4th Biennial Conference of ASHEcon
Optimizing Health and Health Care
Date: June 10–13, 2012
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Host: Medical Industry Leadership Institute, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
- NEW: construction map and driving directions for your arrival to the conference.
- Register for the conference online.
- Register for residence hall lodging online.
- View a PDF copy of the schedule at a glance
- View a PDF copy of the final program booklet. (registrants will receive printed copy at the conference)
Social Media: Join the Conversation
We invite you to join the conversation about ASHEcon and the upcoming conference by “liking” the ASHEcon Facebook page, joining the ASHEcon LinkedIn group, or tweeting about ASHEcon. View the links at the bottom right side of this page for more information.
The conference twitter hashtag is #ashecon12. Type this hashtag in your tweets to continue the conference “backchannel,” or you may also search Twitter for this hashtag to view the tweets online. These social media efforts will help participants network and meet new colleagues prior to and during the conference.
Important Deadlines
June 1, 2012: Presenters send copy of paper to chair and discussants
Plenary Speakers
Sunday, June 10, 2012 ~ 5:00 p.m.
Wussinomics: the State of Competitive Efficiency in Private Health Insurance Markets
Mark Pauly, University of Pennsylvania
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 ~ 5:15 p.m.
Scoring Health Reform: Using Economics to Gauge the Cost and Impact of the Affordable Care Act
Jonathan Gruber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
View Jonathan Gruber’s biography.
Stephen Parente, Medical Industry Leadership Institute, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
View Stephen Parente’s biography.
Moderated Discussion on Healthcare Reform
Moderator: Kerri Miller, Host, The Daily Circuit and Talking Volumes, Minnesota Public Radio
About the Conference
The biennial conferences of the America Society of Health Economists have become the premier health economics conferences in the U.S. The upcoming 4th Biennial Conference should continue to build that reputation. Topics are open to any area that fits within the general category of the economics of health and health-care research. Two outstanding plenary sessions are being planned.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the University of Minnesota offer great venues for this meeting. However, in the final analysis, the quality of the conference is dependent on the number and quality of papers presented, the number of health economists in attendance, and the ability of those people to network with colleagues.
History
The 3rd Biennial Conference held in 2010 at Cornell University broke records set by the first two conferences in terms of attendance (780) and number of oral and poster papers presented (600+). Over 90 percent of those who responded to the evaluation survey rated the overall conference as good or great. This conference can be even greater.
PROGRAM
Plenary Speakers
Sunday, June 10, 2012 ~ 5:00 p.m.
Wussinomics: the State of Competitive Efficiency in Private Health Insurance Markets
Mark Pauly, University of Pennsylvania
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 ~ 5:15 p.m.
Scoring Health Reform: Using Economics to Gauge the Cost and Impact of the Affordable Care Act
Jonathan Gruber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
View Jonathan Gruber’s biography.
Stephen Parente, Medical Industry Leadership Institute, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
View Stephen Parente’s Biography.
Moderated Discussion on Healthcare Reform
Moderator: Kerri Miller, Host, The Daily Circuit and Talking Volumes, Minnesota Public Radio
Abstract Information
Individual Abstracts
Individual abstracts will be accepted for review from September 1–November 15, 2011.
Organized Session
Organized sessions will be accepted for review from September 1–November 1, 2011.
As in the past, if an organized session is rejected, the abstracts included in that session will be reviewed as individual abstract submissions. Organized sessions are submitted by an organizer. These submissions should include up to three abstracts recommended to form an entire session.
Instructions for Submitting an Abstract
- Visit the conference website at www.ashecon.org and click on the “Abstract Information” link on the left hand side.
- Click the link to submit either an Individual Session, or an Organized Session.
- Fill in all required fields, and copy and paste your abstract (500 words or less) into the appropriate field. (One presenter, co-authors, and one discussant for Individual Abstracts, or session chair if different than organizer, up to three presenters, co-authors, and discussants for Organized Sessions).
- Select your first, second, and third topic choice.
