Beautiful place for a wedding! The planner did a fabulous job working with the bride and groom to make their day perfect! The "getting ready" rooms were plenty big and separated nicely so you could spread out and listen to music without disturbing other groups. The food was awesome! All of the staff was great - super friendly and always willing to help. read more

Minneapolis Event Centers was the second wedding venue we visited. We fell in love with it as soon as we toured it. I love that they had three spaces available for our venue; we decided on The Riverside because we had a smaller number of guests and it fit better with our wedding vision. Everyone at MEC was a pleasure to work with, from the individual who helped give us a tour and talked pricing with us to the day-of-coordinator and planners. The Riverside was a gorgeous venue for both our reception and ceremony, and we were really excited that we got such a great deal on it as a package bundle. I would highly recommend using MEC to host your wedding, as it is a beautiful location in the city and everyone we worked with was on top of things! read more

We visited the Minneapolis Event Center on a Wednesday evening as part of a social party outing for a conference I was attending. The event was spread across two levels - with food stations and bars spread throughout the place. Food was good enough - considering it was a large party with approximately 500 attendees! Beer was from local craft brewery mega-giant Surly Brewing Co. There are Ghost Tours in the basement of the Event Center - but there were so many folks signed up - that I opted to skip this time around. Cool event venue! #MinneapolisEventCenter read more

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I would never work with Minneapolis Event Centers or Entourage Events again and highly discourage anyone else from doing so. Details of our wedding planning experience are below: Working with Entourage Events and the Minneapolis Event Centers was incredibly stressful. Due to incredibly high turnover, we were in contact with a different employee every time we had a question, an update to our wedding day plan, or when we attempted to schedule follow-up meetings. This meant that we had to go over every single detail we had already agreed to with each new employee. In every meeting, there were numerous mistakes with our event order and also blatant attempts by MEC and Entourage Events to charge us more money without our consent. We were able to resolve these issues only because of our meticulous documentation of emails, conversations, and agreements. The time and effort it took to advocate for ourselves caused us intense worry and stress for the entire year planning our wedding, as we felt we were constantly at risk of being taken advantage of financially. The most concerning communication issue with Minneapolis Event Centers and Entourage Events is that they only have one email for clients to contact, meaning we had no way to directly reach people we had spoken to about pricing or other agreements. In our case, that meant that at one point MEC/Entourage Events refused to honor the bar package they offered us when signing the contract, as they had "no record" of that conversation after the employee who originally confirmed the discount left their position. Luckily, our wedding coordinator attended a meeting with us to demand that our original agreement be honored. During that meeting, the owner of Entourage Events, Steve Hark, yelled at our wedding coordinator. It was completely unprofessional. The interaction did, however, prepare us to be vigilant in our future conversations with him and other management. Overall, it was clear throughout the wedding planning process that this company is extraordinarily disorganized, which leads to unnecessary frustration and anxiety for its clients. No matter how good the food is or how beautiful the space, the difficulty of having to work with such an unprofessional company is not worth it. Note: the employees who worked the actual wedding day were wonderful and accommodating. My complaints lie with the upper-management alone. read more

I am confident that the multiple concerns I have about this venue, ranging from frivolous to major, will be incorrectly refuted as a response to this review--especially by saying that no matter what they did, I wouldn't have been happy with them. This is not true. Despite the beauty of the space and some very hardworking staff, it is not worth the cost nor the effort in trying to effectively communicate with them. MEC is advertised as a seamless, stress-free, one-stop-shop, and it is nothing of the sort. We had a gorgeous, joyful wedding, and all of that occurred *despite* an overwhelmingly negative experience with this company and its owner. MEC will tell you that they received compliments from my guests, from my family, from my planner. This is (partly) true--as I said, it was a beautiful space and a very fun wedding. Again, all of this was in spite of our treatment from the venue during the wedding and planning process. I tried to discuss these issues with the owner a few days after the wedding--things that we were told would happen which the venue did not follow through on (from allergy meal requests to an hour-long cocktail hour that ended up stretching into almost two). He told me I was nitpicking, and that I should be thanking him for such a lovely event-- as well as saying "so we made some mistakes, you've never made a mistake in your life?". As a guest, I am sure it is lovely. As a bride, I would not recommend it. read more

A great venue for a special event. I've been there several times and the experience is always outstanding. The food and service are top-notch! I give Minneapolis Event Center my highest recommendation. read more

Having attended my forth event at this gorgeous venue, I was again amazed by the staff and food. I would highly recommend considering the Minneapolis Event Center for your event or celebration. read more

