Dear Colleagues,
We invite you to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota for the Strategic Management Society’s 39th Annual Conference.
Located in the upper-Midwest along the banks of the Mississippi River, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have separate city centers. The conference location will be in Minneapolis, a city which grew around the only major waterfalls on the Mississippi River. St. Paul, which is downriver from Minneapolis, grew because it was among the last navigable stops north along the river. Although ‘twins,’ the cities have distinct personalities, with many considering St. Paul the ‘last eastern city’ and Minneapolis the ‘first western city’ in the United States.
From these historic roots, the region has grown to be a thriving metropolitan area. It is home to one of the highest concentrations on corporate headquarters in the United States. You will recognize the names of many local iconic companies such as 3M, General Mills, and Target. However, this is just a sampling of a diverse economy comprised of a host of innovative privately-held and publicly-traded companies.
Although it is home to 3.5 million people, it possesses a vibrant economy, and it ranks high in many quality of life indicators, the Twin Cities is often out of the spotlight. Because we believe our region and its business community have a lot to offer a meeting of the Strategic Management Society, we chose ‘out of the spotlight strategies’ as the theme for the conference. We hope the conference demonstrates how regions, industries, and companies that operate out of the spotlight can inform strategic management research and practice.
We welcome you to Minneapolis-St. Paul and expect that many of you will encounter an economically and socially vibrant community. And in case you fear an artic reception from the Minneapolis weather, we can assure you that mid-October average high temperatures are about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. We do not think you will need to pack a parka.