- Click the “submit” button. This will bring you to a final screen confirming the submission (please note that you will NOT receive a confirmation email).
Additional Information
Authors may submit multiple abstracts on which they are a coauthor, however the scientific committee places significant weight on letting as many health economists present their work as possible, and hence only in rare instances will a person be scheduled to give more than one presentation.
Authors need to be a 2011 ASHEcon member to submit an abstract without paying a submission fee, and a 2012 ASHEcon member to receive member/presenter and member registration rates for the conference. The 2-year membership rate is $120. Students qualify for student scholarships to the conference and free abstract submission if they attend an institution that is an Organization member in 2011 and 2012 ($600/year). The one year student membership fee is $40. Membership information is available at www.ashecon.org. The non-member submission fee is $150.
Important Deadlines
Mid-February, 2012
Accepted abstracts and organized sessions will be announced.
Workshops
Pre-Conference Workshops
Register for the conference and pre-conference workshops online.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Research Databases and Grant Funding Opportunities
Location: TBA
Time: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 9:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Faculty: Herb Wong; Mike Hagan; Joel Cohen; Sam Zuvekas
Cost: No Charge
Health and Demographic Data from the Minnesota Population Center: Free Online Resources for Health Research?
Location: TBA
Time: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 9:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Faculty: TBA
Cost: No Charge
Modeling Health Care Costs and Counts
Location: TBA
Time: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Faculty: Partha Deb, Hunter College; Willard Manning, University of Chicago; and Edward Norton University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Cost: $175
Economic Evaluation of Drugs, Devices and other Medical Interventions
Location: TBA
Time: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 1:00–5:30 p.m.
Faculty: Joel Hay, University of Southern California
Cost: $125
Overview of New Data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Including Data Linked to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and Death Records
Location: TBA
Time: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 1:00–5:30 p.m.
Faculty: Edward Sondik, Director, NCHS; Sandra Decker, Senior Service Fellow, NCHS
Cost: No Charge
U.S. Census Bureau Research Data Center Network: Data Products for Health Research and Gaining Access
Location: TBA
Time: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 1:00–5:30 p.m.
Faculty: Brett O’Hara; Amy O’Hara; Alice Zawacki; Jim Davis
Cost: No Charge
Registration
Register for the Conference and Workshops online.
Register by phone, call 612-624-4000. Please provide the representative with the event ID 186113 for the conference, or 186114 for residence hall.
Conference Registration Fees
Registration fees before Monday, April 2, 2012
- $205 – Student Presenter—Organizational Member (view Organizational Member list here)
- $225 – Student—Organizational Member
- $430 – ASHEcon Presenter rate
- $450 – ASHEcon Member/Attendee rate
- $750 – Registration rate (for attendees and presenters who are not members of ASHEcon)
- $75 – Accompanying person fee (social events only)
Registration fees after Monday, April 2, 2012
- $355 – Student Presenter—Organizational Member
- $375 – Student—Organizational Member
- $580 – ASHEcon Presenter rate
- $600 – ASHEcon Member/Attendee rate
- $750 – Registration rate (for attendees and presenters who are not members of ASHEcon)
- $100 – Accompanying person fee (social events only)
Onsite / Walk-in registration fee beginning June 9, 2011
- $850 – presenter/member/non-member rate
Residence Hall fees
- $60 – Single room, per night—Registration for the residence halls is now closed.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
A refund, less $100, will be issued for cancellation requests received by e-mail to the University of Minnesota at cceconf3@umn.edu, by June 1, 2012. If you cancel after this date, you will not be eligible for a refund. Persons who register for the conference but cannot attend may send a substitute.
Changes to Your Registration
If you need to make changes to your registration, please contact Heather Dorr or Emily Strong at 612-624-3492 or cceconf3@umn.edu.
ASHEcon Conference Scholarships
Scholarships to Women and Ethnic/Racial Minorities Underrepresented in the Field of Health Economics
ASHEcon would like to honor the 17 recipients this year of the ASHEcon Scholarships to Women and Ethnic/Racial Minorities Underrepresented in the Field of Health Economics. These awards were made to continue ongoing efforts to encourage diversity in the field of health economics, and to increase participation particularly among those groups who have traditionally been underrepresented in the field. We also gratefully acknowledge the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Mental Health for their funding, which made these scholarships possible.
