EVENT PROFILE

MANOVA SUMMIT

The global health and wellness convention that put Minnesota on the map as a destination for medical meetings is coming back for round two this October.

BY JOSEPHINE WERNI

SOME MAY BE SURPRISED TO HEAR that the young, ambitious and largely successful MANOVA Summit was born from a defeat.

On Nov. 22, 2017, Minnesota lost the bid for the 2023 World’s Fair to Argentina. Former Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and his Expo 2023 bid committee were especially intent on bringing this World’s Fair to Minnesota because of the event’s proposed theme: health and wellness.

What the North Star State lacks in marketing budgets and celebrity status, it makes up for in an undeniably impressive repertoire of health care institutions and technologies. Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, the internal pacemaker and MinuteClinics are only a few of the contributions Minnesota has made to the world of health care.

“It isn’t just health care either. We’ve got an ecosystem around health—our food, our water, our outdoors—the way Minnesotans think about health really resonated with a lot of people while we were doing that work,” says Kathy Tunheim, partner in 2023 Partners, the producing partner of MANOVA, and founder and CEO of public relations consulting firm Tunheim Partners.

The bid, though ultimately unsuccessful, gathered a momentum and collection of resources that many committee members felt was too valuable to ignore. Tunheim, Mark Addicks, CEO of 2023 Partners, and Arick Wierson, partner in 2023 Partners, set to work planning a new health and wellness event for Minnesota—one that would aim to capture the broadest possible definition of health and bring consumers into the conversation.

Tunheim, Addicks and Wierson finalized their idea for the first MANOVA Summit in early April 2018 and decided it would take place on Oct. 8, 2018 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. In only six months, the team pulled together a universal health convention that drew 1,100 attendees, some of which had flown in from the far corners of the globe.

Conversation topics ranged from access and affordability to nutrition and the politics of health care. Right: Mark Addicks, CEO of 2023 Partners

The summit boasted a hefty lineup of speakers, interactive sessions and networking opportunities. Conversation topics ranged from access and affordability to nutrition and the politics of health care. According to Tunheim, it was immediately evident after the first summit that MANOVA would return for many years to come.

“I joke that I’m old enough to have gone to some of the early SXSW conferences in Texas, and Mark Addicks is actually originally from Austin. So we both had an understanding of what happened there—how it started and how it’s evolved,” Tunheim says. “A lot of our thinking was how to create that kind of vibe, except focused on a really broad and really global definition of health.”

The first thing 2023 Partners did postMANOVA 2018 was ask every single attendee for their feedback. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with most guests saying they would attend the event again. They also indicated that while they enjoyed the array

of speakers, they would have preferred more chances to network and thoroughly examine certain topics.

“One of the things that we’ll do in year two is build opportunities for both deeper dives on certain topics and for more space in between for all of these people, many of whom have never met before, to share stories and talk informally,” Tunheim says.

Additionally, the MANOVA team intends to focus much more on the overall experience of visiting Minnesota for participants coming from out of state and beyond in 2019 by planning plenty of interesting events outside of the conference. This is where Meet Minneapolis, which is connected to MANOVA via founding partner Medical Alley Association, comes in.

Nathan Hermiston, senior director of destination and sales for Meet Minneapolis, views the success of the MANOVA Summit as a huge step toward making Minnesota a premier destination for medical meetings.

“For a city of our size to have that sort of brainpower and firepower in the medical field is pretty unique,” says Hermiston. “We are competing against the San Franciscoes of the world, and the New Yorks and the Bostons. Some of those more traditional, ‘sexier,’ firsttier cities, you know. But there’s a great story to tell here in Minneapolis.”

While Minneapolis has a great story to tell, it has fewer resources to tell it than with other larger cities, Hermiston explains. Therefore, having a well-known, non-Minnesotan presenting partner like Walmart is extremely advantageous for MANOVA.