This space is kiddy corner to the large parking ramp in the St. Anthony Main area. Don't use the address on Facebook as that will confuse the heck out of you and your friends, for most people, it should be an easy find. The entrance was open and well lit. If you were to use a valet service at an event, there was a spacious horseshoe that would help to minimize the line of cars. I was lucky enough to be invited to the VIP Grand Opening Party and got to be one of the first ones to see the space and let me tell you, it is GORGEOUS! They didn't skimp out on the decor of the place. It was modern, clean and sophisticated. They had an array of food to try from (that I assume if from their catering menu). The stars of the show were the roast beef, cocktail shrimp, steak bites and prosciutto wrapped scallops. The service staff that night were very accomodative and friendly. After seeing the space, I'm excited to book it for a couple events I have in mind for 2014. read more

Minneapolis Event Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Soul and Polo were the most helpful gentlemen I've ever encountered!!! They made our wedding experience 11/10. Thank you both so much for the hospitality, kindness, and flair you demonstrated. We are happy customers & will definitely be back because of you too!! read more

A beautiful wedding venue! We had an Asian banquet style reception in the Riverside Room and everything was more than I could ask for. Wendy and Kastina were integral in making sure our reception of 350 people and 8 dinner courses with open bar was run smoothly through great communication and talent. We had people from here, California, Louisiana and Texas tell us how beautiful the room was and how wonderful the servers and bartenders were throughout the night. Jeff, our personal server, was amazing and made sure our drinks were always full. We can't forget about the great security guys either! So if you're looking for a reception that accepts outside asian food catering (we using Events by Michael Wong), requires minimal decor to look great (has a beautiful chandelier, chiavari chairs, and colored lighting), is in a great Minneapolis location, and has full service venue coordination- I would say book this place. Worth every penny! read more

Minneapolis Event Center - Dancing during the reception - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We just celebrated our daughter's nuptials at the Minneapolis Event Center. I was initially quite skeptical, since I am not a "supporter" of venues. However, I was constantly reminded "it's not about me." (Everything is) Okay, I kind of get it. With Niki's amazing help and unwavering energy, we crafted a wedding with a beautiful ceremony, rousing celebration, and meaningful reception. The room looked cool and the food was tasty as folks danced the night away. It was a lifetime milestone that will remain in our memories thanks to the Minneapolis Event Center and Niki. read more

This place is a beautiful venue to attend events. But if you are paying for it, boy do they rip you off! 22% service fee on every single thing the provide, whether it is easels, display tables or tv running a video. We brought in our own champagne, willing to pay the $25 corkage fee. And, on top of that they charged an additional 22% fee. We were told there would be no "tip jars" at the bar, which was open yet, the tip jars were there. When folks don't have to pay for a drink, they are pretty generous throwing money in the tip jars. And they were already getting 22% in tips for every drink served, including soda pop. Be careful with their management and don't let them rip you off. I feel violated by how they treated us. read more

Our wedding venue was going to be flooded and we had one week to figure it out. It was big time scramble mode. Most of our guests were from out of state we had some major re-coordination to take care of. My wife came across The Minneapolis Events Center on the Knot. I figured I was wasting their time because we only had seven days to find a new venue! I talked with Wendy and some way, some how they had an opening the next Saturday. Wendy was wonderful to work with as was Clare, the Coordination Manager. The really went above and beyond. They stayed in constant contact with us and were all about making it the perfect day. MEC has both outdoor and indoor options for wedding ceremonies. We ended up choosing to have it indoors. The crowd all faced the large glass windows. About five minutes before the ceremony it started raining. It was a perfect backdrop. It really couldn't have been imagined any better. If we were to plan everything again, we would chose MEC. If you are looking for a classy venue with exceptional customer service, please check them out! read more

Minneapolis Event Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Came here for the Mill City Whiskey Review! Beautiful classy venue, great atmosphere, vendors and services l. Would definitely recommend for any events, weddings of over 100-200+ people! Thank you for a beautiful evening! read more

Minneapolis Event Center - Skol! Cheers with my friend Dennis! At the Mill City Review! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Have a great night at Mill City Whiskey Review. What a beautiful location for an event. read more

Minneapolis Event Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This venue was everything I had dreamed of and more!! Once I got engaged I had NO IDEA what I wanted, after doing some research this venue caught my eye. Niki became my coordinator and was so helpful and always there to answer even the littlest questions! The wedding day went SO SMOOTHLY thanks to Niki, Wendy, and the MEC staff! All of my friends and guests can't stop telling me how much fun and how beautiful the venue was!!! read more

Minneapolis Event Center - My special day was more amazing because of MEC!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Amazing venue! So many different ways the couple can utilize the space and a lot of options for photo spots- which as a wedding photographer, I absolutely love! If you're looking for a Minneapolis reception space, I highly recommend! read more

