(a) The director shall:

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(1) publish, disseminate, and distribute informational and promotional materials;

(2) promote and encourage the coordination of Minnesota travel, tourism, overall livability, and workforce and economic opportunity promotion efforts with other state agencies and develop multiagency marketing strategies when appropriate;

(3) promote and encourage the expansion and development of international tourism, trade, and Minnesota livability marketing;

(4) advertise and disseminate information about Minnesota travel, tourism, and workforce and economic development opportunities;

(5) aid various local communities to improve their travel, tourism, and overall livability marketing programs;

(6) coordinate and implement comprehensive state travel, tourism, workforce and economic development, and overall livability marketing programs that take into consideration public and private businesses and attractions;

(7) contract, in accordance with section 16C.08, for professional services if the work or services cannot be satisfactorily performed by employees of the agency or by any other state agency;

(8) provide local, regional, and statewide organizations with information, technical assistance, training, and advice on using state tourism and livability information and programs; and

(9) generally gather, compile, and make available statistical information relating to Minnesota travel, tourism, workforce and economic development, overall livability, and related areas in this state. The director has the authority to call upon other state agencies for statistical data and results obtained by them and to arrange and compile that statistical information.

(b) The director may:

(1) apply for, receive, and spend money for travel, tourism, workforce and economic development, and overall livability development and marketing from other agencies, organizations, and businesses;

(2) apply for, accept, and disburse grants and other aids for tourism development and marketing from the federal government and other sources;

(3) enter into joint powers or cooperative agreements with agencies of the federal government, local governmental units, regional development commissions, other state agencies, the University of Minnesota and other educational institutions, other states, Canadian provinces, and local, statewide, and regional organizations as necessary to perform the director’s duties;

(4) enter into interagency agreements and agree to share net revenues with the contributing agencies;

(5) make grants;

(6) conduct market research and analysis to improve marketing techniques in the area of travel, tourism, workforce and economic development, and overall livability;

(7) monitor and study trends in the related industries and provide resources and training to address change;

(8) annually convene conferences of Minnesota providers for the purposes of exchanging information on tourism development, coordinating marketing activities, and formulating tourism, overall livability, and workforce and economic opportunity promotion development strategies; and

(9) enter into promotion contracts or other agreements with private persons and public entities, including agreements to establish and maintain offices and other types of representation in foreign countries to promote international travel and to implement this chapter.

(c) Contracts for goods and nonprofessional technical services made under paragraph (b), clauses (3) and (9), are not subject to the provisions of sections 16C.03, subdivision 3, and 16C.06 concerning competitive bidding and section 16C.055 concerning barter arrangements. Contracts may be negotiated and are not subject to the provisions of chapter 16C relating to competitive bidding.