Smart Meetings

True American-history lovers need look no further than this rugged state. In 1805–1806 explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a wayward band through what is now Montana in search of the Northwest Passage. Now, 200 years after the Lewis and Clark expedition, much of the state remains wild and untamed—its landscape depicted in films such as A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer that highlight the state’s overpowering beauty. And to this day, Montana’s love affair with its past is firmly ingrained in the state’s culture, manifested by its wide array of museums, historic landmarks and reenactments.
However, Montana’s historical significance extends far beyond recorded time. Millions of years ago, Montana served as a breeding ground for dinosaurs. While scientists estimate that most died out between 60 and 80 million years ago, their remains can be viewed in no less than 15 dinosaur museums across the state. The trail of museums starts just west of the Rockies and extends across the Great Plains.
Ask why people come to Montana and you
will likely receive a simple answer: to experience this raw nature at its best. For your group, that could mean zipping down the ski slopes at mind-numbing speeds, traversing Rocky Mountain canyons, tackling roaring white water rapids or exploring one of the state’s two national parks, Yellowstone and Glacier.
And that’s only a sliver of the adventure. Imagine taking your group on an expedition to an ongoing dinosaur excavation site. Or attending an awe-inspiring powwow on one of the state’s seven Native American reservations. Or savoring fresh beef on a real chuck-wagon dinner tour.
But even as the state celebrates its proud history and natural environment, it is constantly looking toward the future. Currently the ideal meeting size for most Montana communities is small to medium. However, many are expanding their meetings facilities in anticipation of changing populations and an increased desire nationwide for unique, yet affordable meeting experiences. And, while some Montana cities have a separate resort tax, the state, as a whole, has no sales tax.
So gear up as we take you on the Lewis and Clark journey in reverse, from west to east, following the population centers that make a graceful “L” shape down the western third of the state and gently sweep across the southern border.

Flathead Valley t
Surrounded by pine forests and the jagged peaks of the northern Rockies, few areas can compare to the unparalleled beauty of Flathead Valley.
Of the valley’s communities, Kalispell (kalispellchamber.com) is the largest with a population of about 14,000. But don’t let numbers fool you—what the valley lacks in quantity, it makes up for with an abundance of quality. As the hub of Flathead Valley, Kalispell has several meeting hotels, as well as championship golf, museums, galleries, shopping and restaurants (see our lodging chart on page 78).
But with more than a million acres of untouched wilderness at your doorstep, the real fun begins once the meeting is over. Tucked in the northwest corner of the state on the Can-adian border is the valley’s largest draw: Glacier National Park (nps.-gov/glac). “Whether it’s driving, or going on a short hike, or taking a boat tour, just to experience the national park is awe inspiring,” says Dori Muelhoff, executive director of the Flathead Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (fcvb.org).
Finding adventure will not be a problem here, with more than 700 miles of foot and horse trails. For groups, narrated scenic tours on historic 1930s red buses are a popular alternative to driving, especially on the scenic 52-mile Going-To-The-Sun Road.
At the north end of the valley, near Whitefish Lake, is the historic town of  Whitefish (whitefishchamber.com). Once an old railroad town, Whitefish is now lined with bookstores, bistros and art galleries, as well as a wide array of hotels and resorts, many of which are right on the lake.
Farther south you’ll find the glacial Flathead Lake. At 28 miles long and 15 miles wide, it’s the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.
For some of the best downhill skiing around, take your group to Big Mountain Ski Resort (bigmtn.com), with 11 ski lifts serving more
than 3,000 acres of land. In the summer, ride
a gondola or open-chair to the summit and
enjoy the view.

