Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of AmericaCarl T. Seibert, COO/State Secretary
Greetings:
The following information will provide you with details to assist you in making your hotel reservation and travel arrangements for the 2023 Grand Lodge Convention in Minneapolis. Please read this information in its entirety before clicking on any of the links on the left.
The 2023 Grand Lodge Convention will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota July 2 through July 5, 2023. The Florida delegation hotel is the Hilton Minneapolis located at 1001 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403. All attendees are responsible for making their own travel arrangements (only endorsed DDGERs make theirs through Grand Lodge), and all hotel room reservations for the Hilton Minneapolis (this includes the Endorsed DDGERs) must be made through the “Make Your Hotel Reservation” link on the left. The room rate for 1 king bed or two doubles is $121.00 per night plus $16.97 tax, making the room $137.97 per night inclusive of tax.
The Hilton Minneapolis is located .3 miles from the Minneapolis Convention Center where the convention will be held. It is about a 10-minute walk to the convention center or a 5-7minute shuttle bus ride. There will be seven other states co-located with us in the Hilton, the largest of which is New York, and our sister states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The Hilton Minneapolis is also the Grand Lodge headquarters hotel.
The following convention links are available on the left:
- Link to Register & Pay the Required $75 pp Florida Hospitality Room Fee
This registration is required for all Florida attendees (including guests/spouses) regardless of where you are staying.
- List of Florida Convention Attendees (those who have completed the above $75 pp registration process)
- Link to Make your Hotel Reservation
- Hospitality Room Hours
- Link to Purchase Tickets for the Florida Dinner - $55 pp
- List of Florida Dinner Attendees (those who have purchased a ticket)
You will want to plan to arrive in Minneapolis by Saturday, July 1st as the Opening Ceremonies begin on Sunday at 4:00pm. Exalted Rulers and Alternate Delegates are required to attend all general sessions and the opening ceremonies. The final general session of the convention will end around 11:00am on Wednesday.
The check-in time for the Hilton is 3pm and check-out is 11am. The Hilton does not offer an airport shuttle. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) airport is located about 12 miles from the Hilton or about a 14-minute drive by car. There is a Light Rail Service – Metro Transit offered from the airport. The stop closest to the Hilton would be the Nicollet Mall Station. Transit time to the Nicollet Station would be approximately 22 minutes and then you would have an 11-minute walk to the Hilton. This might be a convenient way to transfer to and from the airport. The cost is approximately $2.50 for one person one-way.
If you drive or rent a car, the Hilton has valet parking for $45 per day and self-parking with in & out privileges for $25 per day. The closest self-parking garages charge $8 to $10 per day and do not offer in & out privileges.
Airline discounts are being offered through the Grand Lodge and are posted on the Grand Lodge website www.Elks.org. Once there click on Members Only, login to Elks.org, scroll down on the left and click National Convention, then scroll down on the left and click Discounts.
Most major car rental counters are in the airport, a short Skylink Train ride from the baggage area. The Hilton is about 15 minutes from the airport.
The information on wheelchair, power chair, or electric scooter rentals is located on the Grand Lodge website. See instructions on how to locate it on the GL Website above in Airline Discounts.
You will want to do your Grand Lodge Registration for your official convention name badge and voting credentials online on the Grand Lodge Website at www.elks.org. This registration is required by the Grand Lodge and is separate from, and in addition to, the $75 pp Florida Elks Hospitality Room Fee/Registration done through our link on the left. The Grand Lodge has not yet placed on their website the link to do the online Grand Lodge registration. Once they place the link and open their registration, probably sometime in April, the fee will be $50.00. If you do not do the online registration and instead wait to register and pay on-site, the cost is $60.00. The Grand Lodge Registration fee is required to be paid by Elks members only. There is no fee for Non-Elks registering with an Elks member. Everyone must do this as your name badge is required to gain entry to all meetings & the exhibit hall, and your voting credentials are required to be in your possession to be able to vote during the legislative session. See instructions on how to locate the GL Website above in Airline Discounts.
Upon your arrival in Minneapolis, you will want to make your way to the Minneapolis Convention Center to obtain your voting credentials and badge. The registration schedule is as follows:
Saturday, July 1 – 8am. to 4:15pm Monday, July 3 – 7:30am to 3:45pm
Sunday, July 2 – 8am to 3:45pm Tuesday, July 4 – 7:30am to 1pm
The official Grand Lodge Opening Ceremonies will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Sunday, July 2nd from 4pm to 6pm. Members and accompanied guests are encouraged to attend. Florida attendees are encouraged to wear red, white & blue for the opening ceremonies on Sunday, and orange jackets or orange shirts for the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday Grand Lodge sessions. Please sit in the area designated for the Florida delegation starting Monday. There is no reserved seating for the opening ceremonies on Sunday, but I am sure someone will make sure to hold some seats for Florida. Also, be reminded that all Exalted Rulers or Alternate Delegates are required to check-in with their Endorsed District Deputy prior to the beginning of each official Grand Lodge session.
The Ritual Competition will take place in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The District Deputies Designate Seminars will be held on Monday, July 3rd and Tuesday, July 4th at 12:45pm at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.
The Florida Dinner will be held at the Hilton Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 4th starting at 8pm. Dress for the event is business casual. Tickets for the Florida Dinner may be purchased through the link on the left.
A highlight of the Grand Lodge Convention each year is the Florida Hospitality Room. As we have done in the past, we will offer limited food and snacks with beer, wine, and liquor. Every Florida attendee, regardless of where you are staying or whether you drink or not is required to pay the $75 per person fee to assist in defraying the cost to operate the hospitality room.
There is only one local lodge within a short drive of the Hilton. The Hopkins Elks Lodge #2221 is about 15 minutes to the southwest. Watch the Grand Lodge website for information on any events at this lodge.
I think you are going to enjoy Minneapolis, the Grand Lodge Convention, and the Hilton!
I am looking forward to seeing you in Minneapolis this summer and as always, if I may be of any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me!
Sincerely and fraternally,
