Friday Flash 10/18/19

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Reminders/Updates for Our Tourism Partners

Save the Dates...

  • Monthly Tourism Partner Call—For assistance or information regarding this bi-monthly call, please email Kev Campbell or call her at 406.841.2887.
    • November 27, 2019
    • January 22, 2020
    • March 25, 2020
    • May 27, 2020
  • October 1, 2019—Region/CVB 1st Quarter FY20 financial reports due
  • January 1, 2020—Region/CVB Marketing Method Evaluation Reports are due
  • January 20, 2020—Region/CVB 2nd Quarter FY20 financial reports due
  • February 10, 2020—TAC Meeting (Delta Hotel-Helena)
  • February 11, 2020—Research Summit (Delta Hotel-Helena)
  • March 13-14, 2020—Made in Montana Tradeshow for Food & Gifts
  • April 20, 2020—Region/CVB 3rd Quarter FY20 financial reports are due
  • June 8-9, 2020—TAC Meeting (Helena)
  • July 20, 2020—Region/CVB 4th Quarter FY20 financial reports are due

MOTBD

Agritourism

The Oregon Agritourism Handbook was created for a wide range of people with a common interest in the intersection of agriculture and tourism. 

Montana also has an Agritourism Handbook! To request a printed copy, reach out to Susan Joy.

Made in Montana

Made in Montana Tradeshow

Exhibitor registration for the 2020 Made in Montana Tradeshow opened Tuesday, October 15. Current Made in Montana Members may apply and booths will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Information for the Made in Montana Tradeshow can be found here

Taste our Place

October 21-October 25, Taste our Place will travel to Missoula and throughout Glacier Country. Follow our Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Montana Film Office

Mickey and the Bear

Camila Morrone is poised for stardom at the center of EW’s exclusive trailer for Annabelle Attanasio’s SXSW breakout drama Mickey and the Bear. Watch the full trailer now. 

Marketing

TAC Presentation Slides

See October TAC presentation decks on Webdam: https://visitmt.webdamdb.com/cloud/#folder/6795488

First-Touch, Retargeting Banner Ads

As part of the FY20 winter media plan, the national digital campaign launched with strategic messages targeted to the winter enthusiast, winter enthusiast family and avid skier audiences. All banners are animated. URLs for banner ads:

First Touch/Standard (WE + FAM) | Things to Do | https://www.visitmt.com/things-to-do/winter-activities.html

Retargeting Phase 1 | Trip Ideas | https://www.visitmt.com/places-to-go/trip-ideas.html

Retargeting Phase 2 | Plan Your Trip | https://www.visitmt.com/plan-your-trip.html


Outdoor Recreation

Montana Relies on Outdoor Recreation, New Report Says

Montana's economy is propped up on local and tourist outdoor recreational activities, according to a recent report from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis that shows the industry accounted for 5.1% of the state's gross domestic product in 2017.

Montana came in second behind Hawaii, where 5.4% of the state's GDP in 2017 came from outdoor recreation activities. Third is Maine at 4.8%, followed closely by Vermont at 4.5%. Read more here

Daines Seeks Increased Visitation at Smaller Montana National Parks

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) this week urged the bosses at two national parks in Montana to help improve visitation at some of the state’s smaller parks. “As we continue to see record-breaking visitation numbers, encouraging visitation to smaller parks in Montana is imperative to both reduce stress on larger parks and promote healthy gateway economies in other regions,” Sen. Daines wrote in an Oct. 9 letter sent to Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cameron Sholly and Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow. 

Tourism is one of Montana’s leading economic drivers, which is why I am committed to increasing visitation to all of Montana’s national parks, battlefields, historic sites and more,” added the senator. Read more here


Best Marketing Practices

Put your money where their ears are!

The Gardiner CVB combined the marketing methods of radio advertising with an event in the late spring, early summer of FY19. With a small investment of just $500, they were able to reach an audience of 50,000 during the one-week (twice per day) run of an ad campaign that promoted the local rodeo and brewfest. The ads ran on the Yellowstone Public Radio which has 30 translators in Montana and Wyoming. The 36-word ad invited visitors to the local events and directed them to the visitgardinermt.com site. Neala Siegle, Executive Director of the Gardiner CVB, reported positive website traffic and that the events were well attended. In addition, the ad served as both informational and promotional to Gardiner residents, who reported hearing the ad.   


Montana in the News
Tourism Partner Shout-Outs, Recognition and News


Belgrade
Belgrade’s Kostas Heads to Nashville for Induction into Songwriters Hall of Fame
Kostas Lazarides has at least 50 guitars scattered around the historic three-story building he owns in downtown Belgrade. It’s not surprising the prolific songwriter has an abundance of instruments, but it’s a bit abnormal that he lives a quiet life in a sleepy town.

