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Saint Paul's "Party in the Park" Draws Rave Reviews During Twin Cities' ASAE Convention
(Saint Paul, MN) Saint Paul proved it's not the shy, sleepy twin Sunday night as it shook up the ASAE crowd with a lively "Party in the Park" held in the city's lovely Rice Park adjacent to the Saint Paul RiverCentre Convention and Entertainment Complex. As a nod to the city's colorful past as a gangster safe haven, the ‘20s themed party featured dancing flappers, pinstriped-suited gangsters and keystone cops handing out "citations" encouraging planners to register for a $1000 drawing. The lucky winner was Gerard Thiers, executive director of ASAH in New Jersey, an educational association servicing special needs students. Gerard was attracted to the "Party in the Park" by the creative gangster theme on the invitations. He said the highlight of his evening was getting his photo taken with one of the "flappers" who told him ‘It costs a lot to look this cheap.' The $1000 will come in handy as spending money as Thiers is planning a vacation with his kids to Disney World. Local writer Paul Maccabbee, author of John Dillinger Slept Here, regaled guests with tales of Saint Paul's sinister past while flappers escorted them to tour the "speakeasy," the underground connection leading from the RiverCentre to the downtown skyway system. Other special guests included legendary characters from the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the organization responsible for building the elaborate ice palaces that gain Saint Paul world-wide recognition. ASAE attendees posed for pictures with King Boreas and other Winter Carnival royalty, the devilishly-clad Vulcan Krewe and the bawdy Klondike Kate singers. With the castle-like Landmark Center as a backdrop under sunny skies, the crowd danced to the tunes of the Vic Volare Lounge Orchestra, sipped on gin martinis and sampled delicious delicacies prepared by Wildside Caterers, the official catering company of RiverCentre and the Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL Minnesota Wild. The selections ranged 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, guests toured the RiverCentre complex and feasted on a buffet of flambé desserts and gourmet coffees. Guests were impressed with the spaciousness and ambiance of RiverCentre, its ideal location in the center of downtown and its proximity to the magnificent Mississippi River. "I loved the charm and historic ambiance of Saint Paul," said Alan Davis, executive director of the National Association for Campus Activities. "The preservation of spectacular buildings like the Landmark Center and The Saint Paul Hotel surrounding the park really give the city an exquisite quality." Saint Paul officials are well aware that the city often surprises meeting planners and convention delegates not only by its charm and ambiance, but by its convenient location within the Twin Cities metro area. "Our experience has taught us that planners fall in love with Saint Paul once they see the city, and this was no exception," said Julie Larson, vice president of convention sales and marketing for the Saint Paul CVB. "This was an outstanding opportunity to show meeting planners first hand what a great convention destination we are and what a beautiful, vibrant community Saint Paul is." 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 Saint Paul RiverCentre convention and entertainment complex it offers many unique, historic meeting and banquet venues and 1,500 downtown hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center. Its walkable downtown area boasts five 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 thousands of visitors and 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. For photos of the party, contact Pat Laurel at 651-265-4921 or [email protected]. ###