How the ICE Surge in Minnesota Has Impacted the Events Industry

Last month, two American citizens were shot and killed in the streets of Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti thrust Minnesota's largest city into the national spotlight, as tensions over Operation Metro Surge continued to rise.

Today, border czar Tom Homan announced that the ICE surge in Minnesota would end, with troops beginning to withdraw over the next week. With an estimated 2,000-3,000 troops still on the ground in the state, it is unclear how long an elevated presence will remain.

The impact on the meetings industry over the past couple of months has been mixed, with some groups canceling their gatherings outright while others proceed with caution.

Impact at a Glance

The Minneapolis Convention Center remains open and has hosted several large events over the past few weeks, such as the Minnesota School Boards Association Leadership Conference (Jan. 15-16) and the Minneapolis Boat Show (Jan. 22-25). This week, it will welcome the Ultimate RV Show (Feb. 12-16) and the Minnesota Golf Show (Feb. 13-15).

However, Meet Minneapolis, the city's convention and visitors bureau, reports that two groups have canceled their upcoming events at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This includes the Minnesota Music Educators Association's Midwinter Convention, which is being moved from an in-person gathering on Feb. 12-14 to a virtual event over the same days.

In an online statement, the MMEA's board of directors noted that the decision was not made lightly but that "the safety of our students, presenters, performers, teachers and exhibitors must be our first priority, despite the large financial strain that will be put on the organization."

Smaller gatherings have also been nixed, such as Frostbike, a bike-industry trade show hosted by Quality Bike Products. Plans called for the event to be held Feb. 26-28 between QBP's headquarters in Bloomington, Minn., and the downtown Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot. QBP president Rich Tauer announced the cancellation in a statement on the event website, citing safety concerns.

"Over the past six weeks we have been monitoring the situation in the Minneapolis metro area related to federal immigration enforcement activity," said Tauer. "While we have been hopeful that a significant de-escalation would take place, it does not appear that meaningful change is coming soon. While better days for our community are certainly in our future, the current conditions make it potentially unsafe for some attendees."

Businesses across Minneapolis are feeling the pinch. According to MPR News, Meet Minneapolis surveyed 101 restaurants, hotels, event businesses and other service providers to gauge the impact of ICE activity. The majority (80 percent) said their bookings and sales have been canceled, postponed or reduced due to the immigration crackdown. Minneapolis hotels comprised 13 of the respondents, saying they have lost about $3 million in revenue this year.

"It's difficult for a city like ours [to be] in the crosshairs of this sociopolitical issue," said Meet Minneapolis president and CEO Melvin Tennant in an interview with Elizabeth West, vice president of content for Northstar Travel Group's Business Travel News. "We are again, now, in the position of being in the evening news across the country in a highly politicized story, and that's difficult to overcome. We are having individual, one-on-one conversations with groups that legitimately have questions."

Perspective of Planners on the Ground

Seasoned event planner Wendy Porter is a decades-long resident of South Minneapolis, who has become all too familiar with crises.

"I live about eight blocks from where George Floyd lost his life, about a mile and a half from where Renee Good lost her life, and about two and a half miles from where Alex Pretti lost his life," she said. "Minneapolis is a pretty small city and we've all been through a lot over the last five years."

Porter, who is the founder of Wendy Porter Events LLC, said the trauma of the past few weeks has been challenging to manage on a personal level, but that her business has not seen much of an impact.

"How am I doing? Not great. But my business is actually doing very well this year, so that part has not changed," she said. The majority of Porter's clients are spread across the country; however, one group is hosting a 3,000-person conference this week at the RiverCentre in St. Paul. In order to ensure the event was held safely, Porter worked directly with the venue staff over the past few weeks to build an actionable security plan.

Another client of Porter's has an event scheduled in downtown Minneapolis later this year and they have not made any decision to alter the plans at this time.

"I think it's very situational and it depends on where you are going to be," said Porter. "It's changing so rapidly that I wouldn't tell anybody to pull plans right now."

Also based in Minneapolis is Caroline Correia, director of business development and accounts for BeEvents. She believes it is safe to hold meetings in Minneapolis with thoughtful planning and preparations. According to Correia, none of the company's clients have rescheduled or canceled their events.

"Minneapolis knows grief and challenges. It also knows how to keep going with care," she said. "Safety, however, isn't passive. It's something that's earned through preparation and communication. What I would tell planners is this: Don't let headlines flatten a complex, capable city into a single narrative. At the same time, take your duty seriously."

Correia noted that it is an event planner's job to act as a trustworthy advisor for their client and not be an alarmist or a minimizer regarding safety concerns.

"If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. That reality isn't paralyzing, it's clarifying," Correia said. "Event professionals today have to remain agile, level-headed and deeply informed. Our role is to anticipate without dramatizing, to prepare without projecting fear. Good planning isn't reactive. It's resilient."

How One Association Is Moving Forward

The Public Library Association is scheduled to hold its PLA 2026 Conference April 1-3 at the Minneapolis Convention Center — and has remained committed to doing so. The association posted a statement on its website and social media platforms this week noting that it stands with Minneapolis and plans to move forward with the event with safety as the highest priority.

"We heard a strong desire from our members to support Minneapolis and continue to gather in person," said Larra Clark, deputy director of the PLA. "We recognize each attendee may evaluate circumstances differently, but the overwhelming response from our members has been positive."

According to Clark, PLA is talking to the CVB and venue partners weekly, if not daily. The association also is in contact with local library leadership who live and work in the Twin Cities for additional eyes and ears on the ground.

Safety information and updates are being shared with attendees via the website, social media channels and the mobile app. The association is proactively answering any questions and concerns that attendees submit via email or phone. For those who do not wish to attend in-person, there is a virtual option which has been offered since 2008.

"While we have experienced some cancellations, conference registrations have continued to climb," said Clark. "Overall, PLA and our member leaders believe that gathering in community is especially important during difficult times, and the conference is designed to provide space for learning, connection and mutual support among public library workers."

Getting Ahead of Safety Concerns

Planners who will be meeting in Minneapolis or other U.S. cities that are faced with immigration issues should take a proactive approach to safety. Alan Kleinfeld, senior director of meetings and safety for Arrive Management Group, advises planners to confirm news reports and gather all the facts and details before making any decisions.

"It's difficult, frustrating and potentially risky to assume that what we see on the evening news or in a social media post is accurate when it comes to what's happening in Minneapolis," said Kleinfeld. "As a retired public safety officer, we really can't speak to a situation or incident unless we were personally there."

For this reason, it is especially important for planners to contact sources with "boots on the ground." Kleinfeld suggests reaching out to the CVB, hotel and other partners for an accurate assessment and ongoing updates about the situation.

"Use your network of friends, coworkers, colleagues and suppliers," he said. "Get confirmation from people who are actually there."

But planners shouldn't wait until an incident occurs to begin crisis planning. According to Kleinfeld, protests and political issues should always be included in the event-safety response plan, with a clear action strategy and chain of communication in the event of an emergency. To take it one step further, planners should include safety in their requests for proposals and require venues to share security measures in their proposals.

Kevin Coffey, a risk-management strategist for travel and meetings, agreed and noted that people too often try to avoid having the risk conversation by saying it is someone else's responsibility. Tackling safety issues head-on and from the start is the best way for planners to fulfill their duty of care.

"I want event professionals to bake risk management into every event they do, no matter where it is and no matter how large or small," said Coffey. "Any destination could be the next one in the news."