(Saint Paul, MN) The Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will host a "Party in the Park" for meeting planners and association executives on Sunday, August 15, from 6-8 pm in conjunction with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) annual convention, which will be held in Minneapolis over the weekend.

"This is Saint Paul's chance to not only throw a great party for our guests, but to show meeting planners first hand what a great convention destination we are," said Julie Larson, vice president of convention sales and marketing for the Saint Paul CVB. "In addition to learning about Saint Paul's convention product, these decision makers will see what a beautiful, vibrant community Saint Paul is, and there is no better spot to do that than the Rice Park area."

The "Party in the Park" will feature a creative gangster theme, complete with ‘20s era flappers, pin-striped suited escorts and keystone cops handing out "citations" inviting qualified planners to register for a $1000 drawing. Other special guests will include the Saint Paul Winter Carnival Royalty, the Vulcan Krewe and entertainment by the Klondike Kates, the Carnival's group of boisterous female singers. Billed as the city's infamous, royal, bawdy and villainous, the guests of honor will show the meeting planners a good time, while giving them a taste of Saint Paul's distinctive lore and colorful past.

On a somewhat more serious note, the party will showcase Saint Paul's finest offerings, including entertainment by Vic Volare and the Volare Lounge Orchestra and food and beverage by Wildside Caterers, the official caterer of RiverCentre, Xcel Energy Center and 317 on Rice Park. Attendees will sample delicacies ranging from roasted beef and turkey, smoked salmon, mashed potato bar and fresh berries to State Fair themed fare including many of Minnesota's favorites on a stick - pronto pups, cheese curds, corn cobs, cotton candy and even warm chocolate chip cookies with milk. Following the park festivities, coffee and flambee dessert stations will be set up in RiverCentre where guests will receive a brief tour of the convention complex and be treated to views of the Mississippi River. Organizers say the city should show well that weekend as RiverCentre will be hosting the International Ballroom Dance Competition and Harriet Island will be packed with revelers for the annual Irish Fair of Minnesota. Those events, in addition to the weekend visitors in town checking out the Snoopy sculptures and other attractions, should give planners a great preview of what delegates could expect from the city if they chose Saint Paul as their next convention meeting site.

The ASAE convention is expected to draw approximately 5,000 members to town, many of them meeting planners and executive directors of national associations charged with organizing regional meetings and annual conventions for their members. Many planners are eager to check out new destinations, and the annual ASAE meeting provides the host communities with a great opportunity to showcase their city and demonstrate their hosting capabilities.

Saint Paul is conveniently located on the Mississippi River just ten miles from downtown Minneapolis and minutes from the Mpls/St. Paul International Airport and Mall of America. In addition to the RiverCentre convention and entertainment complex it offers many unique, historic meeting and banquet venues and 1500 downtown hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center. Its walkable downtown area boasts 5 beautiful parks, a wide selection of restaurants and cafes and a vibrant theater and entertainment district, with several museums, galleries and more theater seats per capita than any U.S. city with the exception of New York.

Saint Paul has also enjoyed a great deal of national publicity this year as it hosted a half million visitors for the 2004 Winter Carnival ice palace and NHL All Star Game in January and February, the top-rated PBS series, Antiques Road Show in June, and most recently Grand Excursion 2004, which drew national attention to Saint Paul and the upper Mississippi during the Grand Flotilla in June and July.

For more information on Saint Paul's convention facilities, contact the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-627-6101 or visit www.visitsaintpaul.com.