Your SEO optimized title

Our First Year in Destination Management: Turning Challenges into Successes and What’s Next

Not only does this time of year bring the inevitable thoughts of personal resolutions (ahem, go to the gym), but it is also a perfect time for an MNW Destinations Year in Review.  MNW Designations (a sister company to Meetings Northwest, Inc.) launched at the end of January 2018 as a solution to groups coming to Montana and needing on-site help from Montana experts.  We focused our efforts on the regions we know best: Bozeman/Yellowstone, Missoula, and Flathead Valley/Glacier.  Destination Management is not a new concept in the travel

Meeting Shift: You can have a high quality meeting in rural America.

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) could not have timed their November 2018 article highlighting meetings in Montana any better.  At least for my blogging purposes.  Titled, Open Your Mind, author Maria Lenhart quotes Samantha Lange, National Sales Manager for the Resort at Paws Up, “For many people, Montana is a place they have wondered about and always wanted to go to.  It’s a great place to open your mind, disconnect and get back to what’s really important.”  We, at MNW Destinations, couldn’t agree more. The article ran in MPI’s monthly

Define Home

It wouldn’t take long for any of our clients to tell you that we are very proud of our roots in Montana. Five of the seven MNW Destinations staff were born and raised in Montana and the other two have lived here for more than a decade. Montana is home. Homecoming, homeschool, homebody, homeowner, homemaker, homegrown, homeroom, homepage, homeboy (or homegirl) are all words used to describe an event, person, or location that is centered and grounded. Home is such a cozy

The benefits of sourcing locally

One of my favorite things is to find the best local items and share them with others. Finding a really great restaurant to take guests to, an amazing artist that showcases the local culture, or unique gifts that you won’t find anywhere else is an exciting challenge. In May, we facilitated a conference in Bozeman and we needed thank you gifts for the sponsors and speakers. I used to live in Bozeman and was excited to see what was still around that would work for these gifts.

Meetings as an experience

What was your favorite meeting or conference that you have attended? Why was it your favorite? Did you have an “ah-ha” moment? Make a lifetime memory? Build an incredible relationship? How did these things happen? Everyone is getting busier. Time is a highly sought after commodity. Attention spans are getting shorter. Attendees are going online instead of going in person. To stay in the game, meeting planners are finding new ways to make meetings not just about information or education, but about the experience you have while you are

2018-10-10T20:35:02+00:00September 11th, 2018|Categories: Montana Destinations, Team Building|Tags: , |

Why We Should all Go to our Local Fairs

Come see us Western Montana Fair! August 7th-12th at the Western Montana Fair Grounds….gate admission is FREE! Get schedule here It is that time of year again when Autumn (the gal who holds our office and a lot of our client associations together) disappears for a week to play with sheep and cows while her children work their tails off at the Western Montana Fair.  I can hear her sharp witted “ha” response to that line and she isn’t even here with me today. Okay,

Team Building, a worthwhile investment?

We think so. Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO of O2E Brands which is ranked as one of the country’s best places to work, said of team building in this article for Forbes, “It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. Effective team building means more engaged employees, which is good for company culture and boosting the bottom line.”  For these exact reasons, it is important to include team building on the agenda when planning a conference, board meeting, or retreat. Groups coming to Montana have an exciting opportunity to

Bitterroot Valley, not just a pretty place…

The Bitterroot Valley is comprised of several small towns nestled between the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains Ranges and tucked alongside the famous Bitterroot River.  The Bitterroot offers some of the most diverse adventure opportunities.  Whether it is delving into history, antiquing, tasting the local breweries, local shopping, fishing, bird watching, hiking, rock climbing, awe-inspiring landscapes and views, or enjoying one of the small towns’ community events, the Bitterroot Valley has an adventure waiting for you. Born and raised in Montana, I have spent most of my life just north

2018-07-12T21:38:19+00:00July 17th, 2018|Categories: Uncategorized|

Find your best staycation!

The summer is upon us! For most of us, this means juggling our own work, volunteer, and education schedules with family vacation getaways. This summer, the idea of a “staycation” has been very appealing after a busy spring. Then the kids start: “I’m boooooorrreeeeddd!” Whose idea was the staycation anyway? Let’s take a look at all the activities your local community has to offer to keep everyone engaged, or relaxed, this summer. Parks and Recreation – Take a look at the local parks and recreation

Montana Ranch Living Still Surprises Me

I was in the middle of writing a very different blog when today happened and I had to save that one for another time so I could tell you about our amazing adventure today! We live on a ranch outside of Philipsburg, Montana – a relatively rural area even for Montana. The scenery around our house is beautiful and we are very lucky to see all kinds of wildlife each day.  Last night, my husband came in at dusk to get his shotgun. He had

Go to Top