HeritageRail Alliance Fall Conference Great Northern Rails Minneapolis - October 3 7 Hosted by Minnesota Streetcar Museum

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1 HeritageRail Alliance Fall Conference Great Northern Rails Minneapolis - October 3 7 Hosted by Minnesota Streetcar Museum Early October is a great time to visit Minneapolis. Skies are generally clear with average temperatures near 60 and our famous fall foliage colors reach their peak. The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport may be the cheeriest and most welcoming airport in the nation according to Travel + Leisure readers. They voted it the best in the U.S. And without leaving the terminal you can board the light rail Blue Line for the quick trip downtown. From the Amtrak station, take the Green Line. The Loews Hotel, our Conference headquarters, was named the top hotel in Minnesota by U.S. News and World Report. Located in the heart of the city, the Lowes provides luxury, convenience and comfort.

2 Minnesota has a rich and varied rail history. One of the world s great streetcar systems, Twin City Lines, was built here. So, too, was one of the world s best railroads, The Great Northern Railway. Great Northern Rails celebrates Minnesota s rail heritage. You ll visit some of Minnesota s most interesting rail historical sites and experience some of the area s outstanding rail museums and tourist railroads. You ll have an opportunity to operate the beautifully restored and maintained streetcars of the Minnesota Streetcar Museum, including Winona 10, which recently completed its 15-year restoration. Learn more at TrolleyRide.org.

3 As James J. Hill crossed the continent he also created a brand The Empire Builder. So Great Northern Rails focuses on the practice of brand building with many of the conference seminars devoted to this topic. Industry experts as well as men and women from the fields of advertising, public relations and social media will share their expertise in defining, creating, building, polishing, promoting and protecting your brand. Great Northern Rails Schedule Overview Tuesday, October 3 Early Arrivers Pre-Conference RailFan Tour Spend a full day touring Twin City railroad locations. We ll visit CP and BNSF classification and intermodal yards, historic roundhouses, favored train spotting sites, and classic depots. We ll travel via luxury coach and lunch at Tinucci s, a Minnesota institution for almost 60 years. We ll end the afternoon with a roundtrip on the Northstar Commuter Rail. Wednesday, October 4 Pre-Conference Trip to Duluth Travel to Duluth s Lake Superior Railroad Museum and a trip on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. We ll have lunch on-board as we ride behind steam power to dramatic Two Harbors. After our trip you ll explore the Museum s extensive rail exhibits.

4 Alternate Traction Tour and Guest Streetcar Operations Ride a classic TCRT bus and visit historic Twin City trolley sites. Following lunch at the newly restored St. Paul Union Depot we ll ride the light rail Green Line back to Minneapolis and an afternoon of guest operations at the Como- Harriet Streetcar Line. Wednesday evening s Welcome Reception at the Loews kicks off the Conference. Thursday, October 5 Morning seminars include a primer on branding crafting a brand statement, creating a unique brand identity and an overview of promoting and protecting your brand through public relations. Plus, hear about Winona 10 s wheels-up restoration. In the afternoon we ll travel to Wisconsin for a ride on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway. After dinner on your own at one of Minneapolis fine restaurants kick Back in the Club Room for a late Night movie. Throughout the conference the Companion Program will visit sites of general interest across the Twin Cities, including the State Capitol, James J. Hill House, The Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Mall of America.

5 Friday, October 6 Morning seminars include presenting your brand through the online community, turning your right-of-way into an eco-oasis, and hearing inspiring stories from small businesses who use branding to uniquely position themselves in the marketplace. In the afternoon we ll journey to Excelsior, Minnesota for a ride on the streetcar steamboat Minnehaha and a visit to the Excelsior Streetcar Line. In the evening there s an hors d oeuvres reception at the Milwaukee Road 261 shops the engine will be under steam and passenger consist open for you to explore followed by Show and Tell in the Club Room. Saturday, October 7 In the morning we ll head to the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line on lovely Lake Harriet. Then it s off to the Midtown Global Market where you ll sample foods from a variety of cultures and ethnicities. After lunch we ll visit the Jackson Street Roundhouse and the St. Paul Union Depot. Back at the Lowes you ll enjoy our traditional cocktail party and banquet. If you can t sleep just yet, join other late-nighters in the Club Room for a movie and wrap party. And, if you stay over Sunday, you can take a ride behind 261 over the Twin Cities & Western. Great Northern Rails, Brand Building. Plan now to attend. Registration begins soon.