you venture forth into a new decade, why not cast aside the old standbys and discover something new? Whether new to the market or just new to you, your event will shine when you sample any of these.

Unique Events Reflect Your Style
Begin by creating a distinctive event that reflects your style with the latest linens, tents, catering supplies, and more from Ultimate Events or Apres.

New in the North
Think there’s nothing new in Northern Minnesota? Think again.

The Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts on breathtaking Lake Superior features two new can’t-miss facilities. The Surfside on Lake Superior™ combines lakeside living with stunning townhomes in the Lutsen/Tofte ski area. Against the backdrop of the Sawtooth Mountains, Temperance Landing log homes blend rusticity with magnificence for executive gatherings and corporate retreats.

In the heart of Grand Marais, the East Bay Suites boast well-appointed condos with fireplaces and kitchenettes for up to six guests on Lake Superior’s North Shore.

Visitors to Breezy Point Resort can revel in delicious views and great food at the new Marina II restaurant, offering private dining for up to 50 guests.

Feeling lucky? Consider booking your next conference at Carlton’s Black Bear Casino with its new Otter Creek Event Center featuring nationally renowned entertainment. Or, mix business with pleasure at Fortune Bay Casino, where guests enjoy the modern conference facility along with the casino, golf course and 40,000 acres of Lake Vermilion wilderness.

For a more corporate ambience, the new Gorecki Dining + Conference Center at The College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph with conference rooms, state-of-the art technology, dining center and fireside lounge might be more your style.

And for smaller groups, why not opt for a limited-service hotel? In St. Cloud, the Hampton Inn & Suites and the new Homewood Suites provide guests many full-service hotel amenities with the relaxation, comfort and conveniences of home.

Search in the South
Southern Minnesota offers some of the area’s most novel possibilities.

New event centers at Morton’s Jackpot Junction and Red Wing’s Treasure Island Resort and Casino, offer unforgettable options including high-tech facilities, award-winning food, and comfortable accommodations.

Curious about boutiques? Why not savor the flavor at Mankato City Center Hotel with its large banquet/meeting facilities, restaurant/bar and business amenities? Or give Albert Lea’s Wedgewood Cove Golf Club a try with its new bar and restaurant, plus ballroom, private meeting rooms and 18-hole championship golf course.

Try the Twin Cities
Of course, the twin towns have some of the Midwest’s most original urban hot spots.

The new Hotel 340 on the upper floors of an historic landmark building sits at the heart of the hubbub in downtown St. Paul, while the grand new Hotel Ivy offers lavish facilities amid the bustle of Minneapolis’s Nicollet Mall. aloft, a bold new Minneapolis hotel, features loft-inspired rooms with the latest high-tech features, while at the new Westin Edina Galleria, guests luxuriate in beautifully appointed spaces. The W Minneapolis | The Foshay echoes the past with deluxe art deco accommodations in one of the city’s most historic skyscrapers, while across the street from the Target Center, the reflagged Graves 601 Hotel Wyndham Grand blends sophistication and elegance into every room and features the largest upscale meeting space in Minneapolis.

For airport proximity, you can’t go wrong with both of Hilton International’s newest offerings, The Hilton Minneapolis | Bloomington and Brooklyn Center’s Embassy Suites, also conveniently close to the MOA, the Metrodome, and downtown Minneapolis.

Innovative Venues
Take care of business at Benchmark Learning, and choose from twenty-one rooms, six conference rooms, computer labs and more. For something more dramatic, try out the Burnsville Performing Arts Center with eight different theater spaces.

Come spring 2010, the Minnesota Twins will be batting a thousand in their new 40,000-seat, open-air, natural-grass ballpark, Target Field, on the edge of downtown Minneapolis.

After the game, plan a winning meal at any of Crave Restaurant’s three new locations (St. Louis Park, Galleria/Edina or Mall of America) for a delicious cuisine and wine selection.

Ring Out the Old
If you strive to be the most talked about, trend-setting planner around, then ring out the old and bring in the new with any of these up-to-minute, innovative options for your next meeting or event.