First Place Awards ($1,000 each)
From the National Institute on Aging (NIA):
Mariana Carrera, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Armando Franco, Ph.D. Student in the Economics Department at the University of California, Berkeley, California
Angela Micah, Ph.D. Student at Tulane University in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):
Brandon Restrepo, Ph.D. Student (Ph.D. anticipated spring 2012) in economics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Andres Vargas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of economics in the Department of Economics at Texas Tech University (TTU), Lubbock, Texas
Second Place Awards (awards in the $500 range depending on the specific fee level for the conference) 12 awards
From the National Institute on Aging (NIA):
Peng Avery, Ph.D. Student at Rutgers University in the Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, New Brunswick, NJ
Carrie Bennette, Ph.D. Student at the University of Washington in the School of Pharmacy, Seattle, WA
Jie Chen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Health Economics at the City University of New York at Staten Island, New York, NY
Christina DePasquale, Ph.D. Student at the University of Michigan in the Business Economics Department at the Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, MI
Monica Garcia-Perez, Ph.D. Assistant professor and Researcher at St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
Sarah Gordon, Ph.D. Student in the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Molly Jacobs, Ph.D. Student and Research Associate in the Economics Department at The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Hyunjee Kim, Ph.D. Student in the Joint PhD Program of Economics and Social Work at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Angélica Meinhofer, Ph.D. Student in the Economics Department at Brown University, Providence, RI
Kathleen Nosal, PhD Student (Ph.D. anticipated Spring 2012) in Economics at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Sharmini Radakrishnan, Ph.D. Student in Economics at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Ruoding Tan, Ph.D. Student in Economics at Graduate Center of City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
The American Society of Health Economics (ASHEcon) is offering a minimum of three $1,000 scholarships aimed at women and underrepresented minorities in the field of health economics who have not previously attended or participated in a biennial conference of ASHEcon. Next year’s conference is being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 10–13, 2012.
Women and underrepresented minorities who are junior faculty, researchers or Ph.D. students and who have not participated in or attended a previous ASHEcon biennial conference may apply for one of these scholarships. We use the federal government’s definition of the underrepresented minorities and as applied to the field of health economics. Applicants should email their CV along with a brief summary or paragraph on their background and their minority status, as applicable, to:
Professor Jody L. Sindelar, Yale School of Public Health
Email: jody.sindelar@yale.edu
Applications should be submitted by Thursday, October 20, 2011. Winners will be selected based on the above criteria. Winners will be notified on or before Monday, October 24, 2011. Each winner will be provided with $1,000 towards their conference registration fees and travel expenses to the upcoming conference.
ACCOMMODATIONS
On-Campus Lodging
UPDATE: Registration for residence halls will close at 12:00 a.m. on May 30, 2012.
Participants and their guests can stay in residence hall accommodations on campus located within a few minutes from the conference. Single rooms are available with conveniently located, shared bathrooms on each floor. All rooms are air conditioned and smoke free, and bed linens and daily towel service are provided. Also included in the rate is access to residence hall computer labs, free wireless, free laundry, and free cable access. Breakfast in the residential restaurant is also included. On-campus accommodations will be available for those registrants who need to arrive one day early or stay an additional day.
The rates for on-campus housing are $60/night for a single room.
For more information about the residence hall, visit Middlebrook Hall.
Hotel Accommodations—two hotel blocks are now full
Rooms have been reserved at the following hotels near the campus of the University of Minnesota. Please make your reservations directly with the hotel. Mention “American Society of Health Economists” to receive the conference rate.
Holiday Inn Minneapolis Metrodome
1500 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota
877-531-2703 or 612-333-4646
UPDATE 5/23/12: the Holiday Inn is now sold out.
