Looking back to 2020, Discover Kalispell had a robust convention season filled with groups, meetings and conferences scheduled. And then the pandemic hit. While group travel ground to a halt last year, our office kept strategically working to rebook that business in Kalispell and through those efforts, 80% of those groups rebooked for 2021, with three of them rescheduling for September.
Through our efforts, we welcomed three groups to Kalispell in September – USS Saint Paul Association, Montana Ghost Town Preservation Society and Western Extension Leadership Development. From those three visits, we had 250 guests from 42 states who flew and drove to Kalispell and stayed in lodging accommodations for 617 room nights. From their visits, our community saw an economic impact of $129,994, with money being spent on hotels, transportation, car rentals, restaurants and watering holes, entertainment, entry fees at museums and parks, retail outlets and floral shops.
At Discover Kalispell, we know how important these conferences and meetings are for our local economy and our quieter shoulder seasons. To help bring group business to our mountain town, we provide a variety of complimentary services every step of the way, including RFP distribution, site visits, on-the-ground consultation, welcome kits, visitor information tables, promotional materials, itineraries, and event logistics.
And while we could tell you that it was through our efforts alone that Kalispell saw a large boost from these three groups, that simply isn’t the case. Kalispell – a place that ventures boldly, lives fully and isn’t afraid of lending a helping hand – stepped up in a huge way.
A few examples from our mountain town: the Elks Lodge (and their 23 volunteers) bought, cooked, and served a pulled pork dinner for 120-plus veterans and their families, local patrons at the Mercantile Steakhouse bought dinner for a group of 16 former Navy officers, and residents and business owners welcomed our guests in a way that only people who love, live, and breathe Montana can. Our 250 guests left Kalispell feeling honored, appreciated, and completely welcomed.
To our bold, beautiful, and vibrant mountain town, thank you for being you and for welcoming these groups to Kalispell.
Dawn Jackson, Group Sales Manager
Discover Kalispell