Something to celebrate
Last month, the Greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) region celebrated newcomers with a weeklong series of meetups and signature events. From happy hours and networking socials to soccer matches and volunteering, each event helped our newest neighbors meet new people while introducing them to the communities and organizations that fuel our culture here in Greater MSP.
In its second year, the goals for MSP Welcome Week were to provide opportunities for newcomers to explore the city, meet fellow newcomers and friendly neighbors, as well as provide a platform for organizations with a similar mission to expand the communities they reach through their own work. Here’s how the region did!
MSP Welcome Week 2019 Highlights
Signature events and meetups
Event hosts and community partners taking part in the week of welcoming
Hours of planned programming, activities, and opportunities to connect
Total attendees across the full week of events
Percent increase in monthly makeitmsp.org page views
New first-time website visitors










Continue the connections
MSP Welcome Ambassadors
Looking for a way to stay connected to more insights and advice about all things MSP? Want to do so on your own time and from the comfort of wherever you are? Then check out the newly launched MSP Welcome Ambassadors free online platform!
MSP Welcome Ambassadors are real people, offering real insight, in real time via Make It. MSP.’s free online program and message board. All you have to do is sign-up, post a question about anything from the best local Thai restaurants to advice for how to navigate winter roads, and wait to connect with MSP Welcome Ambassadors eager to help.
MSP Hello Meetup Group
The MSP hello Meetup page provides a central platform for individuals and organizations to reach out to one another, organize meetups, and plan to attend MSP events together. More than 1,300 newcomers are already members, and we know many of you heard about MSP Welcome Week events through this group. Not in the loop yet? Join the online group and start connecting!
MSP Hello Newsletter & Events Calendar
Sign up for our monthly MSP Hello Newsletter for tips and resources for navigating life in your new home in MSP and stay up to date with the latest line-up of newcomer and community events taking place in downtowns and suburbs across the region. Click here to stay connected!
I met and talked with new Americans at the International Institute of MN lunch. We had a great conversation about our shared love of traveling and places we had been!
I met a few people that worked at the University of Minnesota and also made a connection to help integrate my wife with a possible employment opportunity.
It was great to see people of all ages and from all types of companies come together to work along side one another to accomplish a goal of completing a volunteer project.
As a result of group introductions, someone who works supporting high school students to become first generation college students connected with an individual who works with a Latinx-serving agency and runs a college prep program for high school youth!