What GTS Educational Events does

GTS Educational Events is a 48-year-old nonprofit organization headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota that designs, convenes, and manages educational programs for government and civic sector clients. Founded in 1976 as a public joint powers association through the University of Minnesota's Center for Urban and Regional Studies, the organization transitioned to an independent nonprofit corporation in 2003 following state funding cuts. GTS operates a portfolio of branded annual events — most notably the Government IT Symposium (1,000+ IT leaders annually, 90+ exhibitors), the A+ Education Conference (~1,000 K-12 educators), and the Land Use Training & Education Program — alongside a Career Connection networking event and the Golden GOVIT Awards program.

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary: GTS runs on standard online registration systems and event management apps rather than a developed software platform. The core business model combines three revenue streams: professional services fees for full-service event planning and management provided to government agency and civic organization clients; managed services for customized online event registration; and sponsor/exhibitor transaction revenue from corporate partners such as Cisco (10+ year sponsor) and IBM Watson Health (Diamond sponsor). Pricing is granular and per-event, ranging from $50 for virtual workshops to $680 for late 3-day Government IT Symposium registration, with group discounts available.

Go-to-market is relationship-driven, leveraging four decades of accumulated trust with Minnesota state agencies, city/county associations, K-12 education districts, and civic nonprofits. The team is small (7+ named staff with 20-30 years of specialized experience each), and the operating geography is concentrated entirely in Minnesota with no expansion signals beyond the regional market.

Name

GTS Educational Events

Legal name

GTS Educational Events

Website

https://mngts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GTS Educational Events is a 48-year-old St. Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit that designs and manages educational conferences and workshops for government agencies, K-12 educators, and civic organizations across Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Event Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH), Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA)

Keywords

• Educational event management
• Government conference services
• Civic sector training
• Conference planning services
• Professional development events

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Planning and Management Services: Full-service event planning, design, management, and marketing for government and civic sector clients. Services include event and program design, event management, event marketing, sponsor and tradeshow marketing and management, and event administration and registration.
2. Event Registration Services: Customized online registration systems for events including participant support, payment processing, and custom reporting. Also offered as standalone fundraising event registration services.
3. Sponsor and Exhibitor Revenue: Revenue generated from selling sponsorships and exhibitor booths at hosted events including the Government IT Symposium and A+ Education Conference.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GTS Educational Events designs, convenes, and supports educational programs and conferences for government and civic sector clients. Its core deliverables include flagship hosted events (Government IT Symposium, A+ Education Conference, Land Use Training & Education Program) and full-service event planning, marketing, sponsor/tradeshow management, and registration services delivered to client organizations across Minnesota.

Product overview

GTS Educational Events is a nonprofit organization that operates as a platform of interconnected educational event services for the government and civic sectors. The core offerings include the Government IT Symposium (annual three-day IT conference), the A+ Education Conference (annual educator professional development conference), the Land Use Training & Education Program (workshop series on land use topics), and Career Connection (IT networking event). Supporting these primary programs are modular services including Event Marketing, Sponsor and Tradeshow Management, Event Administration and Registration, and the newly launched Fundraising Event Registration Services. The company also manages the Golden GOVIT Awards program. All services are designed to engage, inspire and inform public and civic sector professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Government IT Symposium: The Midwest's premier IT event bringing together over 1,000 IT leaders and professionals from government agencies along with private and civic sector partners for engagement, inspiration and information sharing.
• A+ Education Conference
• Land Use Training and Education Program
• Fundraising Event Registration Services
• Golden GOVIT Awards

