Leverage Convention Business
The Saint Paul Convention & Events Calendar is your go-to resource for staying connected to what’s happening across the city — and positioning your business to benefit.
This comprehensive calendar gives you access to key details that help you anticipate visitor flow, tailor your marketing, and prepare your team for major events happening right in our backyard.
Make the most of your connections and create valuable business opportunities by accessing the official Confidential Convention Calendar in the Partner Portal.
Here’s what you can access:
📇 Contact Info – Direct access to event coordinators so you can reach out early, offer services, or create custom promotions.
📅 Event Dates – Know when groups will be in town and how long they'll stay — so you can plan accordingly.
👥 Audience Insights – Understand who’s attending and what the event is about to better align your offerings.
📍 Event Headquarters – See which hotels or venues are hosting attendees, and gauge how close they’ll be to your location.
🔢 Attendance Numbers – Estimate foot traffic and potential demand with attendee projections.
Tips for Using the Convention Calendar
General Information
- Search the calendar month-by-month for any events that will impact your business.
Marketing Efforts
- Meeting planners spend money on a variety of goods and services. Your goal is to have some of those dollars spent with you. The calendar lists contact information where available. Personalize your message by using the contact name and title.
- In general, the best time to initiate contact is approximately 9 months in advance of the listed meeting. One year before, the planner is heavily involved in the current year’s meeting. If you initiate contact too close to the meeting date, you risk that major decisions have already been made.
- Most meeting planners prefer to communicate via e-mail. In your subject line, it is important to identify the name of the conference, as well as the city. Reminder: Keep your sales message short and direct, and include your website for further information.
- If the group is locally based, keep an active file for marketing to future functions. Find out other key people (in addition to the meeting planner) with whom you might want to do business.
- Network! If you provide an excellent product or service to one, they will refer you to others. Don’t forget to attend Visit Saint Paul meetings/events. It is a great way to network and let other members know what services you provide.
- Some planners have indicated that they do not wish to be contacted by individual businesses. The conference website is listed. Contact information should be found with that site. Otherwise, you’re welcome to contact our Director of Client Engagement, Bridget McCoy at bmccoy@visitsaintpaul.com.