Industry News
Industry News provides weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota and its destinations.
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August 18, 2025 |
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| Influencers Ben and Claire enjoy corn at the Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul / Photo Credit: Paul Vincent |
Last Chance to Take the Destination Development Stakeholder Survey
As a key member of Minnesota's travel community, we invite you to take part in a brief stakeholder survey regarding Explore Minnesota industry programs. The survey will help us better understand your needs and expectations and ensure we continue to provide the most impactful and relevant programs for Minnesota’s tourism industry.
Please respond to the Explore Minnesota Destination Development survey by the end of the day on Friday, Aug. 22.
If you have questions, please email Beth Helle, Deputy Director of Destination Development, at beth.helle@state.mn.us.
Now Live: Explore Minnesota Public Relations Agency of Record RFP
Explore Minnesota is excited to announce that we have posted a new Request for Proposal (RFP) for a public relations agency of record. The partnership aims to elevate Minnesota’s profile as the best state to visit, as well as live and work, through innovative, strategic and measurable media relations services. The selected agency will lead national and regional consumer media efforts.
The RFP is posted here. Once on the page, sort by Business Unit and click on Explore Minnesota to find the complete listing. Applicants have three weeks to apply via the state SWIFT system. All questions about the RFP must be submitted in SWIFT, and responses will appear to all RFP applicants in SWIFT. The application deadline is 3:00 PM Friday, Sept. 5.
Add Your Fall and Halloween Events to ExploreMinnesota.com Now
With fall right around the corner, now is the time to add your Halloween and fall festivals to ExploreMinnesota.com. To have your event considered for inclusion in various Explore Minnesota communications, log into the Explore Minnesota extranet to update and/or create new listings by Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Please note that submitting an image with your event listing increases the likelihood of your event being featured in Explore Minnesota communications. For technical assistance, contact our extranet team at tourism@state.mn.us.
Update your listing on the Explore Minnesota extranet.
Register Now for Explore Minnesota’s Outdoor Recreation Economic Impact Sessions
The Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Industry Partnership (ORIP) is hosting a public outreach meeting to share findings from the newly released Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Economic Impact Report and discuss strategies to grow the state’s outdoor recreation economy. The event will take place Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the REI Community Room in Bloomington, Minnesota.
This meeting is open to anyone interested in outdoor recreation, including business owners, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, economic development professionals, land managers and outdoor enthusiasts. Attendees will hear a short presentation on the report’s key findings and participate in an interactive discussion about how outdoor recreation benefits communities and creates economic opportunities.
Each month we will visit a different city or town throughout the state. Below is our tentative schedule through December:
- Sept. 10 in Bloomington
- Oct. 2 in Rochester
- Nov. 6 in Fergus Falls
- Dec. 10 in Winona
Seating is limited. Please reserve your seat online; RSVPs for the Bloomington event are requested by Sept. 1.
Connect with Visitors on the All New ExploreMinnesota.com
The newly redesigned ExploreMinnesota.com is live — sleeker, more engaging, and built to inspire visitors like never before. With a fresh look and improved user experience, the site offers a prime opportunity for destinations, events and businesses to spark travel interest to and within Minnesota.
Brand-new advertising opportunities are now available to connect with visitors at every stage of their trip-planning journey:
- Featured Event Listings
- Position events front and center for visitors searching for things to do
- Position events front and center for visitors searching for things to do
- Website Native Advertising
- Seamlessly integrate brand messages into the browsing experience
- Seamlessly integrate brand messages into the browsing experience
- Sponsored Content Articles and Sponsored Destination Pages
- Share stories that inspire and inform
- Share stories that inspire and inform
- Sponsored Social Media Posts
- Extend reach through Explore Minnesota’s highly engaged social audience
- Extend reach through Explore Minnesota’s highly engaged social audience
- Native Newsletter Ads
- Engage readers in one of Explore Minnesota’s most trusted content channels
- Engage readers in one of Explore Minnesota’s most trusted content channels
- Sponsored Custom Emails
- Deliver targeted messages directly to travel-ready inboxes
- Deliver targeted messages directly to travel-ready inboxes
- Lead Generation
- Reach highly qualified visitors who are looking to visit your area by offering mailed or downloadable versions of your travel guide to help with planning process
- Reach highly qualified visitors who are looking to visit your area by offering mailed or downloadable versions of your travel guide to help with planning process
Advertising space is available now, providing a timely opportunity to align marketing efforts with the excitement surrounding the site’s relaunch.
View the media kit or click here to schedule a call with our advertising rep Sebrina to discuss Explore Minnesota Tourism’s official marketing opportunities.
Submit Your Social Videos and Destination Footage to Explore Minnesota
Explore Minnesota's Digital team always seeks new ways to highlight industry social video on their popular social channels. Share your vertical Instagram Reels, TikToks and short-form destination footage for use on Explore Minnesota's social platforms. We're looking for short-form vertical video clips of your destination (NO COPY OVERLAY) or your best-performing social videos.
While uploading your files, please briefly describe the video footage and its location in your destination. If Explore Minnesota uses your footage on social media, your destination's social platforms will be tagged in the post.
Upload your videos here.
Call for Explore Minnesota Conference Speakers
Are you interested in speaking to Minnesota tourism professionals, or do you know someone who would make a great speaker at the 2026 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference?
Explore Minnesota is seeking professional speakers presenting timely topics. To be considered for a presentation, please begin the process by submitting our Speaker Form. We are only accepting applications for in-person keynotes and breakout presentations at this time.
Submit now through this online Speaker Form.
Refresh Explore Minnesota’s Film Locations Database
Does your community have a hidden gem to share perfect for film or content production? From historic downtowns to lakes, cabins and farms, these new additions help location scouts find their perfect shot.
Update your photos and description to stand apart from the crowd and upload your community’s unique filming spots to get on the radar of major productions. If you own or manage a property you want to have listed with our film office, click here to submit your location.
To learn more, search your community by zip code.
Free Online Customer Service Training Program
The University of Minnesota Tourism Center and Hospitality Minnesota are excited to share a no-cost online customer service training program for Minnesota’s hospitality industry.
This program is free of charge to Minnesota residents and funded by the Minnesota State Legislature. This online program provides customer service training at the basic skill level, is mobile-friendly and can be completed at any time.
Learn more and access the online training program.
Upcoming Industry Webinars
- Arival, Turning Reviews into Revenue, Aug. 21, 10 a.m. CST
- Webflow, AEO for the CMO: An Actionable Maturity Model, Aug. 21, 1 p.m. CST
- Canva, Beyond the Numbers: Turn Data into Decisions that Drive Results, Aug. 28, 11:30 a.m. CST
- Canto, Catalyst for Collaboration: How DAM Elevates Creative Operations, Aug. 28, 1 p.m. CST
- MarketingProfs, Marketing Planning Friday Forum, Sept. 12, 10:30 a.m CST