Attracting event sponsors can be a challenge.  Effectively integrating them into your event, even more so.   The packet below includes insights to rethink existing approaches, new strategies to explore and new opportunities for fan engagement and revenue.    (Session is from the IFEA conference presented by atVenu) 

IFEASession2FestivalSponsorActivations.pdf

MNFEA Board Member and Advisor Attend IFEA

This month, MNFEA Board Member Deb Schaber and MNFEA Advisor Randy Dewitz proudly represented the Minnesota Festivals & Events Association at the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) Annual Convention & Expo.

The conference was an energizing opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore best practices, and learn about the latest trends shaping the future of festivals and events. We also met with several potential speakers for our MNFEA Annual Conference coming up in March 2026, helping us build a dynamic, education-focused program for our members.

Key Takeaways: Industry Trends & Insights
A few standout sessions and conversations included:

•  “For the Love of Cities and Events” –  We kicked off the convention with an inspiring keynote from Peter Kageyama — urbanist, author, innovator, and placemaker with Sextant Marketing Group. His talk explored the powerful connection between people, place, and shared experiences, reminding us why festivals and events are essential to the vibrancy and identity of our communities.
  
  
• Food & Beverage Trends:   Deep dives into evolving guest expectations, creative bar concepts, changing service models, premium beverage experiences, and the many ways festivals are using F&B to boost both revenue and guest satisfaction.   2025 Industry Trends
  
  
• The Rise of Dog-Friendly Festivals:   A fascinating trend session highlighting the rapid growth of pet-centric events. From dog-zones to branded pet vendors to custom sponsorship activations, it’s clear that dog-friendly programming is becoming a major draw for communities nationwide.
  
  
• Ticketing Partner Conversations: Saffire & ShowPass:  We had the chance to network with two leading ticketing platforms — Saffire and ShowPass — discussing innovations in dynamic pricing, data integration, mobile ticketing, scanning, and how these partners are helping festivals streamline operations while enhancing the guest experience.

• Operational Best Practices:  Great takeaways around volunteer engagement, onsite safety, communication tools, and improving event logistics through technology — all highly relevant to MNFEA members.
  
  
• Elevated Guest Experiences:  Sessions on immersive activations, sponsorship engagement, and experiential design provided new ideas for creating memorable, multi-sensory moments that delight attendees and drive value for sponsors.

A Minnesota Connection: The History of IFEA

The International Festivals & Events Association has a meaningful origin story rooted right here in Minnesota:

• IFEA began in 1956 as the Festival Managers Association (FMA).
• In 1960, John Geisler, Executive Director of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, served as the Association’s volunteer Managing Director, operating the office out of Saint Paul.
• Geisler, who managed the Saint Paul Winter Carnival from 1952–1970, played a key role in shaping the early structure of the association and became its first President.
• Minnesota’s festivals continued to influence the organization’s growth — leadership from the Minneapolis Aquatennial also managed the national office on a volunteer basis later in the 1960s.
• In 1996, the organization officially became the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) to reflect the expanding industry and global participation.

This history underscores Minnesota’s longstanding leadership in festivals and events, a legacy MNFEA proudly continues today.

Ongoing Education & Resources from IFEA

In addition to their annual convention, IFEA provides ongoing professional development for event organizers, including:

• A monthly industry newsletter with trends, best practices, and member updates
• Virtual educational sessions and webinars throughout the year
• Certification programs, resource libraries, and professional tools

We encourage our MNFEA members to visit IFEA.com to explore learning opportunities that support your growth year-round.

AtVenu analyzed over 50,000 events to identify the top trends in the event industry in 2025.   Data includes average spending on food, drinks, merchandise as well as information on the best selling items and average price points based on the type of event.  

Full Packet can be viewed below. 

atVenu2025IndustryTrends.pdf

Concerts Are a Risky Business: Why Leave Success to Chance?

The concert entertainment booking process should not be left to chance. Yet many venue talent booking agents focus on the wrong information when booking entertainment for their events. Instead of using data, they focus on things like music genre; whether they have heard of the artist; the artist’s performance fee, and artist’s availability as they go about booking entertainment.

What do these issues have to do with booking entertainment that will result in a financially successful concert? If fact, they only have a small impact on the actual financial success of the concert. By focusing on the wrong information for artist booking, the booking agent is rolling the dice and increasing the likelihood that the event will not achieve the goals set out for it. 

