@JoelECarlson – Hello everybody, and welcome to the landmark TwitterReview of @DepotMpls, because it is a local landmark. :)

@DepotMpls – Thanks for having us today, this is an exciting time of year for us!

Q – #1    So @DepotMpls, what is some of your history? How old are you and when did your use as a building change to what you are today?

A: The old MKE Road Depot was constructed in 1899 & remains 1 of the last long-span, truss-roofed sheds in the nation

The most activity was 1920′s when the Milling District & the trains were busling w/ activity. This was the hub of Mpls!

Last trains left in 1971 & it set empty for several years til Gary Holmes (CSM Corp) came up with an idea for it.

Here’s a cool pic of The Depot back in it’s prime day bustling w/ activity. http://twitpic.com/398kue

CSM proposed 2 hotels, mtg space, restaurant, bar, indoor ice rink & waterpark for the space.

Interestingly, 1 of components of the city accepting the idea was the Ice Rink! They wanted a “Rockefeller of Mpls”.

The original train shed & clocktower were renovated to ice rink/ mtg space & historic suites. Rest of Depot was built.

Pic of the clocktower bldg back in the day (former offices for railroad & ticket counters). http://twitpic.com/398mdk

Q – #2    When were the renovations done, and is the clock-tower open to the public to tour?

A: CSM renovated & built The Depot in 2000 and opened in July 2001. We’re getting ready to celebrate 10 yrs!

The clocktower is pretty amazing, but very difficult to get up so we aren’t able to offer tours of the tower.

You can tour the bldg, which features our “Great Hall”, original marble floor, gold leaf plated ceilings & woodwork.

If you pay close attention, you’ll even feel dips in the marble floor where ppl lined up to buy tickets & caused wear.

Q – #3    So what special opening is happening on WED Nov 24th?

A: Every year we turn the “Depot Pavilion” into an indoor ice rink for a few months. Wed, Nov. 24th is opening day!

Here’s what skating looks like, you can see all the original truss work & smoke stacks. http://twitpic.com/398p7n

It’s a holiday tradition & we see many families come each yr. Skate rental is available from kids 10 to adult 14.

We even get an occasional proposal on the ice & we’re happy to play a special song & clear the ice upon request. :-)

Q – #4    Better to have a proposal on the ice instead of being on “the rocks” right? :) Any wedding ever done there?

A: We haven’t had an actual wdng on ice (great idea tho), BUT we’ve had wdng parties skate after the I do’s still dressed

Q – #5    What other kind of events to you have at @DepotMpls, and when it’s not frozen over, what is the Depot Pavillion used for?

A: We host a lot of gala’s, awards ceremonies, wdngs, team building events, etc… in both Great Hall & Pavilion (rink).

Even w/ ice we have a temp floor + carpet we can put down in hrs & convert rink to this: http://twitpic.com/398t9x

Because the ice is cooled from below, room temp can be warmed for other events & most have no idea they are on ice!

Q – #6    I missed asking this earlier, what are the hours that the skating rink is open and what are the fees?

A: The ice rink is open a variety of hrs, always check DepotRink.com to verify. Admission is $8 (adults), $7 rental.

For all of our twitter followers & those that read your blog, here’s a $2 off admission/person coupon! http://is.gd/hmbKd

And new this year, we’re adding special treats to those that check in on @foursquare & possibly others. So check in there too!

Q – #7    That’s a nice offer! What are the less crowded times of day to come, and are skating lessons available?

A: Mornings are the least crowded. We don’t offer lessons, but you can rent a “walker” which really helps beginners!

Interesting point: Depot Rink reuses all its ice (scraped during season) to cool the heating equipment in the Depot!

Q – #8    Any tips or suggestions on how to dress for an indoor skating rink?

A: We keep the rink at 55 degrees, so it’s fairly comfortable w/ a sweater & jeans & maybe light gloves.

@JoelECarlson – Great! Thanks for your history lesson about the @DepotMpls and have another great season with the ice rink!

@DepotMpls – THANK YOU for having us, there really is a lot of fun history around here. If you come, explore the whole complex.

@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone on this snowy & gray day in Minneapolis. Today’s Twitterview is with @mrobin032009 (Monika Melsha), let begin.

@mrobin032009 – Good morning! Happy to be here & not on the roads yet!

Q – #1    So @mbrobin032009, lets learn a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up and where did you go to school after HS?

A: I grew up right here in the Twin Cities – South Mpls. & went across the river to St.Thomas for my B.A. in Marketing Mgmt

Q – #2    What or who influenced you to get into the field of marketing, and what kind of marketing have you done?

A: I actually changed my major to Mktg at CST when I found myself more engaged in the coursework. Good instructors were a big influence.

I started out a Computer Science or Quantitative Methods Major of all things

David Brennen was one of my instructors who you still see being interviewed occasionally since he has continued to be involved in SBA

I’ve worked in both financial services & retail marketing as well as Operations on the vendor Side & the client sides

I also worked in the health & fitness industry in parallel for many years.

Q – #3    Ah. So in addition to this work, you also do some blogging. What is your focus and what topics do you post about?

A: My blog is http://nightlightjourneys.blogspot.com/ & my focus is marketing, incl. books as well as experiences that occur day to day

Work, Life Balance creeps in since I’m a wife & mother to a 3 yr old as well. I communicate things that I hope people will relate to

I also love taking photographs, so I wrap those into my posts too

If I had to choose a genre it would be a reflective blog.

Q – #4    Fun! Let me ask you, do you think blogging will fade due to social media’s growth, or does it add to it?

A: Absolutely not. People are using blogging as an ongoing way to open up conversations w/ specific groups of people &/or customers

Companies are shifting efforts & part of that is doing less push marketing. Listening is key to understanding your target markets

Blogging is a fun alternative to traditional research methods to gather feedback & keep conversations going around relevant topics.

On a personal level, people who blog see themselves as more of a personal brand & choose to define their identity through writing.

Q – #5    Good arguments! Lets shift to you & your FAVS: restaurant, store, winter activity and blog.

A: Favorite restaurant right now is CRAVE West End. I also love Gianni’s. Stores: Trader Joes Ann Taylor, Gap

Winter activity – Watching my munchkin play in the fresh snow or snowshoeing if I find the time.

& favorite blog: http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/

I follow so many wonderful blogs in my Google reader it’s hard to choose just one.

http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/ is another really interesting blog I’ve recently started reading

Q – #6    What social media platforms do you use, and what do you think of geo-location tools like @Foursquare & @Gowalla?

A: Besides Twitter, you’ll find me on LinkedIn & Facebook . I love youtube as well. I also recently started a blog on Tumblr

I don’t do foursquare yet – I’m trying to convince myself to try it, but am on the fence as you’ll see in my latest blog post.

I have downloaded the app onto my GalaxyS/Vibrant, but am not ready to let everyone know where/when I hang out. Privacy is an issue.

If I were a business owner, I’d be hoping that people like me changed their minds. There is a huge market for growth in geo tools

Q – #7    Good to have a plan. So to end, what’s 1 thought or mantra you’d like to leave with people today?

A: “Success is not forever & failure isn’t fatal” from Ken Blanchard’s “The Heart of a Leader “. You have to be open to fail to succeed.

@JoelECarlson – Good point! Thank you @mrobin032009 for your thought and comments today. Have a great morning and stay warm!

@mrobin032009 – It’s been fun – Looking forward to when you get @real_genevieve on board for a twitterview

Thanks for the opportunity!