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Where do I start.... Minneapolis Event Center, Wendy and Kerry should be your go- to venue and go-to women! We found out our wedding venue was destroyed in a storm about 2 months before the big day. With tears in my eyes and feeling the loss of my out-of-town dream wedding, my now husband, called MEC and they let us tour the space the same day. Walking through the venue and talking with Wendy I was still in shock that we were not getting married at the place we had been planning to for over a year, however I quickly got over it when I saw how amazing this venue was. Wendy and Kerry were in constant contact with us, making sure we felt comfortable- that they were going to take care of everything and make sure we had our dream wedding! Not only did all our dreams come true, but the MEC staff, venue and last but not least the food was spectacular! ... I swear Wendy and Kerry don't sleep... they just plan amazing events! We had our wedding in the West side of the event center. Our ceremony was upstairs, followed by cocktails downstairs while they flipped the room in record time for dinner and reception. People raved all night about how "stunning" the space was and how the food was to die for. I have been to many weddings where the food is terrible and its such a bummer after all that money you spend on one night. We are foodies and I went to culinary school and this food was nothing short of amazing. Chicken, Steak and Asparagus were cooked perfectly! The vegetarians RAVED about the Risotto. MEC Staff, Kerry and Wendy really took care of us. I never thought of our other venue at any point that day....maybe this is where we should have planned our wedding all along. If you're planning a wedding or a corporate event, you would be stupid not to book this space and work with these fantastic people! I wish I could relive our wedding night again. I was really sad to walk out of the space that night. BEST. NIGHT. EVER! read more

Great space & friendly staff. Strongly recommend. read more

Minneapolis Event Center - Fun times at the Mill City Whiskey Review - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I attended an event here recently and I was shocked at the details that my guest and I both noticed that shouldn't have been happening. First of all, it's snowy, and slushy, and in the circular driveway, this was not shoveled out at all. I stepped out of our Uber in a pile of wet slush. The sidewalks up to the door were also very slippery. We found ourselves on the dance floor a lot, and we kept moving around as the floor was all uneven and had little slopes and patches where the flooring was softer than others. Surprising for a relatively newer event space. There were 2 distinct rooms for this event, and the one room was significantly colder than the other room, which was not comfortable. So we decided to sit in the warmer room, and the music over the loudspeakers kept going in/out throughout the entire event. I didn't eat much, but the slider I tried was not tasty at all. The bun was underwhelming, and the meat was kind of hard and had an odd taste. I didn't finish it. I don't drink, so I can't comment on the cocktails. The bathrooms are beautiful, but there was water all over the sink, and a lot of toilet paper on the floor. I guess I'm surprised this was not being looked after. It was a very fun event, but I would think twice before hosting an event here. Thank you. read more

This is an excellent venue with wonderful service. I attended a Halloween wedding. Each table was decorated with an eye for detail. The staff was friendly and prompt, and kept the appetizers coming. The caprese sticks were yummy and so were the bacon-wrapped figs. The butternut squash ravioli (my entree) was heavenly. There was plenty of room to dance the night away. Great job! read more

My husband and I just celebrated our wedding at The Grand at the Minneapolis Event Centers this September and had a wonderful time! Jamie was so lovely to work with and was happy to make any changes to my big day I would send her and fix any concerns I had (I think I changed my napkin fold like four times!). The food was INCREDIBLE - my only regret is that I wish I had eaten more! If you're picking appetizers go for the bacon wrapped figs - we had so many compliments on them! One of my favorite parts was that the space requires so little decoration to make it wonderful. The exposed brick, wood beams and cafe lights are just stunning, so all we really did was splurge on floral to make it our own for the night. I had my ceremony in the Garden which I thought was just beautiful. The flow of indoor/outdoor spaces worked wonderfully and the staff was all so nice. Jamie, the bartenders, the serving staff and the doorman/security guard were all so helpful and kind! read more

We just attended my cousin's wedding at this beautiful venue. The food was spectacular and the service was amazing. We have a rambunctious toddler and the wedding coordinator dug up a high chair for us. My biggest and only complaint is that there are NO CHANGING TABLES in the beautiful bathrooms. Such a beautiful venue surely would have a place to appropriately change a child's diaper...nope not here. My sister has a newborn and we had no other place to change the diapers but on the WET, COLD BATHROOM FLOOR! Seriously the year is 2017! Get a flipping changing table. While your art it grab a chair to put in the bathroom so nursing mothers dont have to sit on the toilet every two hours that their baby needs to eat. I felt so bad for my sister. Unacceptable! Its such an easy fix too! read more

Attended a wedding reception in June, 2015. Excellent space with a separate glassed room for the bar, photo booth, etc (and also a great spot to converse without competing with the DJ in the main dining/dance area). The outside patio provides a scenic and peaceful nature setting. Staff was professional, quick and pleasant. Convenient parking across the street. But the food -- don't know who catered it, but . . . . . the chicken was OK, asparagus spears were raw, lettuce salad was bland and the potato squares were overcooked and dry. Half the people at our table left food on the plate. Second time I left a wedding feeling hungry. read more