Both the MANOVA and Meet Minneapolis teams were thrilled when the multinational retail corporation offered its support to the summit. They feel that a partnership with a global, consumer-oriented company like Walmart speaks to one of the fundamental themes of the conference: bringing health and wellness to the consumer level.

“How are we going to make this field, which is very complex, bureaucratic and layered, to the consumer level in a fashion that makes sense? Companies like Walmart see that moving forward and they think, ‘I want to be a part of that,’” Hermiston says.

As both a large employer and a company that has stores in communities all over the country, Walmart understands how much innovation is needed in this space, particularly at the consumer level. Too often, consumers leave their interactions with the health and wellness realm feeling like a number.

A key component of MANOVA’s global health and wellness thesis is the implementation of more personalized health care plans for consumers. The MANOVA team hopes to show people how much control they actually have over the future of health by bringing them into conversations with businesses and other economic players.

“The current model they have is not sustainable. How does the health and medical field become more sustainable for consumers?” Hermiston says. “Not for business, but for consumers in the future moving forward. That’s a question MANOVA’s trying to answer.”

Former Governor Mark Dayton speaks

Get Connected

MANOVA SUMMIT manovasummit.com

Revisiting Rochester Rochester

Minnesota’s third-largest city is five years into its economic development initiative— Destination Medical Center.

BY JULIE KENDRICK

Bill Von Bank is going to be seeing a lot of giant pairs of scissors this year. The director of marketing and communications for Rochester’s Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency has nine ribbon cuttings for new area developments on his calendar and more are on the way. “There’s a lot going on,” he says.

You can say that again—and again and again. Von Bank is on the team that’s leading Rochester’s $5.6 billion economic development initiative, called Destination Medical Center (DMC)—a 20-year plan that kicked off with work on a number of fronts, including Discovery Square (a 16-block subdistrict built in collaboration with Mayo Clinic in a highly connected urban life science hub) and Heart of the City (a subdistrict that’s focused on becoming a vibrant, community-centric destination).

Five years in and results are starting to rise—literally—all over town as those giant scissors are snipping ribbons, indicating the openings of hotels, restaurants, meeting spaces and more.

With the global headquarters of the Mayo Clinic right in downtown, Rochester has long been an attraction for international medical travelers. The city, which is a quick 90-minute shuttle ride from Minneapolis, has its own high-powered air connections, with an international airport that flies directly to Atlanta, Minneapolis and Chicago (and sees plenty of private jet traffic, too). “We are so easy to get to,” says Mary Gastner, interim executive director and director of marketing and communications of Experience Rochester MN.

Once you get there, you’re in for a surprise because these days, Rochester’s only constant is change. “Even if you were here a year ago, it’s a place with plenty for you to rediscover,” Gastner says.

Planner’s Paradise

The DMC is the largest public-private economic initiative in Minnesota and the catalyst for growth in Rochester. “It’s going to position us as a global center for health, wellness and medical innovation,” Von Bank says. And while it will be providing many new amenities to the health care providers and patients who gather at Mayo Clinic, the plan includes a multitude of projects that strengthen the city’s reputation as an excellent midsized convention gathering. Beginning with the opening of several projects this summer, the city is poised to offer meeting and conference attendees a robust variety of places to dine, exercise, shop and be entertained.

By the Numbers

3.34 million 1.3 million 115,000 60,000 297 90

overnight visitors in 2017 patients treated at Mayo annually population of Rochester total staff of Mayo Clinic events hosted at Mayo Civic Center in 2017

miles between Rochester and Minneapolis

Civic Center

After a major expansion in 2017, the Mayo Civic Center, the largest event facility in southern Minnesota, now has 200,000 available square feet of multiuse space for conventions and events. It’s accessible to downtown hotels, restaurants, parking and shopping through climate-controlled skyways. In addition to the convention center, the floor plan includes versatile venue spaces like the Arena, Auditorium and Dr. Charles H. Mayo Presentation Hall, as well as a 25,200-square-foot Exhibit Hall. “The center has state-of-the-art technology and an exceptional level of professional service,” Gastner says. “Our Mayo Civic Center Ballroom is already the largest in the state, with capacity up to 4,000 guests,” she adds. “Our ideal group is averaging about 1,200 attendees and 500 room nights.”

