We are very excited to share that we are moving to the DoubleTree in Bloomington, MN for 2D Con Prime 2024 and future years. The dates will remain the same – August 23-25, 2024.
The DoubleTree has been home to many fan conventions in Minnesota, including Anime Detour, CONvergence, MiniCon and 2D Con. A fan favorite hotel due to it’s central location and unique layout. In 2019 most events moved from the DoubleTree to the Hyatt in Minneapolis due to various reasons involving policy changes and previous management. In 2020 the Doubletree was sold and is under new management. In the last few years the hotel has undergone over $35 million in renovations. We have been working with them over the last 6 months are happy to announce that we are the first large fan convention back.
Our experience with the new management has been overly positive. This year we moved 2D Con: Unplugged to the DoubleTree and were met with accommodating friendly staff, and a great experience. We expect this to continue with 2D Con Prime.
So Why are We Moving?
The main reason is cost. There are many additional costs associated with being in a downtown hotel, from higher room rates, venue fees, parking fees, and even permits for truck parking. All of these add up. We put a heavy focus on being an accessible and inclusive event and affordability is a large, often overlooked part of them both.
Starting in 2025 our venue fees and room rates at the Hyatt were going to increase exponentially, This would have led to a very large increase in registration rates and the quality of 2D Con would have suffered. We have a firm belief that conventions should be affordable and that prices should remain low for attendees.
Another large reason is accommodations and safety. There are many affordable food options near the DoubleTree including Burger King, TGI Fridays, Dairy Queen, Taco Libre and Subway. All of these are located in or near the hotels parking lot.
Safety wise we have encountered numerous incidents involving non-convention goers creating an unsafe environment during our late night events. We take this very seriously and work hard to prevent these issues. At the DoubleTree we will be utilizing the entire venue and it’s secluded design will prevent this type of issue.
Overlapping events is another issue that we have faced. There are a lot of events during the summer in Downtown Minneapolis. When large events overlap with 2D Con we have seen price increases on overflow hotels, parking rate increases and lack of free spots.
Savings Breakdown
Hyatt
- Room Rate – $145/night ($169/night for 2025)
- Parking Fee – $30/day
- Airport Shuttle – None
DoubleTree
- Room Rate – $125/night ($135/night for 2025)
- Parking Fee – Free
- Airport Shuttle – Free
Room Block Opening
We are expecting to open hotel reservations soon. Please keep an eye on our Discord, social media pages and your email for when the room block goes live.
Potential Roadblocks
With any major move there are some roadblocks. The two main roadblocks that we face with the DoubleTree are parking availability and public transportation options. We have confirmed with the DoubleTree that we will have overflow parking available at neighboring lots and are reviewing options for public transportation.
Questions, Concerns and Comments
We understand that this is a major change and that you may have feedback or concerns. We welcome you to ask questions on our Discord in the Ask the Staff channel.