Products and services

• Educational Event Services Full-service event planning and management for government and civic sector clients, covering event and program design, event management, event marketing, sponsor and tradeshow marketing and management, and event administration and registration.
• Government IT Symposium Annual three-day IT conference bringing together over 1,000 IT leaders and professionals from government agencies along with private and civic sector partners for education, networking, and the Golden GOVIT Awards.
• A+ Education Conference Annual one-day conference for Minnesota K-12 educators focused on transforming learning and supporting professional development in student assessment and educational practice, with CEU opportunities.
• Land Use Training & Education Program Series of workshops covering land use topics including planning, zoning, public participation, risk management, and economic development for public officials and stakeholders in the civic sector.
• Career Connection Networking event connecting IT professionals with government agencies seeking IT staff, providing learning and networking opportunities.
• Fundraising Event Registration Services Standalone customized online registration system with personal participant support, payment processing, and custom reporting tailored for fundraising events.
• Event and Program Design and Planning Event planning services including needs assessment, project planning, venue selection, speaker identification, and evaluation process development for client organizations.
• Event Marketing Marketing services including email campaigns, list generation, promotional materials, social media promotions, media relations, and conference website management.
• Sponsor and Tradeshow Marketing and Management Sponsorship program development, exhibitor registration, sponsor deliverables implementation, exhibitor floor layout design, and onsite management services.
• Event Administration and Registration Online registration system, speaker logistics management, name badges and materials preparation, and post-event reporting and financial reconciliation services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 exhibitors in 2015 (up 14% year-over-year) with expectation to exceed 100; Cisco has been a sponsor for over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Minnesota Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic client partner for whom GTS manages educational events and programs, including Learning Days conferences. Recognized by the Minnesota Department of Health for being 'calm, organized and professional' in helping prepare for statewide conferences.
• Minnesota City/County Management AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner spanning decades. GTS has received recognition for 25 years of outstanding service. GTS manages events and conferences for this organization.
• Minnesota Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for the A+ Education Conference, which grew from the Minnesota Department of Education's Minnesota Assessment Conference. GTS also manages programs for the department's educator professional development.
• Minnesota Association of City AttorneyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term client partner for whom GTS provides educational event services. This is a decades-long relationship.
• CiscocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHas been a sponsor of the Government IT Symposium for over 10 years. Found it to be the most effective event in Minnesota for reaching public sector customers. Cisco account manager Bill Bleckwehl serves on the Symposium Steering Committee.
• IBM Watson HealthkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor of the Government IT Symposium, representing a significant sponsorship relationship.
• Davenport GroupkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the Government IT Symposium.
• DexonkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the Government IT Symposium.
• TierneykeyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the Government IT Symposium.
• PearsonkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold/Platinum sponsor of the A+ Education Conference, including sponsored sessions like WriteToLearn.
• Edmentum Inc.keyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the A+ Education Conference.
• RenaissancekeyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the A+ Education Conference with a sponsored session on assessment-driven instruction.
• Bush FoundationkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the A+ Education Conference.
• WSB (WSB University)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor of the Land Use Training & Education Program. WSB presenters (Breanne Rothstein, Eric Zweber, Erin Perdu) serve as instructors for public participation and planning commissioner workshops.
• Campbell KnutsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the Land Use Training & Education Program.
• StantecminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the Land Use Training & Education Program.
• MicrosoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the A+ Education Conference. Microsoft Dyslexia & LD Community Specialist Rachel Berger presented at the conference.
• Tierney BrothersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the A+ Education Conference and venue provider (Tierney Brothers provided space for Basics of Planning and Zoning session).
• SourcewellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the A+ Education Conference.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Freeman: Freeman is a leading event production and management company offering event design, AV, registration, and on-site services for large conventions and corporate events — comparable to GTS's venue-AV-logistics execution layer.
• SmithBucklin: SmithBucklin is a leading association management and event services firm that provides full-service event planning, conference management, and meeting services for trade and professional associations — directly comparable to GTS's end-to-end government/civic event management offering.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: GPJ is a large experiential and conference management agency producing corporate meetings, conferences, and tradeshows end-to-end. Comparable to GTS in delivering event design, marketing, sponsorship, and on-site execution for B2B and government audiences.
• MCI Group: MCI Group is a global events and association management company delivering conference, convention, and meeting services. Comparable to GTS in providing turnkey event planning, registration, sponsorship sales, and on-site management for member-based organizations.
• Hargrove: Hargrove is a full-service event production company delivering conventions, trade shows, and corporate meetings with in-house AV, registration, and on-site services — directly comparable to GTS's conference operations capability.
• Governing Institute (e.Republic): Governing Institute runs leadership events and programs for state and local government executives — directly comparable to GTS's recurring Land Use Training Program and Government IT Symposium targeting Minnesota public-sector officials.
• Government Technology (e.Republic): e.Republic's Government Technology runs large state and national government IT events and media — directly comparable to GTS's Government IT Symposium serving public-sector IT leaders and technology buyers (Cisco, IBM Watson Health).
• Emerald (Informa): Emerald operates a large portfolio of B2B trade shows, conferences, and expositions with integrated registration, sponsorship, and marketing services — directly comparable to GTS's flagship conference model and exhibitor/sponsor monetization.

Others

• ASAE (American Society of Association Executives): ASAE is the membership organization for associations and the professionals who run them, representing the buyer segment for association event management services. Indirectly comparable as the broader ecosystem in which GTS operates its nonprofit client work.

Emerging players

• Cvent: Cvent is a leading event management software platform offering registration, attendee engagement, and event marketing technology — adjacent comparable to GTS's Fundraising Event Registration Services and online registration offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GTS Educational Events