I got to attend the 2024 Minneapolis Downtown Council annual meeting today at the Armory. Our own Karin Lucas chairs the board and addressed the crowd. Amelia Santaniello emceed the event, with special appearances from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

There were many, many statistics shared about all the great things going on in downtown. It did seem like there was a lot of development going on. There is also a strong focus on safety and law enforcement. It was cool to see that SPS Commerce is the 9th largest employer with 1,465 people, up one spot from 2023 when we were 10th with 1,346.

A large indoor event with crowds of people milling around tables, a projection screen displaying information, and the logo “mpls downtown council” illuminated on the floor.

Karin Lucas on stage at a conference with a large audience, large screen display above showing the speaker, and banners indicating the event relates to the Minneapolis Downtown Council.

Mayor Jacob Frey on stage at an event, with their image displayed on a large screen behind them. The audience is seated at tables in a large venue, with banners reading “mpls downtown council” and “ARMORY” visible in the background.

Governor Tim Walz speaking on stage at an event with an audience in the foreground. His image is also displayed on a large screen above him. The stage is adorned with floral arrangements, and banners with “mpls downtown council” logos are visible in the background

Leaders from SPS Commerce sitting at a dining table in a festive event hall with a live performance in the background.

An event setting with a large audience and a stage where four people are seated, engaging in a discussion, with a large screen displaying a close-up of a speaker. The Minneapolis Downtown Council branding is visible in the background.

See also: 2023 Meeting; 2020 Event, 2020 Music, and 2020 Speakers.