Minnesota Meetings + Events' 2007 Readers' Choice Best Of Award Winners

You, dear readers, are the experts, so we asked you: What companies and individuals do you believe are the best in the meetings and events industry?

You cast your votes in multiple categories online. We tallied the results.

Here's what you decided:

Attraction
Winner: Minnesota State Fair
Runners up: Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Valleyfair and Mall of America
All the contenders are awesome attractions, but the winner this year, the great Minnesota get-together, is a classic. The Minnesota State Fair has tons of fun to offer all age groups and interests, from animals to music to whatever the new food-on-a-stick might be. It's always an attraction not to be missed. { 1265 N. Snelling Ave. / St. Paul, MN 55108 / 651.288.4471 / www.mnstatefair.org }

Audio-Visual Presentation Provider
Winner: Heroic Productions
Runners up: Hoffman Communications, Showcore
Heroic Productions' seasoned staff and state-of-the-art equipment will take care of the audio-visual needs for your next meeting or event. They say, "You need a partner who offers solutions and flexibility. Not one who complicates your life." { 801 West 106th St. / Bloomington, MN 55420 / 952.224.9591 / www.heroic-productions.com }

Banquet/Reception Hall
Winner: The Depot Downtown Minneapolis
Runners up: Walker Art Center, Nicollet Island Pavilion, BayView Event Center
The Depot's charm and historic ambiance do the trick again for this repeat winner. More than 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space offers much flexibility to accommodate groups both large and small for corporate and social events. Don't forget to check out the white statues: the characters and their stories offer a personal glimpse into the Depot's history. { 225 Third Ave. S. / Minneapolis, MN 55401 / 612.375.1700 / www.thedepotminneapolis.com }

Boats/Cruises/Charters
Winner: Al & Alma's Charter Cruises
Runners up: Padelford Packet Boat Co., Paradise Charter Cruises
There's nothing like a delicious meal on a beautiful boat as you enjoy a gorgeous sunset on Lake Minnetonka. Our winner in this category this year, Al & Alma's, has been doing it for 50 years. With seven luxury yachts to choose from, they can accommodate your group's needs to provide an unforgettable cruise. { 5201 Piper Road / Mound, MN 55364 / 952.472.3098 / www.al-almas.com }

Caterer
Winner: D'Amico Catering
Runners up: Lancer Catering, Wildside Caterers
D'Amico just keeps turning up in the winner's circle for this category and it's easy to see why. With the delicious menu offerings, experience and professionalism, not to mention their ever-lengthening list of catering locations, D'Amico Catering is bound to make your event a culinary success. { 275 Market St., Suite C25 / Minneapolis, MN 55405 / 612.238.4444 / www.damicocatering.com }

Conference Center
Winner: Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center
Runners up: Minneapolis Convention Center, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center Plymouth
Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center, a repeat winner in this category, offers a natural setting on Lake McKnight in Chaska for your next meeting or event. Your attendees will enjoy the natural beauty of the area but will also appreciate the modern amenities of Oak Ridge's 35 meeting rooms, as well as the easy drive from the city or airport. { 1 Oak Ridge Drive / Chaska, MN 55318 / 952.368.3100 / www.oakridge.dolce.com }

Convention Center
Winner: Minneapolis Convention Center
Runners up: St. Paul River Centre, Oak RidgeHotel & Conference Center
With 480,000 square feet of exhibit space, 87 meeting rooms and a 28,000-squarefoot ballroom, the Minneapolis Convention Center definitely has a lot to offer for events. From catering to production capabilities, they have you covered. And, of course, the great downtown location also makes MCC a winner. { 1301 Second Ave. S. / Minneapolis, MN 55403 / 612.335.6000 / www.minneapolisconventioncenter.com }

CVB
Winner: Meet Minneapolis
Runners up: Bloomington CVB, Visit Minneapolis North
A winner last year, Meet Minneapolis, the official convention and visitors association for the city, is your source to learn what's new, what's happening, what's cool in the city. And, even cooler, it's also their mission to let the rest of the world know what Minneapolis has to offer. { Meet Minneapolis / 250 Marquette Ave. S., Suite 1300 / Minneapolis, MN 55401 / 888.676.6757 / www.minneapolis.org / www.meetminneapolis.com }

Destination Management
Winner: metroConnections Inc.
Runners up: Meet Minneapolis, Event Lab
It's been multiple wins in this category for metroConnections. The company's three divisions-conference services, event production and transportation and tours-means more efficiency in event planning. If you want to take a "onestop- shopping" approach to your planning, they're the ones to turn to. You can also pick and choose the services you want help with. Efficient indeed! { 1219 Marquette Avenue, Suite 110 / Minneapolis, MN 55403 612.333.8687 / www.metroconnections.com }

Entertainment
Winner: Casablanca Orchestra
Runners up: G.L. Berg Entertainment, The "B"zz
They've played at the White House (at the 55th Presidential Inauguration), so somehow it doesn't seem surprising that Casablanca Orchestra would be a winner in the entertainment category. Melanie Moos, entertainment strategist with the orchestra and MJM Productions, says they are continuing to expand in 2008. Moos says, "Entertainment for your event is a big investment. We want to make sure it's a success." { www.cbomusic.com / 612.929.0441 }