More..... Full Article   

Watch Keynote and Breakout Session recordings 

Did you miss the Explore Minnesota Conference or want to review the sessions again.  Click the link above for a full recap and links to session recordings.  

Conference Keynote Recordings

• Lauren Bennett McGinty, Explore Minnesota Executive Director, presents: Explore Minnesota Look Back: The Year in Review
• Josiah Brown, the New York Sherpa, presents: How to Speak our Industry's Story with Impact
• Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, presents: Where Do We Go From Here?
• Janette Roush, Sr. Vice President of Brand USA, presents: Generative AI and Tourism: Practical Applications for Minnesota's Global Future
• Lauren Bennett McGinty, Explore Minnesota Executive Director, presents: Explore Minnesota 2025 Look Forward

Breakout Session Recordings

• Shiny New Objects

Selected vendors will showcase the latest innovative technologies, products, and services emerging in the travel and tourism industry.

• Strategies to Attract More Sports Business to Your Community (Industry Panel)

Learn from Minnesota Sports Alliance panelists how they have built successful programs to attract more sports meetings, events and tournaments to their communities and facilities.

• The Print Travel Guide of the Future

Print is not dead, but yours might be. Learn from Josiah Brown's experience of talking to thousands of travelers per year on what they are looking for in travel guides and why it’s an essential part of your local advocacy efforts as well.

• 10 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2025

Arik Hanson will provide his pragmatic predictions for what’s next in the social media marketing world. It’s a big question on many travel industry marketers’ minds as we start the New Year.

• Regional Impacts of Climate Change Across Minnesota and the Future of Tourism

This session will share new, highly localized climate projections for Minnesota and explore how tourism marketing efforts can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a changing climate.

• Tourism Asset-Based Economic Development

Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan will discuss Asset Based Economic Development, an approach that begins with existing tourism assets and builds upon the distinct culture to create tourism offerings that are unique to the area, that can’t be duplicated.

• Generative AI 101

Ready to move beyond the AI buzzwords and start actually using these tools? Janette Roush will present an interactive workshop with practical applications of AI for tourism professionals.

• Lightning in a Bottle, a Bring Ya A** Case Study

The Explore Minnesota marketing team seized on the opportunity, quickly launching a series of social media posts, a web takeover, and other communications and campaign efforts to seize the attention of fans, media and the internet at large.

• The Changing Face of Group Travel

Join Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan and the Explore Minnesota Market Development Team to learn what today's group travelers are looking for in a trip and the differences in their search and booking patterns.

• Winona’s Winning Formula: Leveraging Outdoor Recreation for Tourism, Community, and Quality of Life

This case study will explore how the city’s strategic investments in outdoor spaces and recreational activities have not only attracted visitors and new residents but also enhanced the quality of life for its current population.

• AI Ideas Exchange

Moving beyond basic tools to tackle the strategic challenges of AI adoption? Join Janette Roush in this facilitated discussion where tourism leaders share approaches to thorny issues like organizational guidelines, change management, and executive buy-in.

• How to Attract Film Production to Your Community

Learn about the new Explore Minnesota Film office, the tourism and economic development opportunities of film production, and how to create a Film Friendly Community Program to attract new productions to your community.

Navigating Cannabis Uncertainty In A Budding Industry

Tue, Apr 15 | Essence Event Center |  11:00 - 1:00PM

Join ILEA-MSP for "Navigating Cannabis Uncertainty in a Budding Industry", a joint effort panel discussion featuring advocates and providers from the cannabis space.

More Information

About the event

The landscape of cannabis in Minnesota is evolving, but for event professionals, the rules remain hazy. To be blunt, we're all in the weeds. Can you serve beverages at an event? Can vendors sell it? Can it co-exist with alcohol at any event? What are the risks and opportunities?

Join ILEA-MSP for "Navigating Cannabis Uncertainty in a Budding Industry", a joint effort panel discussion featuring advocates and providers from the cannabis space who will share their insights on what’s currently happening, what’s coming next, and how the event industry can responsibly navigate this growing opportunity. Whether you're a planner, venue, caterer, or vendor, we hope this session will help you gain clarity in an ever-changing landscape.

Panelists to be announced!

Start-Up Event Grant

The Start-Up Event rant has transitioned to a rolling application cycle which means there is no deadline. However, we recommend applying at least 3-6 months prior to your event to ensure adequate time for the grant process and event planning

Apply here

The Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) is accepting applications for the Start-Up Event Grant, which funds new events, fresh ideas, and exciting programs that will encourage community and business engagement in downtown Rochester. It is important to note that this grant is a partial reimbursement-based grant. Award funding will be distributed half upfront and half post-event.

