DEED Hospitality Roundtable

On Tuesday’s Hospitality Roundtable call, Ben Wogsland briefed Steve Grove, commissioner at DEED, and Lauren Bennett-McGinty, director at Explore Minnesota Tourism, and others on the current Economic Snapshot. Thank you to members Terri Huml (Gianni’s) and Pete Mihajlov (Parasole), who shared their insights on the state of the industry.

Ben also highlighted our workforce efforts, including the NE Minnesota Gathering held in Duluth on Tuesday, which welcomed hospitality leaders from across the region for lunch and a conversation on the workforce issues facing hospitality business in the region.

Read the Economic Snapshot

On seeing ProStart teams in action recently, state leaders on the call had this to say:

“The ProStart program is a great pathway for
young Minnesotans to begin building the future
of Minnesota’s hospitality industry. As Minnesota’s hospitality market roars back, we’ll need these
future leaders to help write the next chapter
​of this vital industry for the state’s economy.”
​
Steve Grove, Commissioner
MN Department of Employment and Economic Development

“Minnesota’s tourism and hospitality industry continues to experience labor challenges,
impacting the ability to deliver the same level of experience that guests experienced pre-pandemic. The ProStart program provides students with
a detailed introduction to the industry. Not only
are students excited and engaged to participate,
they walk away with new opportunities to work
at local restaurants, hotels, resorts and
more throughout the state.”  

Lauren Bennett-McGinty, Director
Explore Minnesota Tourism