Amplify Speakers
Keynote Speakers in Minneapolis
Minneapolis has more Fortune 500 headquarters per capita than almost any major U.S. metro, including UnitedHealth Group, Target, Best Buy, U.S. Bancorp and General Mills. That density generates a genuinely serious corporate event calendar, and it means an audience here has usually already sat through a strong speaker or two, so a generic motivational set is noticed for what it is.
The skyway system is the detail most out-of-market planners underestimate. Downtown hotels connect to the convention centre and to each other through enclosed, heated skyways, which makes Minneapolis one of the few convention markets in the country that functions normally in a Minnesota winter. That is worth mentioning to a speaker who has never worked the city, because it changes what a January date actually looks like on the ground.
Six of our speakers live in the Twin Cities. Andrea Hollingsworth, Jaime Taets, Ginny Priem, Jerrid Sebesta and Drew Moldenhauer are in Minneapolis and Ross Bernstein is in Edina. For a Minneapolis date that means no travel premium in the fee and no winter flight risk on arrival.
Speakers Who Work This Market
Where Minneapolis Events Actually Happen
Downtown Minneapolis carries the largest share of convention and corporate business, anchored by the Minneapolis Convention Center at more than 475,000 square feet, connected by skyway to the Hyatt Regency, the Hilton, the Marriott City Center and the Loews.
Downtown St. Paul is a genuinely separate downtown across the river, with its own convention centre and its own government, insurance and healthcare business rather than an overflow option for Minneapolis.
Bloomington and the Mall of America corridor hold significant conference hotel capacity and work well for programmes that want an attached destination element.
Eden Prairie, Plymouth and the western suburbs hold a large share of the corporate campus population, and are frequently the practical choice for an internal company meeting where attendees already commute there.
Edina sits just southwest of Minneapolis proper and functions as part of the same business community rather than a separate market.
The Industries That Shape the Room
Healthcare and health insurance. UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the world, is headquartered here alongside a dense cluster of health systems and medical device manufacturers, supporting one of the most active healthcare conference calendars in the country. See our healthcare speakers.
Retail and consumer goods. Target and Best Buy anchor a serious retail and consumer technology sector with fast-moving internal event calendars.
Financial services. U.S. Bancorp and a deep regional banking sector run consistent internal leadership and culture programming.
Food and agriculture. General Mills and Land O'Lakes anchor a food and agriculture sector that connects Minneapolis corporate business directly to the wider Minnesota farm economy.
Winter, honestly
Minneapolis winters are real, and the skyway system genuinely mitigates the impact once people are downtown. It does not mitigate the flight in. Fly speakers in a day early for any January or February date rather than relying on a same-day connection, and build the same buffer for attendees travelling from out of state.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, honestly
The two downtowns are twenty minutes apart and are genuinely different business communities. St. Paul carries state government, insurance and its own healthcare presence. If your event is specifically in St. Paul, say so, and we will brief accordingly rather than defaulting to Minneapolis framing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you have speakers who live in Minneapolis?Yes, six. Andrea Hollingsworth, Jaime Taets, Ginny Priem, Jerrid Sebesta and Drew Moldenhauer live in Minneapolis, and Ross Bernstein lives in Edina, just southwest of the city. That removes travel cost from the fee and reduces winter cancellation risk.
Do you serve St. Paul and the broader Twin Cities?Yes, the full Twin Cities metro including St. Paul, Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Plymouth.
How does winter affect a Minneapolis event?Downtown is well protected by the skyway system once people arrive, but flights are not. Book a speaker's arrival a day early for any winter date rather than relying on a same-day connection.
Is Minneapolis the same market as St. Paul?No. The two downtowns are close but distinct, with different anchor industries. Tell us which city your event is actually in and we will brief accordingly.
How far in advance should we book?Ninety days is usually workable. Six months or more for a major downtown venue in peak convention season.
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Speakers Based in Minneapolis
These 6 speakers list Minneapolis as home. Everyone else on the roster travels here — see the topic index below.
Drew Moldenhauer
High Stakes Teamwork, Situational Awareness & De-escalation Speaker
Minneapolis, MN
View profile →Browse Minneapolis Speakers by Topic
Every topic below is available in Minneapolis. Virtually the entire Amplify roster travels, so where a speaker lives rarely limits who you can book — pick the subject your audience needs and we’ll send a shortlist, usually within one business day.
By Topic
By Industry & Event Type
Minneapolis or St. Paul, and what season?
Tell us both. The city changes the industry fit and the season changes the travel plan.