Rooms Galore

“Just within the 1 square mile of the DMC, there are already 600 new hotel rooms in development in the DMC district,” Von Bank says. The 605-room Kahler Grand is currently undergoing a $30 million renovation. The property’s marketing manager, Matt Elliott, says: “We offer great flexibility for gathering spaces with everything from small board meeting rooms to our large ballroom, Heritage Hall, which accommodates 400 or more.” There’s also the Elizabethan Room, which was the original ballroom when the property was built in 1921. “It’s warm, classic and historic— just a great space.”

Another renovation on the way is the transformation of the 173-room downtown Holiday Inn into a Hotel Indigo, a boutique hotel concept owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. New properties include the 264-room Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Area, which offers some serious luxury in the heart of downtown Rochester. “Three floors of guest rooms offer premium services, including an executive lounge with daily breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres and cocktails,” says Marketing Manager Michelle Milde. Just seven VIP luxury suites occupy the entire 19th floor, which has its own concierge lounge. “It’s for distinguished travelers requesting additional privacy, security and luxury,” Milde says. Meeting capacity includes two large ballrooms, an outdoor reception terrace and three configurable breakout rooms; read more on page 43.

Ready to Eat?

Hungry meeting attendees will have more options than ever, thanks to a booming restaurant scene. “We learned through our market demand studies that now that we’ve created the density in the DMC, it’s time to pivot and look at retail, dining and entertainment options,” Von Bank says. “We already have a cool dining scene, with independent places like Bleu Duck Kitchen [seasonal New American dishes

served in an upscale-casual space with a full bar and an industrial vibe], Porch & Cellar [above, a family-style setting with ‘proper fried chicken;’ below, a funky cocktails-and-apps gathering spot] and Hot Chip Burger Bar [an upscale burger bar that promises ‘the comfort of your favorite hometown hang’].

“Our focus this year is to add to the great dining scene we already have,” he continues. “And we’ve attracted our first Parasole concept, a Pittsburgh Blue in the new [Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Area].” Pittsburgh Blue, which has two locations in the Twin Cities, describes itself as “a classy chophouse featuring hand-cut steaks and seafood.”

Fine dining options abound in Rochester, including the pretty-big-deal arrival of the new chef in town—2017 James Beard Award Winner Best Chef: Midwest, Paul Berglund. A former head chef of The Bachelor Farmer, Berglund joined Fiddlehead Coffee Co. as culinary and sustainability director, helping lead its planned transformation from coffee shop into world-class coffee and culinary destination.

Cameo at the Castle

The Castle Community is the new name for the renovated Rochester Armory, a brick Romanesque Revival building with a castlelike parapet. In addition to fun features like collaborative artists’ spaces, Queen City coffee shop, used book and record stores and multiuse meeting space on the second floor, it’s also home to a new upscale restaurant, Cameo at the Castle, which describes itself as “influenced by cultures from around the world, while still having the Midwest flair we have all come to love.”

“Our restaurant is quickly cementing itself as a destination because we have the ability to give our guests such a wide range of experiences,” says Zach Ohly, owner and operator. “The ambience in our dining room is the best in town, with industrial chic décor and plenty of views of our open kitchen.”

The space works well for private events. “The lounge is perfect for a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres or an informal gathering of up to 35 people, while our private dining room can accommodate dinner and presentations for 28 guests in a beautiful space complete with A/V, its own sound system, private entrances and more.” Compete buyouts of the venue also are available.

Ohly says his staff’s philosophy is, “Yes is the answer. What is the question?” and he notes that “complete guest satisfaction is what we strive for, and we will customize menus, offerings, style of service and décor to fit the needs of the guest.”