Great Falls  t
“When most people think ‘Great Falls,’ they think waterfalls,” says Gayle Fisher, executive director of Russell Country (russell.visitmt.com), and there are plenty of them. With four visible sets of falls around the city—Black Eagle, Rainbow, Crooked and, of course, Great Falls—water is a constant presence. Also cutting through town is the nonmotorized, mixed-use River’s Edge Trail, stretching 13 miles along the Missouri River—on both sides in some parts.
In addition to its abundance of water, is an abundance of history. “Lewis and Clark spent a lot of time here,” says Fisher. (The expedition team was forced to stay for nearly a month navigating around the waterfalls in June 1805.)
Centrally located in downtown Great Falls, the city’s largest exhibition space is the 15,300-square-foot Mansfield Convention Center/Civic Center (ci.great-falls.mt.us), complete with six meeting rooms, three foyer areas and a kitchen. The convention center is part of a larger complex that also includes a performing arts center.
After the meeting, complete a mini compass course, or learn how to build an authentic Plains Indians hide lodge at The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center (fs.fed.us/r1/lewisclark). The center offers exhibits and living history demonstrations that explore what life was like on the expedition—from beading and cooking to flint-napping, knife-making and wilderness survival.
Or, for a larger step back in time, take your group to the Old Trail Museum (406-466-5332) in Choteau, about an hour west of Great Falls, for an up-close look at perfectly preserved fossils, educational dioramas and life-size dinosaur models.
Also fascinating is the Charles M. Russell Museum Complex (cmrussell.org), which
features the nation’s largest collection of the renowned artist’s sculpture, and oil and water-color paintings.

Missoula t
Like much of Montana, the “Garden City” is known for its lush, wooded landscape and abundant outdoor recreation. With three rivers running through the area—the Bitterroot, the Blackfoot and the Clark Fork of the Columbia River—the city is a base for fly-fishing, rafting, kayaking and canoeing.
As home of the University of Montana (umt.edu), Missoula is also renowned as a center for education, arts and culture, offering numerous one-of-a-kind museums and visitor centers. Set on 32 acres at the core of the old Fort Missoula, The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula (fortmissoulamuseum.org) chronicles the past 250 years of Missoula County’s history. The Missoula Art Museum (missoulaartmuseum.org) is distinguished by its remarkable contemporary American Indian art collection and a diverse array of film screenings, artist lectures and
social receptions.
For an up-close look at wildlife without actually roughing it, tour the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Wildlife Visitor Center (elkfoundation.org), featuring a world-record elk display, full mounts of grizzly bear, mountain lion, lynx, wolf, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, bison and cow elk, as well as a theater and
art gallery. Or stop in at the Smokejumper Visitor Center (406-329-4934), featuring exhibits on wildland fire ecology and firefighting gear, as well as historical photos and a reconstructed lookout tower.

Helena  t
Surrounded by mountains, Montana’s state capital has myriad outdoor activities at its doorstep. But even the Northern Rockies that cradle Helena are dwarfed by the massive Mount Helena, rising 6,000 feet above the valley.
“It’s one of the first things that you notice,” says Mike Mergenthaler, head of the Helena Convention and Visitors Bureau (helenacvb.visitmt.com). “It’s a beautiful landmark for Helena.”
The original settlers, however, migrated to the area for reasons other than its scenic beauty. Desperate get-rich-quickers first came to Helena in 1864 in search of gold during the rush at Last Chance Gulch. While the shiny metal has since become somewhat scarce, Helena still retains a wealth of treasures.
Ghost chasers will want to check out nearby Elkhorn Ghost Town and Cemetery, a once-vibrant mill town that thrived during the silver boom of the 1880s. And for nature lovers, the Continental Divide Trail offers stunning vistas along with moose, elk, black bears, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. You will likely also
see wildlife at the Elkhorn Wildlife Manage-ment Area (fs.fed.us), renowned for its indigenous big game.
A trip to Montana isn’t complete without an authentic chuck wagon dinner. For a meeting not easily forgotten, Last Chance Ranch Wagonride Dinners (lastchanceranch.biz) provides an all-you-can-eat prime rib dinner and huckleberry cheesecake for about 50 people, along with singing, cowboy poetry and a musical Lewis and Clark tribute.
For a truly inspiring look at Montana’s scenic beauty, take your group on a boat tour up the Missouri River through the Gates of the Mountains (gatesofthemountains.com), follow-ing the path of Lewis and Clark. Meriwether Lewis originally named the area, because its canyons seemed to open up like gates.
While you’re in town, see the recently restored Greek Renaissance State Capitol Building
(montanacapitol.com), topped by a massive copper dome. For a quick overview of the city, hop on a tour train, taking you past historic Last Chance Gulch (now a pedestrian mall) and the Original Governor’s Mansion. Or stop into the Montana Historical Society Museum (montanahistoricalsociety.org), cataloging the rich
history of the state.

