Meeting & Event Planners

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About Greater Mankato

There are many ways to become involved with our organization. Becoming a member of Greater Mankato Growth and participating in a variety of programs, events and marketing opportunities offered throughout the year is a great way to expand your network, build relationships and develop upon your skillsets.Serving as a volunteer on our boards and committees is a great way to take your involvement to the next level. Take a look at the ways you can help make a positive impact on the Greater Mankato community when you become a Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. volunteer.

Top 5 Reasons to Book Your Event in Greater Mankato

Unique and Abundant Ways to Play. Mankato offers a variety of ways to play in your down time, including cycling, sightseeing the scenic and historic river valley, experiencing a vibrant downtown and enjoying enriching cultural experiences like headliner concerts, theatre, music, visual arts and lively night entertainment. Plus, Mankato boasts beautiful wineries within 20 miles of our city, making us the Napa Valley of Southern Minnesota.
Conveniently Located and Easy to Reach. Within easy reach from the Twin Cities, Mankato is a mere 75 miles from the metro. Once you arrive, you’ll find you’ve been transported into the heart of the scenic Minnesota River valley with more miles of river than any other county in the state of Minnesota. Plus, Mankato is an easy city to navigate, and parking is accessible and affordable.
Plentiful Event Space with the Amenities You Want. Mankato’s meeting and convention space offers free Wi-Fi, plus every other amenity you have come to enjoy and expect. Rely on Mankato’s friendly hospitality staff to make your meeting or convention a success, with the capability to host events for up to 5,000 people.
Year-Round Outdoor Adventure. Mankato’s outdoor options allow everyone to connect on a whole new level with each other and the environment. Cyclists can enjoy an extensive city, county and state trail system, open country roads and trails for mountain bikers. Whether you’re planning for two or twenty or more, if you’re looking for a river adventure, you can experience canoeing, kayaking or paddle boarding down one of our rivers with local businesses offering equipment rentals. Plus, Mankato offers an abundance of beautiful parks including historic Sibley Park, where folks can kick back and relax. Looking to plan a winter event? We have plenty of snow adventures to experience from snowshoeing to skiing, fat tire biking and more!
Indoor Activities. Along with the variety of unique dining options offered, there’s plenty of fun waiting for you inside so come on in where you’ll find, ax throwing, bowling, mini golf and laser taser, division 1 hockey, escape rooms and more!

Services

There are several options for planning your event. Visit Mankato can assist venue and hotel connections and even provide ideas for off-site activities and local events to entertain your group. Take time to kick back and relive the special moments of your events at one of our many local restaurants. Relax in our vibrant downtown with live music. The possibilities are endless.

One phone call or email can set into motion a successful event in greater Mankato. Our services are free for you and will save you valuable time so you will have more time to enjoy the event you’ve worked so hard to organize.

Pre-Event Services

Hotel and venue assists
Provide recommendations on area attractions, restaurants, specialty group activities.
Itinerary ideation
Site visits

Event Grant

The Visit Mankato Event Grant focuses on those events that attract visitors to the Greater Mankato Area.  Priority is given to those events that can fill a slower period in the community’s calendar, are new to the community, bring a positive economic impact to the community and high level of prestige or draw.

Funding guidelines

The event must have a connection to Mankato hospitality industry; hotel stays, restaurants, visitor attractions, ongoing leisure marketing, etc
Funding can be used for marketing and operational expenses that positively impact the event experience.
Grants for Events held within the Mayo Event Center are awarded though the Mayo Event Center and are not eligible for grants through Visit Mankato.
Grant dollars are awarded post event.
Grant application deadlines:

November 1, 2023, and reviewed at the Decemeber Visit Mankato Board meeting
March 15, 2023, and reviewed at the VM April Visit Mankato Board meeting  

On-Site Logistics

Welcome table/bags
Customized electronic or print event welcome letter personalized to your event to discover restaurants, lodging, attractions and more to maximize your experience while you’re here in Greater Mankato.
Equipment Rental Request Form
Maps and general destination information with opportunity for customization.

For small and large events, we can assist you with planning your experience.

Venues

For event planners, Mankato presents some of the most affordable and easily accessible elements for successful meetings and conventions in Southern Minnesota. We excel at hosting meetings and conventions because of our diverse lodging, highly skilled event management teams, accessibility, affordability, and our state-of-the-art facilities in and around City Center Campus including Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.