Lazarides, known professionally as Kostas, has written chart-topping songs for several artists, including Patty Loveless, Travis Tritt and George Strait. On Monday, the 70-year-old joined the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Chuck Berry when he’s inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’ll stand alongside other inductees Dwight Yoakam, Larry Gatlin, Rivers Rutherford, Marcus Hummon and Sharon Vaughn for a formal ceremony in Nashville’s Music City Hall. Read more here

Butte—Organizers Raise Money to Bring More Flights to Butte
Organizers for the Fly Butte initiative are continuing to raise money for more flights in and out of Butte’s airport. “A flight to Denver is the next step. So we’re in the process of raising funds for a minimum revenue guarantee to secure a new flight,” said Joe Willauer, executive director of the Butte Local Development Corporation. 

Organizers are trying to secure $385,000 through the campaign. So far, they’ve raised over $100,000. The Tourism and Business Improvement District is also committed to making a $200,000 matching investment. Read more here

Gardiner Yellowstone Bridge Project

The Montana Department of Transportation's (MDT) Gardiner Yellowstone Bridge Project is now underway. The bridge is located in Gardiner on U.S. Highway 89 spanning the Yellowstone River that runs through the middle of town. Phase 1 will entail rehabilitation of one lane of the bridge and its approaches starting in early September 2019, continuing through mid-November 2019. There will be alternating single-lane traffic with temporary signals on the north and south ends of the bridge. Text "YRB" to 555-888 for updates.

New Flights Announced

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport introduces new flights to Seattle. See more. 

Winter Weather in Glacier Country

The unusually early, and severe turn to winter weather means Glacier National Park likely won't break its visitation record. However, September visits made up some of the difference. Nearly 500,000 people went through the gates last month, a jump of 21% over last year. See more.

 


Funding Resources

Montana Main Street Program FY20 Application Cycle Opens November 15

The Department of Commerce Community Development Division will begin accepting Montana Main Street Program grant applications for the FY20 application cycle on
November 15, 2019.

The Montana Main Street Program awards grant funding to member communities on a competitive basis and as funding allows. Applications are evaluated by the Department of Commerce in the order that they are received and grants will be awarded on a continual basis until all funds are allocated. Funding can be used to address long range community planning and revitalization needs as well as more specific prioritized projects. Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate the implementation of larger community vision and goals or as they relate to previous or concurrent larger planning efforts (such as a downtown revitalization plan, growth policy, historic preservation plan, etc.). For more information or to apply, click here.

If you have questions regarding the application process or guidelines, please contact our office to work with a Montana Main Street team member at 406.841.2770 or by email at DOCCDD@mt.gov

Big Sky Trust Fund (BSTF) Economic Development Grants

The next BSTF Job Creation and Planning Grant deadline is December 18, 2019.
Planning funds are awarded to eligible applicants to assist with economic development planning efforts that promote long-term, stable economic growth in Montana. Applications which support a critical activity to move an economic development project forward and directly assist a basic sector company are the highest priority for the Department. For more information, click MARKETMT.COM/BSTF


Other News

Explore Montana Housing’s New Website  Now is a great time to explore the new website and update any links to HOUSING.MT.GOV your organization may be sharing through your own websites, social media channels or newsletters.


Other Dates/Events to Note

October 23-25, 2019 - Montana Downtown & Main Street Conference 

Designed for cities and towns large and small, this conference is a great professional development opportunity for civic leaders, elected officials, business and property owners, non-profit directors, tourism advocates, municipal staff and preservationists. The multi-day conference will offer presentations, panel discussions, and tours centered on the topics of community planning, economics, tourism, arts & culture, development, public/private partnerships, funding, redevelopment, and historical preservation and interpretation. Presenters include professional planners, historians, state agencies, and more.

Registration for the Montana Downtown & Main Street Conference is open online at https://www.missouladowntown.com/events/montana-downtown-main-street-conference/. Additional questions can be directed to the Downtown Missoula Partnership via email (info@missouladowntown.com) or phone (406-543-4238).

April 26-29, 2020—International Roundup (Casper, WY)—Early bird discount for registration opened October 1, 2019. The 2020 International Roundup tradeshow event will host over 80 regional organizations from Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Idaho. Each organization has the chance to meet with nearly 50 international domestic buyers from more than 10 countries to conduct business negotiations that would otherwise be generated only through an exhaustive number of around-the-world trips. Registration fills up quickly, so don't miss this opportunity to get your business in front of an international audience! To receive notification, contact info@internationalroundup.com. To learn more about the International Travel Trade Program at MOTBD contact Marlee Iverson or Kim Birrell

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