Chateau Returns

A beloved landmark will have a new lease on life this summer, when the Chateau Theatre, which has formerly been a vaudeville house, movie house and bookstore, will again be open for events. “It was originally built in 1927 and it’s really a gorgeous space,” Von Bank says. The downtown landmark, which can accommodate up to 390 people, features castle-like décor and an interior decorated as a medieval village, with built-in balconies, towers and a night-sky ceiling. It’s been called “Minnesota’s ‘last and best example of atmospheric theater’” by The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota.

The DMC has invested in significant upgrades to the historic property and intends to rent the venue for concerts, lectures, dinners, luncheons and other activities. It is currently reviewing several proposals from management companies on the best ways to utilize the space.

Cameo at the Castle

Out and About

The city, which sits in the valley of the Zumbro River, is surrounded by 3,500 acres of parkland. Natural beauty—and new adventures—

are easily accessible. “Not only is Rochester a great place on its own, but it’s also a hub for exploring the rest of southeastern Minnesota,” Von Bank says. “With us as the hub, participants can ‘spoke’ out to Red Wing, Lanesboro and other nearby towns. This is a beautiful part of the state, which is sometimes unappreciated, but a stay in Rochester is a perfect launching pad for further exploration.”

Getting Around

Rochester has always been known for making it simple for visitors to get around. “Just about every hotel and restaurant has a shuttle, so always ask about it if you don’t know in advance,” says Gastner. She also mentions plans for a “transport circulator,” a transit bus that will connect the downtown core to Mayo’s Saint Marys campus. “It will be very easy to jump on the circulator to get from one side of town to the other,” she says.

The city, which has long been known for its walkability, has both a skyway system and an underground pedestrian subway, both of which feature retail shopping, coffee shops and more.

As easy as it is to get around by shuttle or foot, there now are plans to make it just as easy to traverse town by bicycle. “We have a 100-mile bike system all around the city, but right now it doesn’t come into downtown,” Von Bank says. “As part of the DMC’s overall transportation plan, we’re working now to extend that system.” Work on bike lanes is already underway, and Von Bank says that a “world-class urban trail” will soon become part of Rochester visitors’ experiences. A seasonal bike-sharing system is already in place.

Hospitality Plus

As the Mayo Clinic and the city have grown up side by side, generations of Rochester residents have grown accustomed to playing host to people from all over the world—often people who are experiencing some challenging times in their own lives or the lives of their loved ones. People here understand how much a little something extra—a smile, helping hand or easy-to-find information—can make a difference in a person’s day. And that’s what they deliver, time after time.

“Our surveys tell us that our levels of hospitality are second to none,” Gastner says. “We are known worldwide for our exceptional levels of care. We hear over and over again, ‘I feel like I’m being taken care of wherever I go here.’”

Thursdays on First & 3rd Summer Market & Music Festival is a weekly outdoor market in the summer. Get Connected

CAMEO AT THE CASTLE cameoatthecastle.com | 507.361.2070

CASTLE COMMUNITY castlecommunity.org | 507.218.7214

CHATEAU THEATRE downtownrochestermn.com/go/historicchateau-theatre

DESTINATION MEDICAL CENTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY dmc.mn | 507.216.9720

EXPERIENCE ROCHESTER MN experiencerochestermn.com | 507.288.4331

FIDDLEHEAD COFFEE CO. fi ddleheadcoff ee.co | 612.839.1685

HILTON ROCHESTER MAYO CLINIC AREA rochestermayoclinicarea.hilton.com 877.214.6722

HOTEL INDIGO hotelindigo.com | 800.439.4745

KAHLER GRAND HOTEL thekahlerhotel.com | 507.280.6200

MAYO CIVIC CENTER mayociviccenter.com | 507.328.2220

Grand Café (rows 1-3) and Eastside (rows 4-5) boast stunning food, drinks, glassware, décor and backdrops.