Event Decor
Winner: metroConnections
Runners up: Event Lab, Linen Effects
MetroConnections takes another category in our awards! The company's designers and event production staff will consider your goals and objectives in order to create décor that brings your event vision to life. { 1219 Marquette Ave., Suite 110 / Minneapolis, MN 55403 / 612.333.8687 / www.metroconnections.com }

Florist
Winner: Stems & Vines
Runners up: Richfield Floral, Wisteria Design Studio
A first-time winner, Stems & Vines opened a separate location to deal with weddings and events in April 2007. Jan Belisle, owner of Stems & Vines, points out that any of their retail stores can help you with your event, but the new location expands their capabilities to bring more natural beauty to your event. { 976 Grand Ave. / St. Paul 55105 / 651.645.5551 / www.stemsandvines.com }

Hotel With Meeting Space
Winner: Hilton Minneapolis
Runners up: Radisson University Hotel Minneapolis, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, The Saint Paul Hotel
With 73,000 square feet of function space that includes 31 meeting rooms and the Minneapolis Ballroom, which is the largest hotel meeting room in the city, the Hilton Minneapolis offers a wide array of meeting and event possibilities. Its central location in downtown Minneapolis helps make it a winner, too. { 1001 Marquette Ave. S. / Minneapolis, MN 55403-2440 / 612.376.1000 / www.hilton.com }

Meeting Space, No Hotel
Winner: McNamara Alumni Center
Runners up: The State Theatre, Nicollet Island Pavilion
Opened in 2000, The McNamara Alumni Center is becoming an increasingly popular option for meetings and events. With its unique architecture, seven event spaces and catering by D'Amico (another one of our winners), it has become an attractive choice for your functions. { 200 Oak St. S.E. / Minneapolis, MN 55455 / 612.624.9831 / www.alumnicenter.umn.edu }

Photography
Winner: Steve Rouch Photography
Runners up: Schneider Photography, Noah Wolf
Photography, Dan Davis Photography Steve Rouch has been a photographer since 1971, but says that photography has been a lifelong passion. He is a board certified photographer and has earned a Master Photographer credential, which are certifications that not every photographer has achieved. His specialty is wedding photography, but his range covers everything from corporate events to wedding anniversaries to graduation photos. { Steve Rouch Photography / 2184 Marshall Ave. / St. Paul, MN 55104 / 651.644.2184 / www.choicephoto.com }

Rental Service
Winner: Après Party & Tent Rental
Runners up: Midway Party Rental, Linen Effects
What better way for Après Party & Tent Rental to celebrate its 20th anniversary than win this category? Après aims to provide superior quality in their rental items, whether you need tents, linens, flatware or something else for your event. { 7625 Cahill Road / Edina, MN 55439 / 952.942.3399 / www.apresparty.com }

Resort
Winner: Madden's on Gull Lake
Runners up: Bluefin Bay Resort, Cragun's Resort
and Hotel on Gull Lake When you want to get away from the city, Madden's on Gull Lake is a great option. With 79 years of hospitality experience, it can only be described as a classic. Whether you want to golf (63 holes), fish, check out the spa, or just enjoy the beauty of the lake, this resort will help you truly enjoy time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. { 11266 Pine Beach Peninsula Rd. / Brainerd, MN 56401 / 218.829.2811 }

Speaker
Winner: Dan Hill, Sensory Logic Inc.
Runners up: Walter Bond, Blaze Driscoll
Dan Hill is the founder of Sensory Logic Inc. and the author of two books. He is an authority on the role of emotions in consumer and employee behavior and is a frequent speaker at marketing, advertising and design industry conferences. Hill has been getting a lot of media coverage lately due to his work in facial-coding presidential candidates. { 1509 Marshall St. N.E. / Minneapolis, MN 55413 / 651.224.7647 / www.sensorylogic.com }

Teambuilding
Winner: Dave and Buster's
Runners up: Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center, Valleyfair
Trying to get your team to bond, work together better and have fun doing it? How about taking them to Dave and Buster's for the Great Race, Ticket Master, Company Challenge or Ultimate Quest? These games and activities will get the competitive juices flowing in a fun way and help your team become better colleagues. { 11780 Fountains Drive N. / Maple Grove, MN 55369 / 763.493.9815 / www.daveandbusters.com }

Transportation
Winner: Eclipse Transportation
Runners up: metroConnections, Premier Transportation
Eclipse Transportation is definitely doing something right to get where you want to go, as frequent winner in this category. With its fleet of vehicles from executive sedans to SUVs to motor coaches, Eclipse can accommodate any number of passengers from one to 4,000. { 44 East Moreland Ave. / West Saint Paul, MN 55118 / 651.293.1111 / www.eclipsecars.com }

Videography
Winner: Hoffman Communications
Runners up: Freestyle Productions Inc., Video My Story
Hoffman is back in the winner's circle, as it was last year. Offering a broad range of staging, media and production services under one roof, Hoffman Communications will help you get the best possible videography for your event. { 2900 Washington Ave. N. / Minneapolis, MN 55411 / 612.436.3600 / www.hoffmancommunications.com }