B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

200

In 2018, Visit Mankato

purchased the

full ownership rights to the

visitmankatomn.com

$1.5 million in economic impact

during two of the largest conferences to date: Transportation Alliance & Toward Zero Deaths

Web Traffic Increase

Due to the Gather in the GreenSeam

promotions & Winter Campaign

new jobs to the marketplace

Federated Insurance purchased the former Verizon Call Center

building. Staff assisted them in settling on a Greater

Mankato location, bringing in

60% people

GreenSeam worked directly with

Revol Greens of Medford, MN

to receive MDA Commissioner

approval to expand their production

Interviewing manufacturers in cooperation with MN Dept. of Transportation to determine any transportation issues affecting their business.

111

Partnered with area resource providers to create a local chapter of 1 Million Cups (it’s like “Shark Tank” but with nicer sharks!)

attendees to date427

#1 JOB GROWTH RATE in 2018 for all of MINNESOTA

December’s Rural Legislative Forum featured keynote

speaker Harry Stine, CEO of Stine Seed Co. 190

on FORBES 400 List

MANKATO

Developed a Regional Strategic Plan with assists from all the

Regional Economic

Development Alliance

(REDA) partners

3,500participants

and

conventions and sporting events

$19.5

mill ion

increase over 201771%

increase over 201756%

estimated economic impact from conventions and sporting events

#

4.7MILLIONT O T A L I M P R E S S I O N S

YP Mentor Program:

63 Participants

2018 Enrollment:

218

Representing 86 businesses

Graduated the 34th Annual Leadership

Institute Class with

45 Students

1,000+ alumni to date

L I V A B I L I T Y

49 businesses participated in the Shop Small in the City Center passport promotion, which brought hundreds of shoppers downtown

27Unveiled the 8th Annual Walking Sculpture Tour with

2018 ICLV$20kSecured a creative placemaking grant through the INFUSE Artists on Main Street Program

• 11 projects funded • 11 lead artists • 300+ artists participated

grant76

delegates traveled to Fayetteville, AR in October

T A L E N T

49 Students from the Computers in Society Class participated

GreenSeam online business directory launched in March. In December, we

partnered with MSU-M students to enhance the directory at

greenseam.org

Mayo Clinic Health System utilized More Mankato to present Greater Mankato to more than 60 employee prospects from across the country

959 people from outside Greater Mankato viewed moremankato.com 2+ or times and spent more than

Pioneer Bank hired two professionals as a result of utilizing moremankato.com

More Mankato helped retain talent within the marketplace by geo-fencing and with a national keyword marketing campaign targeted at local post-secondary institutions

college students to opportunities in ag through classes and programs

OPPORTUNITY. LIVES. HERE.

moremankato.com

10 minutes onthe website

“All for One” Mural, part of the Artists on Main Street program,

was named one of

Minnesota’s Top 10 Muralsby Explore Minnesota

Hosted the 2018 MN Senior Games

Hosted the MS Bike Ride Across MN

600562

participants

participantscompeted in

21sporting events

200

new sculptures

Connected

4.7

A D V O C A C Y & V I S I B I L I T Y

A key legislative success for Highway 14 — the bonding bill included funding — about...

Hosted the 4th Annual

A delegation of

Hosted downtown leaders from across the state for a Minnesota Main Street

2-day training event

GreenSeam Regional Opportunities (GRO)

legislation cleared the first hurdle in both

the MN House & Senate: Bills

HF3483 and SF2824

160 million

$to complete the eastern half 2-lane segment of Hwy 14 from Dodge Center to Owatonna

SiloArt project agreement announced with City Center Partnership, Twin Rivers Council for the Arts and Ardent Mills

traveled to Washington, D.C. for the MN Chamber fly-in. This was the largest chamber delegation in attendance.

5 GMG Staff & Volunteers

Completed GreenSeam Feasibility Study

Began the Five-Year Campaign

Hosted the 36th Annual

R U R A L L E G I S L A T I V E F O R U M

$2.8 m i l l i o n

Ten Month Goal

Received awith

State of Agriculture Survey process kicked off!

The MN Trade Office brought Canadian Representatives to Greater Mankato to learn about our businesses

with guest speakers, Dan & Angie Bastian

80 attendees

and 4 earned media outlets engaged

grant

$10k219in attendance

from the CLA Foundation - providing

student scholarships for the forum event

Marketing emphasizing Opportunity Zones to potential investors

C O M M U N I T Y M A R K E T I N G

Business After Hours was very

well attended as compared to 2016 & 2017.

A D V O C A C Y & V I S I B I L I T Y continued

995+

cons

ecut

ive

year

s

since our inception in

2008, that as an organization,

we’ve outperformed our

budget — 16% savings

7

Senator Klobuchar visited MTU

Onsite Energy for a tour and briefing

on the Youth Employment Acceleration

Program

500+

M E M B E R S

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

BUSINESS AWARDS andHALL of FAME

The 2018 Business Awards & Hall of Fame honored 20

businesses, organizations, and individuals

business members

and guests attended

Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. (GMG) is comprised of four business units; Greater Mankato Growth, the regional chamber of commerce and economic development organization serving the regional marketplace; Visit Mankato, the local convention and visitor’s bureau; City Center Partnership, a downtown development organization; and GreenSeam, which utilizes agriculture to build on the region’s extensive agribusiness assets to develop the ag economy.

Participated on a panel at The Upper Mississippi Main Street Conference for Artists on Main Street and was invited to be part of that panel at the national Main Street Now Conference in March 2019.

Co-hosted and broadcast a LIVE Governor Candidate Forum — the first in the history of Greater Mankato Growth.

1,000+people attended

Public Affairs Forum Videos

1,500+ views

Minnesota Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan held a kick-off event of a statewide listening tour in North Mankato

Election Website Pages

10,000+unique pageviews

greatermankatoblog.comIncreased Blog Pageviews by

greatermankato.comIncreased Pageviews by

Cavalier Visits

71% 24%

53

Click Rate

(4% above average)9.3%

32%

eNews Engagement Open Rate

(10% above average)

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

Sponsored, in part, the Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College