The room rate is $149 per night plus tax for single or double occupancy. Rooms will be held until Thursday, May 17, 2012, or until the block is filled. Reservations made after this date will be accepted on a space-and-rate-available basis. Parking is available in the municipal ramp adjacent to the hotel. The current rate for overnight parking is $14 for a 24-hour period. The adjacent parking ramp is the property of the City of Minneapolis, and not that of the Holiday Inn Minneapolis Metrodome.
The Commons Hotel (formerly the Radisson University Hotel-Minneapolis)
615 Washington Avenue S.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
800-822-6757 or 612-379-8888
UPDATE 5/16/12: The Commons Hotel is now sold out.
The room rate is $149 per night plus tax for single or double occupancy. Each additional adult is $20 per night plus tax. Rooms will be held until May 13, 2012, or until the block is filled. Reservations made after this date will be accepted on a space-and-rate-available basis. Parking is available on a first-arrive, first-serve basis in the parking lot located behind the hotel. A daily parking fee, currently at $12.50 per day per vehicle, applies and includes in-and-out privileges to registered guests. Additional parking is available in the Washington Avenue Ramp, which is connected to the hotel by an enclosed walkway. Current charges are $2.50 per hour, with a $12 maximum daily charge.
Parking
UPDATE: Registration for residence hall parking will close at 12:00 a.m. on May 30, 2012.
The University of Minnesota is an urban campus. There is public parking on campus, but the space is limited. There is no reciprocal parking or in-and-out privileges for campus parking. Many campus surface parking lots do not allow overnight parking. Conference participants staying at the hotel are encouraged to leave their vehicles in the hotel parking lots and use alternative means of transportation.
Please visit the Parking and Transportation Web site for public parking maps.
Child Care
If you are attending ASHEcon and will need child care, Conference & Visiting Child Care Services, the University’s child care resource, can help provide you with short-term child care information for your stay.
Travel Information
Airport
You may fly directly to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Please contact your local travel agency for airline reservations. Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport is well served by nonstop flights from London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and other major cities.
Ground Transportation
Information on ground transportation from the airport is available at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport Web site. Available ground transportation includes the following:
Taxi Service
Taxi service is available from the Lindbergh terminal Tram Level. Taxi service cost from the airport to the hotel is approximately $28–$36 one-way.
SuperShuttle
SuperShuttle offers convenient shuttle service to area locations. Call 800-BlueVan or visit the SuperShuttle Web site to reserve your transportation. Shuttle service is available for approximately $14 each way.
Light Rail Service
Light Rail service is available to downtown Minneapolis from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Approximate one-way fare is $1.50–$2 depending on time of day. View information and route map. For light-rail transportation to the Holiday Inn Metrodome, disembark at Cedar-Riverside. The Radisson Metrodome is not served directly by light rail.
Additional Travel Options
Catch a train
Express double-decker bus service from Chicago
Visitor Information
About the University of Minnesota
Founded in 1851 as the state’s land-grant institution, the University of Minnesota is one of the state’s greatest assets and one of the most comprehensive universities in the United States. Located in the heart of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, the campus is just minutes from downtown Minneapolis. The Twin Cities campus is situated along the banks of the Mississippi River and in the rolling hills of St. Paul. Through its strategic positioning plan, the University is making strides to become one of the top three public research universities in the world within a decade. At all of its locations—the Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris, Crookston, and Rochester—the University is moving in a new direction to meet the challenges of the 21st century. To read more about the University of Minnesota, visit the Web site: www.umn.edu.
About Minneapolis and Saint Paul
The Twin Cities are located in the great state of Minnesota, proud of its many lakes and rivers, including the great lake of Superior and the mighty Mississippi River, whose origin is located in northern Minnesota and travels through the state, gracing the state’s rich landscape; and diverse cultures, industry, and history.
The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul offer a wealth of attractions for its residents and visitors. The Twin Cities are home to world-class museums, an array of theaters, concert halls, diverse restaurants, exciting sporting events, and the largest retail and entertainment complex in the United States—the Mall of America.