GRAND CAFÉ

grandcafemn.com events@grandcafemn.com @grandcafe_mpls South Minneapolis

Photo-Worthy Features:

In 2017, this beloved 70-year-old eatery in the Kingfield neighborhood underwent a complete transformation and emerged as the bright and charming jewel box French bistro Instagram influencers dream of.

From the pink-hued walls, hand-painted wallpaper, lush greenery and tropical mural to the 1920s Parisian zinc top bar, art deco-shaped booths and brass accents, every detail was designed to delight.

Vintage champagne buckets, elegant rolling marble carts and a sweet collection of mismatched tableware join bird-footed egg cups and cheeseburgers served on decadent scalloped silver trays in a playful mix of classic and modern flair. Whimsical dog portraits pay homage to the owner’s Italian greyhounds while touches like the showpiece bakery window incorporate nods to the restaurant’s past (the space was once home to a bakery).

The masterful kitchen, helmed by James Beard finalist chef and owner Jamie Malone, also serves up a mix of new and old French classics, including dry-aged Côte de Boeuf with potato salad and onion rings and milk chocolate Pot de Crème, that are as delightful to capture as they are to eat.

The Details:

Grand Café’s private dining room can accommodate up to 25 guests seated, with full restaurant buyouts available for up to 80 guests. Event menus can be customized, and while the eatery is most popular with special events and personal parties, the space is also an ideal fit for receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate dinners and holiday parties.

EASTSIDE

eastsidempls.com events@eastsidempls.com @eastsidempls Downtown Minneapolis

Photo-Worthy Features:

Bringing fresh buzz to Minneapolis’ Downtown East district, Eastside is sleek, fun and full of energy.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light strike the perfect balance with Eastside’s luxe dark seating and stunning black and white tile work. Lush greenery, eclectic artwork, and details like the brass winged lions adorning the bar all add a touch of opulence, while the breezy streetside patio strung with café lights creates a relaxed yet upscale ambience.

Many of the expertly crafted dishes, like the whole wood roasted duck or the grilled bass with pork cheek and brown butter vinaigrette, are served family-style and—paired with black marble Lazy Susans— make for fun and relaxed group dining. But no trip to Eastside is complete without an order of the Bonal Spritz. Made to share, the cocktail served in a golden swan is the perfect complement to the eatery’s tongue-in-cheek meets glam aesthetic and a reason in and of itself to get a group together.

The Details:

Eastside’s private dining space can accommodate up to 28 guests for a seated dinner and up to 35 guests for cocktail receptions. Full buyouts are available to accommodate up to 160 guests. Already a popular spot for corporate dinners, the space is also well-suited for special occasions and social gatherings.

ASHERY LANE FARM

15 minutes west of Minnetonka

Photo-Worthy Features:

Natural beauty is found year-round at Ashery Lane Farm, with apple blossoms blooming in spring, lush vineyards in summer, apple harvesting in fall and snow-covered rolling hills in winter. As such, beautiful photos come naturally here. Verdant greenery, wreaths, lush florals and rich tablescapes with mixed metallics tend to complement and enhance the rustic luxe aesthetic best. And, being a barn, llamas have been known to join the party.

Ashery Lane’s hallmark feature are the 13-feet tall, cathedralstyle, cardinal red doors on the Grand Barn.

D’Amico chefs and event planners create photographable culinary experiences, too. S’mores stations around the large fire pits and opulent farm tables filled with local cheeses, cured meats and hyper-local ingredients like apples from the orchard all make for Insta-worthy moments.

The Details:

Ashery Lane Farm is ideal for a wide variety of events, including corporate retreats and celebrations, company picnics, family reunions, makers markets and holiday parties. There are two buildings on the property: Harvest Hall can accommodate 120 for a seated meal or 200 for a reception, and The Grand Barn can accommodate 300 for a seated meal or 350 reception-style. Both spaces can also be set in theater-style, accommodating up to 350 guests.

damicocatering.com/venues/ashery-lane-farms 612.238.4444 @ashery_lane

PENNY’S

Downtown Minneapolis & Linden Hills

Photo-Worthy Features:

Built around the concept of coffee, conversation and community, Penny’s serves artisanal roasted coffees and teas alongside an all-day menu of house-made sweet and savory crepes, fresh baked goods, salads and sandwiches.

