Brownfields and Beyond: 2020 Minnesota Redevelopment Conference

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will be hosting the Brownfields and Beyond: 2020 Minnesota Redevelopment Conference Thursday and Friday, April 30 - May 1, 2020 at Cragun's Resort near Brainerd, Minnesota.

This 1 1/2 day conference will convene 100+ of Minnesota's leading professionals from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors engaged in all facets of brownfield and redevelopment including economic development, local and state government, environmental science, finance, law, engineering, development, real estate, planning, and consulting. Our audience will range from seasoned veterans to those new to the field. Attendees will be from all corners of Minnesota including metropolitan areas, regional centers, and rural communities.

Call for Sessions
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities

Call for Sessions

DEED is seeking proposals for conference sessions which will be relevant to our diverse audience and which will advance the conference's goals of professional development, sharing best practices, sparking curiosity, fostering innovation, and catalyzing new opportunities for attendees. Conference sessions will be approximately 60-75 minutes in length, including Q&A and will be a blend of plenary and breakout sessions.

Our conference programming will have up to three primary areas of focus:
- Community Development and Stakeholder Relations: Sessions address the "non-financial" elements of brownfield redevelopment projects including citizen engagement; managing and mitigating project opposition and NIMBY; communications and public relations; engaging with elected officials; competing goals and visions in a community or neighborhood; how redevelopment is a valuable economic development strategy; managing community expectations; community planning; when the project's vision collides with market realities; and effectively managing the relationship between the developer, city staff, and public funders.
- Environmental Issues: Sessions discuss topics related to environmental science and engineering as well as consulting such as vapor intrusion; groundwater and soil contamination; abatement; environmental site assessments; demolition; legal/liability issues; regulatory compliance; and remediation.
- Project Finance: Sessions show how brownfield and redevelopment projects are financed and help attendees learn about elements of a capital stack including local public finance tools such as tax increment financing and tax abatement; local and state grants and loans; federal EPA grants; commercial banks and senior debt; equity investors; economic development loan funds and subordinated/gap lenders; tax credits; Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFI's); and Opportunity Zones.
Conference Policies and Details
- Session proposals must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. February 3, 2020.
- Sessions selected for the conference will be notified by February 7, 2020.
- All session speakers must be registered attendees of the conference unless they are attending only the session they are speaking at.
- Depending on the amount and type of responses received, speakers may be asked to collaborate with another proposed session, resulting in a combined session.
- Sessions are to be educational in nature and not focused on being a marketing opportunity for a company or organization.
Submit Session Info
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities

Sponsorships and exhibitor opportunities are available for this conference. This is your opportunity to showcase your organization to key industry leaders and decision makers and it's an excellent way to gain exposure among a variety of attendees.

Register today!

Sponsorship Information

Thursday, April 30, 2020 Breakfast Sponsor

Thursday Breakfast Sponsor, $1,000
1 Remaining
- Organization Logo on Conference E-Mails and Materials
- Organization Logo on Signage in Breakfast Area
- Organization to be a Breakout Session Room Host
- Exhibitor Table
Does not include conference registration. Personnel must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in all sessions and meal counts. DEED staff will notify you once conference registration is open.

Friday, May 1, 2020 Breakfast Sponsor

Friday Breakfast Sponsor, $1,000
Capacity Full!
- Organization Logo on Conference E-Mails and Materials
- Organization Logo on Signage in Breakfast Area
- Organization to be a Breakout Session Room Host
- Exhibitor Table
Does not include conference registration. Personnel must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in all sessions and meal counts. DEED staff will notify you once conference registration is open.

Thursday, April 30, 2020 Lunch Sponsor

Thursday Lunch Sponsor, $1,500
Capacity Full!
- Organization Logo Prominently Displayed During Lunch
- Organization Logo on Conference E-Mails and Materials
- 1 Conference Registration Included
- Two-Minute Speaking Opportunity at Lunch
- Exhibitor Table
Additional personnel staffing exhibitor table must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in sessions and meal counts.

Keynote Speaker Sponsor

Keynote Speaker Sponsor, $1,250
1 Remaining
- Organization Logo Displayed During Keynote Session
- Organization Logo on Conference E-Mails and Materials
- 1 Conference Registration Included
- Exhibitor Table
Additional personnel staffing exhibitor table must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in sessions and meal counts.

Networking Break Sponsor

Networking Break Sponsor, $500
2 Remaining
- Organization Logo on Conference E-Mails and Materials
- Organization Logo on Signage in Break Area
- Exhibitor Table
Does not include conference registration. Personnel must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in all sessions and meal counts. DEED staff will notify you once conference registration is open.

Conference Supporter

Conference Supporter, $250
- Organization Name on Conference E-Mails and Materials
Does not include conference registration. Personnel must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in all sessions and meal counts. DEED staff will notify you once conference registration is open.

Exhibitor Table

8 Remaining
- Exhibitor Table at the event.
Does not include conference registration. Personnel staffing the exhibitor table must register as a conference attendee in order to participate in all sessions and meal counts. DEED staff will notify you once conference registration is open.