Recently Minneapolis has welcomed several outstanding new buildings for the arts and learning, including the Guthrie Theater (designed by Jean Nouvel), additions to both the Walker Art Center (by Herzog & de Meuron) and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (Michael Graves), the Minneapolis Central Library (Cesar Pelli), as well as the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (Frank Gehry).
More than 10,000 lakes lie within a several hours’ drive, including Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which stretches along the Canadian border.
To learn more about the Twin Cities and Minnesota, visit www.minneapolis.org or www.exploreminnesota.com
Things to See and Do
Chain of Lakes
The Chain of Lakes which is part of the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway includes Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, Cedar Lake, and Brownie Lake. This district of Minneapolis was purchased in the early part of the 20th century and provides a variety of wonderful outdoor activity venues. Beach hours are from 12 noon–8:00 p.m. daily for most beaches from mid-June until near the end of August. Calhoun 32nd, East Cedar, and Southeast Harriet beaches are only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Lake Calhoun
Lake Calhoun is the most central lake in the Chain of Lakes to Minneapolis life. Driving down Lake Street, one encounters Lake Calhoun, a popular summer destination, where there are many eateries, outdoor sports, and aquatic activities. There is a 3.2 mile walking path and a 3.1 mile biking path. Three beaches are also located on this lake: Calhoun 32nd Beach at 3200 E. Calhoun Parkway, Calhoun North Beach at 2710 W. Lake Street, and Calhoun Thomas Beach.
For more information on the Chain of Lakes, please visit: http://minneapolisparks.org.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is located on Vineland Place, across from the Walker Art Center. The 11-acre garden is a joint project of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Walker Art Center. It offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy important works of art by leading American and international artists in a setting of plazas, walkways, and plantings.
Look for these displays on your visit:
- the colossal Spoonbridge and Cherry Fountain by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen;
- the Irene Hixon Whitney Footbridge designed by Siah Armajani that connects the Sculpture Garden with Loring Park and downtown Minneapolis. Walk across the bridge to visit the Loring Park Garden and to find a selection of cafes;
- Frank Gehry’s Standing Glass Fish located in the Palm Room of the Cowles Conservatory. This room features permanent and seasonal horticultural displays including exotic orchids, palms, and other fragrant and beautiful species;
- the northern boundary of the Sculpture Garden features the Alene Grossman Memorial Arbor. Along the entire 300-foot length of the vine-covered stainless steel arbor are colorful plantings of perennial and annual flowers.
For more information on the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, please visit: http://minneapolisparks.org.
Walker Art Center
Formally established in 1927, the Walker Art Center began as the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest. The museum’s focus on modern art began in the 1940s, when a gift from Mrs. Gilbert Walker made possible the acquisition of works by important artists of the day, including sculptures by Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, and others. During the 1960s, the Walker organized increasingly ambitious exhibitions that circulated to museums in the United States and abroad. The permanent collection expanded to reflect crucial examples of contemporary artistic developments; concurrently, performing arts, film, and education programs grew proportionately and gained their own national prominence throughout the next three decades. Today, the Walker is recognized internationally as a singular model of a multidisciplinary arts organization and as a national leader for its innovative approaches to audience engagement.
For more information on the Walker Art Center, please visit: http://www.walkerart.org.
Science Museum of Minnesota
The Science Museum of Minnesota, founded in 1907, is a large regional science museum located on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul. The Science Museum’s programs combine research and collection facilities, a public science education center, extensive teacher education and school outreach programs, and an Imax Convertible Dome Omnitheater to provide science education to an audience of more than a million people per year. The Science Museum of Minnesota is known worldwide for its interactive exhibits, dynamic traveling exhibitions, and internationally distributed large format films. The Museum was an early innovator in the use of live theater as a humanizing interpretive tool and continues to be a training ground for other museums wishing to include live programming in their exhibit halls.