The downtown café, located on the first floor of the Minoru Yamasaki-designed 100 Washington Square, features a roomy walnut bar, polished green marble and drop lights hanging from 40-foot ceilings.

The Linden Hills location on West 44th boasts an airy, stylish space accented with exposed brick, lush greenery, a communal table and large glass garage doors that are open during the summer months.

The Details:

Penny’s Downtown can accommodate 50 guests, and the Linden Hills location can hold up to 100. Each room has a two-hour minimum rental and includes complimentary bottled water, drip coffee and tea. Any specialty coffee or food items ordered from the café come with a 15 percent discount. The conference rooms come equipped with large televisions and Apple TV for screen mirroring purposes.

pennyscoffee.com people@pennyscoffee.com @pennyscoffee_

#findlora

LORA

lorahotel.com 651.571.3500 @lora_hotel Stillwater, on the banks of the St. Croix River

Photo-Worthy Features:

Lora is a combination of several buildings from different time periods; rather than demolish everything and start from scratch, the hotel was built using the existing elements. The result is a mix of materials and juxtaposition of the old and new.

Many of Lora’s 40 guest rooms feature the original limestone wall. A jagged wall acts as the focal point in The Long Goodbye; the wall wasn’t part of the original plan, but the designers, who recognized its unique beauty during demolition, decided to keep it.

The adjacent limestone caves housed a brewery 150 years ago. The Cave Room, Feller’s private dining room, features “fairy tale doors” that mark the entrance to the caves.

Feller has many photogenic dishes including chef Sam’s pot pie, the Feller burger, the Belgian waffle, the Smoked Trout BLT and the Harvest Salad.

The Details:

The Cave Room accommodates 40 people seated or 60 cocktail-style, and the Moon Room, a private space in The Long Goodbye, holds 16; the space was once used for horse and carriage deliveries. The outdoor patio can be used for a yoga session or an outdoor cocktail gathering in the summer. In the winter, there’s a fire pit for people to gather around and drink hot toddies. The Empire Suite, which has an outdoor space, is ideal for intimate gatherings.

#paikkamn

PAIKKA

paikkamn.com hello@paikkamn.com @paikkamn | #paikkamn Vandalia Tower, St. Paul

Photo-Worthy Features:

Nestled within St. Paul’s turn-of-thecentury Vandalia Tower complex (formerly the King Koil mattress factory), PAIKKA’s fresh, modern event space is surrounded by creative entrepreneurs, local makers and plenty of installation eye candy.

Original brick walls, 1940s steel-vaulted ceilings and an abundance of natural light set the stage for creativity to flow inside while paned garage doors, café lights and a clean, minimalistic landscape of the adjacent courtyard space create a charming backdrop for outdoor celebrations.

Unexpected touches like the rolling vertical garden walls (designed and created by the PAIKKA team), a selection of custom art and the inclusion of an original hand painted “wall paper” motif by local duo She She bring a thoughtfully curated atmosphere to the industrial space. But the venue’s most photogenic hallmark may be the eye-catching custom hummingbird mural painted on the 9-foot antique hanging doors that separate the space’s Gold and Pink Rooms.

The Details:

Combined, PAIKKA’s Gold and Pink rooms can accommodate up to 200 seated guests and up to 275 for a cocktail reception. Amenities like the custom-built mobile bar, staging kitchen and a lounge area outfitted with modern and vintage furniture are major perks, but the womenowned venue’s small, dedicated staff with a strong value for customization is also an incredible asset. Flexibility in selecting elements from catering and bar service to event type or floor plan layout ensures each event in the space will feel truly unique.