This grant focuses on partnering with individuals/community organizations to build sustainable and effective events that align with RDA’s mission “to create, enhance, and promote a downtown experience that is welcoming, fun and livable,” and engage a range of cultures, ages, and backgrounds.

Check out our Application Guide for more information. 

See the past recipients here

More Information:  Click Here 

CUMULUS MEDIA | (Minneapolis) is looking for an experienced Promotions Director to coordinate and implement on and off-air promotions and events. This position requires a high degree of organizational skills, attention to detail, time management, a personal disposition that works well with creative co-workers and has a passion for radio. This position reports to the Marketing Director.

Who We Are:

CUMULUS | Minneapolis operates KQRS, 93X and LOVE 105 - Heritage Twin Cities radio stations reaching over 830,000 people a week in the Twin Cities metro.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create and execute promotional contests and station events across all three local stations
• Develop strategic relationships with tour promoters and event venues
• Coordinate with Programming and Sales teams to draft and execute all sales and station promotions from conception to completion
• Collaborate with Digital team to execute online contests, fulfill web deliverables, and support social media efforts
• Work with Promotions support staff to execute all aspects of contests, including scheduling, writing promotional copy, developing contest rules, and distributing prizes
• Schedule part-time staff for station events and other Department needs
• Attend and run select priority events, including the Minnesota State Fair, listener trips and station events
• Provide regular coaching and performance feedback to part-time staff
• Support customer service efforts and effectively communicate with station listeners, as needed

Learn more & apply here.

For Immediate Release

Mary Haugen Mary.Haugen@state.mn.us March 7, 2024 Media Resources Previous Announcements

Governor Walz Urges Small Businesses Impacted by Lack of Snow to Apply for Business Assistance [ST. PAUL, MN] – As Minnesota continues to face record-high winter temperatures, Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesota has unlocked federal funding for small businesses impacted by this winter’s historic drought conditions. Amid the warmest winter on record, federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available because of ongoing federal drought declarations affecting 81 Minnesota counties. Governor Walz urges small business owners to apply for assistance as soon as possible. “From skiing and snowshoeing to winter festivals, snowy winters are part of our way of life in Minnesota. The low precipitation we’ve experienced this winter has had a real economic impact on small businesses that rely on snow and winter tourism to grow and survive,” said Governor Walz. “I encourage all impacted business owners to apply for assistance as soon as possible.” From December to February, Minnesota experienced the warmest meteorological winter on record. Through February 29th, there has only been 14.3” of snow in the Twin Cities, the second-lowest season total on record. In Duluth, only 15.7” snow has fallen, with an average snow depth of 1.8” – both among the five lowest measures on record. This lack of precipitation has exacerbated an ongoing drought. Eighty one counties in Minnesota are currently covered by U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster declarations for drought. Impacted businesses in counties with a drought declaration can apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The loans are designed to help businesses get through emergency situations that have impacted their economic well-being. Under the EIDL program, businesses can borrow up to $2 million to cover their actual losses. Businesses pay no interest on the loan for the first year and a maximum rate of four percent for the rest of the loan period. In order to take advantage of the program, businesses must apply by the application deadline for their county, listed below. There are 81 counties in Minnesota covered by 13 disaster declarations. Business owners can learn more about eligibility, find an application, and learn more about application deadlines for their county at the SBA’s disaster assistance page. Businesses impacted by a lack of precipitation will enter their county’s name and see a list of all open disasters for their county. They should pick one where the incident includes “drought.” Submit applications and find additional disaster assistance information at https://lending.sba.gov. Applicants may also contact Minnesota’s Small Business Development Centers and SBA’s Customer Service Center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. You can also call 800-659-2955 from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. Find out how DEED delivers for Minnesota by visiting theDEED website, JoinUsMn.com, CareerForceMN.com orfollow us on X. ### Upon request, this information can be made available in alternate formats for people with disabilities by contacting the DEED Communications Office at 651-259-7161.

The University of Minnesota Tourism Center and the MN Climate Adaptation Partnership are co-hosting a webinar on climate and outdoor events on March 19. 

Join us for a conversation with leaders in outdoor recreation across our region — including organizers of Wisconsin’s Birkie ski race —about how outdoor events can plan for and adapt to climate change, and how we can embrace equitable action in climate adaptation. Click here for more information and to register: https://climate.umn.edu/adaptation-action-webinar-series