Visit the Web site for more information about the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum
Housed in a striking stainless steel and brick building designed by architect Frank Gehry (who also designed the Bilbao Guggenheim) for the University of Minnesota. The Weisman Art Museum offers an educational and friendly museum experience. The museum’s collection features early 20th century American artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Marsden Hartley, as well as a diverse selection of contemporary art. A teaching museum for the University of Minnesota and the community, the Weisman provides a fresh, engaging arts experience through an array of programs and a changing schedule of exhibitions.
Visit the Web site for more information on the Weisman Art Museum.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
In 1883, 25 citizens of Minneapolis founded the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, committing them to bringing the arts into the life of their community. More than a century later, the museum they created, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, stands as a monument to a remarkable history of civic involvement and cultural achievement.The MIA’s permanent collection has grown from eight hundred works of art to around one hundred thousand objects. The collection includes world-famous works that embody the highest levels of artistic achievement, spanning 5,000 years and representing the world’s diverse cultures across all continents. The MIA’s free general-admission policy, public programs, classes for children and adults, and award-winning interactive media programs have helped to broaden and deepen this museum’s roots in the communities it serves.
Visit the Web site for more information on the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
To find one of the many, many other great museum and arts experiences the Twin Cities have to offer please visit:http://www.twincities.worldweb.com/SightsAttractions/Museums.
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training. By presenting both classical literature and new work from diverse cultures, the Guthrie illuminates the common humanity connecting Minnesota to the peoples of the world. While the Guthrie Theater’s mission and artistic excellence have remained constant, much has changed over the past four decades. What began as a summer season of four productions supported by a minimal staff is now a complex organization employing more than 900 people per year. As the Guthrie entered the millennium, plans began to build a new multistage theater center on the banks of the Mississippi River. It opened June 25, 2006, and the complex includes three stages: a classic thrust stage for the grand-scale classics of the centuries, a proscenium stage for the more intimate classics of this century, and a studio theater for developing the classics of tomorrow. The new theater allows the Guthrie to retain its pre-eminence among theaters nationally and internationally.
Visit the Web site for more information on the Guthrie Theater.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
In 1980, St. Paul resident Sally Ordway Irvine challenged her community to help her create a performing arts venue in which her dream of offering “everything from opera to the Russian circus” could be realized.The $46 million center opened to the public on January 1, 1985. Certainly, Sally’s vision is alive today in Ordway Center’s dizzying schedule of theater, dance, music, family events, and educational programs. Ordway Center contains the 1,900 seat Main Hall, the intimate 306 seat McKnight Theatre, two large rehearsal halls, and magnificent lobbies on each floor, including the second floor Marzitelli Foyer, a spacious, two-story lobby encircled by a glass facade.
These are just two of the many theater opportunities the Twin Cities have to offer. To find a more complete directory of options please visit: http://www2.bitstream.net/~iras.
Sports Opportunities
Minneapolis has a rich heritage of athletes and teams in many sports. From the high schools to the professional ranks, sports have been a major contributor to the Minneapolis experience. Here are a few sites to check out if you want to catch a game while you’re in town.
Saint Paul Saints Minor League Baseball
Mall of America
The Mall of America has it all. Located in the heart of Bloomington and the Twin Cities area, the “Mall” is the largest mall in the USA. People from all over the world come here to enjoy the great stores and attractions inside the Mall of America. An entire neighborhood with a roof, this shopping and entertainment complex is virtually big enough to have its own zip code. Some of the 42 million annual visitors make a day of it at the many diverse eating spots, indoor amusements, and more than 500 retail stores.
Visit the Web site for more information about the Mall of America.
First Avenue
San Francisco has the Fillmore Auditorium. New York has CBGB and the Knitting Factory. Minneapolis has First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry. Anyone who knows about music in this town will tell you that, for the last three decades, First Avenue has been integral to the Twin Cities’ vibrant music scene. From the avant-garde to the mainstream, First Avenue is a music club committed to fostering the arts, and music and entertainment excellence. There are a lot of people who care deeply about this club and have, in effect, made it their lives. First Avenue is, quite simply, what a music club should be.
Visit the Web site for more information about First Avenue.
To find more fun and interesting things to do while you’re in Minnesota, visit www.exploreminnesota.com