Easy Ways to Add a Montana Theme to Your Meeting

You’re planning a meeting in Montana. And chances are, the location is one of the primary reasons you selected Montana for your meeting destination. Your primary goal: to have a well-attended, educational, productive event. Your secondary goal: to make it a fantastic meeting that attendees will remember. One way to make your meeting stand out is to complement it with a Montana theme. Here in Montana, the theme possibilities are as vast as our big blue sky. To help narrow down your options, we’ve rounded up a few suggestions to help make your Montana meeting perfect.

Finding the Venue
Western Montana’s Glacier Country has a variety of meeting venues (you can read more about some of our off-site venues here), from mountainside lodges to flagship hotels and riverside retreats. However, there are some venues that practically shout Montana. For mountain-themed lodging and venue options, we recommend Grouse Mountain Lodge, The Resort at Paws Up, The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, Hilton Garden Inn (with locations in both Kalispell and Missoula), Glacier Park Lodge, Flathead Lake Lodge and Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort.

Keep in mind that nearly any venue in Glacier Country can work with you to add Montana touches to your meeting.

Capturing the Montana Look + Feel
While some venues are designed with Montana’s mountains and wildlife in mind, there are many ways to add a Montana look and feel to your meeting. Oftentimes when planning an event, the region’s landscape provides perfect inspiration. Topping our list: meadows of wildflowers, fields of wheat and barley, the teal-colored waters of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, wide-open spaces, wildlife, backcountry roads and brilliant colors.

Easy touches include mason jars with burlap ribbons, sunflower centerpieces, wildflower bouquets, hay bales, bandannas (great for decorating and can be used as a welcome piece at your kick-off reception) and lanterns. And if you’re doing an outdoor event (like a hayride), be sure to have cozy western style blankets available for attendees.

Tasting Montana
Food and drinks can make or break an event. And since you’re already holding your meeting in Montana, we’re pleased to tell you that our culinary scene (you can read more about it here) is one of the best in the West. From locally raised bison, beef and yak to a thriving farm-to-table scene, many of our chefs, venues and hoteliers put an emphasis on Montana grown cuisine.

Topping our list of Montana-inspired food: braised bison short ribs, elk meatballs, lamb lollipops, bison steaks, juicy burgers and fresh huckleberry pie. Many guest ranches and off-site venues also offer chuckwagon dinners as a way to taste Montana.

Another way to welcome your meeting attendees is with a bottle (or two) of local beer. If your meeting is in Missoula, we recommend Cold Smoke Scotch Ale from Kettlehouse Brewing Company. And if you’re hosting your event in Kalispell or Whitefish, try Going to the Sun IPA from Great Northern Brewing Company. To create a Montana welcome basket, we suggest local products like chocolates from The Sweet Palace, honey from Glacier County Honey Co. and tea from Butterfly Herbs.

Creating the Montana Atmosphere 
This region of Montana is home to incredible singers, songwriters and performers, with talent that includes full bands to American Indian drummers and dancers and cowboy poets to solo acts who can provide the perfect background ambiance for your event.

For kick-up-your-heels fun, we recommend Tom Catmull’s Radio Static and The Lil’ Smokies. To incorporate Montana’s rich cultural history into your meeting, book a performance from Blackfeet singer-songwriter (and Montana’s Troubadour) Jack Gladstone. And for Montana-inspired songs and incredible guitar playing, we recommend John Floridis.

Montana Team Building
If your meeting includes team building sessions, there are plenty of ways to incorporate a Montana theme into those activities. Try Walk in the Treetops at Whitefish Mountain Resort and have attendees work with a partner as they navigate the boardwalk above the forest floor or set out on a whitewater rafting adventures on the Clark Fork River with Montana River Guides. Additional suggestions include a pedal pub tour in Missoula with Thirst Gear (everyone has to peddle to move the bike), the ropes course at The Ranch at Rock Creek or team roping at one of our guest ranches.

For more information about meetings in Montana or for additional suggestions on ways to add a Montana theme to your meeting, drop us a line here. Also, feel free to check out our meeting planner video as it incorporates many Montana themes into various venues.

xo,
TT

Tia Troy
About the author: Tia is the Public Relations + Communication Manager for Glacier Country Tourism. She loves planning a good party or event, especially when Montana is involved. Your can read more of her blog posts at glaciermt.com/blog or follow her on twitter at @MontanaTia.

December 1, 2015

Related: Kalispell, Meeting Planner, Meetings & Conventions, Missoula, Whitefish