Butte t
Like many Montana communities, Butte came into existence because of the promise of easy gold. But by 1870, gold mining had began to dwindle. Silver mining kept the area alive until the end of the decade, when miners struck the richest deposit of copper ever found. The discovery instantly turned many of the town’s rough-and-tumble miners into wealthy copper barons, and put Butte permanently on the map.
From its cowboy and mining heritage, Butte now celebrates its rags-to-riches past in numerous historic buildings and museums. Notable among them is the Copper King Mansion (thecopperkingmansion.com), an opulent 34-room Victorian building featuring much of the original architecture, woodwork and furnishings from the mid-19th century.
For a historic overview of Butte from late May through mid-September, take your group on an Old No. 1 Trolley Tour (406-723-3177) exploring where the famous folk, miners and scoundrels lived and worked.
South of Butte, you’ll find Big Hole National Battlefield (nps.gov/biho). Take a walk to where the cavalry fired on Chief Joseph’s band. Or, if you’d rather, take a two-mile guided tour in Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park (fwp.mt.gov), Montana’s first and best-known state park, where you will see stalactites, columns and other geo-logic formations.
Finally, your group can experience true relaxation in the soothing natural waters at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort (fairmonthotsprings.com), featuring Montana’s largest natural hot springs
and 8,558 sq. ft. of meeting space.
    
Bozeman t
Located in the heart of the Rockies, Bozeman naturally supports abundant outdoor recreational opportunities—everything from skiing and snow-mobiling in the winter, to fishing, hiking, kayaking and mountain biking in the spring and summer months. One of the biggest draws is that the city is only 90 miles from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park (nps.-gov/yell). Several local touring companies also offer half, full and multiday trips to Yellowstone year-round.
“You’ll see there’s so much more to the park,” says David Smith, president and CEO of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce (bozemanchamber.com). “You’ll be driving along and a herd of buffalo will run up along next to you.”
And as home of Montana State University, Bozeman is also proud of its vibrant downtown, alive with hip music venues, world-class restaurants and thriving art galleries.
“We can also offer some spectactular winter destinations for skiing,’’ says Marlee Iverson, group travel manager for Travel Montana (visitmt.com). “We are known for no lift lines, so you’re going to get more skiing in.’’
If you plan to take your group down the mountain, Big Sky Ski Resort (bigsky-resort.com)—Montana’s premier skiing destination—and Moonlight Basin (moonlight-basin.com) are just an hour away from town, encompassing more than 5,800 acres for some of the best skiing around. The Yellowstone Conference Center at Big Sky totals 46,000 sq. ft. of meeting and function space.
Another not-to-be-missed attraction is the Museum of the Rockies (montana.edu), featuring one of the finest paleontology collections in the state. For a truly unique Montana experience, take your group on a guided excavation led by experts from the museum.

Billings t
Surrounded by sandstone Rimrocks in the Great Plains, Montana’s most populous city only claims about 128,000 residents. Here, the cattle still outnumber the people 12 to 1. Yet with an ever-increasing population, Billings offers some of the state’s largest conference facilities. MetraPark (metrapark.com), the area’s premier convention center, features a total of 235,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, including meeting rooms, lobbies, the arena floor and concourses.
“We are just breaking into the 10,000-plus group,” says Joan Kronebusch, director of destination marketing at Billings Area Chamber of Commerce (billingschamber.com).
However, nature is never more than a stone’s throw away. Located a little more than two hours from Yellowstone National Park, Billings also serves as a launch to the northeast entrance. Visit historic Red Lodge (redlodge.com), now a resort town bordering the park, where you’ll have access to wonders like geysers, mudpots, painted can-yons and unlimited recreation.
In Billings, visit the Peter Yegen, Jr. Yellowstone County Museum (pyycm.org), where you’ll find authentic cowboy and Native American artifacts. Or tour the Yellowstone Art Museum (artmuseum.org), showcasing a first-class collection of western and contemporary art, including a prominent collection by cowboy illustrator Will James.
As the state’s historical gateway to the west, Billings wears its heritage proudly on its sleeve. The city recently celebrated the 200th anniversary of Pompeys Pillar, where explorer William Clark carved his name into the sandstone lookout rock—the area’s only remaining physical evidence of the expedition.
If there is time, your group can hike the scenic Chief Black Otter Trail. Among the trail’s historic landmarks is Boothill Cemetery, burial site for some of the area’s notorious outlaws. Or take a walk back in time down the historic Nez Perce National Historic Trail (fs.fed.us/npnht).
About 60 miles from Billings, on the historic Great Plains, is the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (nps.gov/libi), glorified in grade-school textbooks as the location of “Custer’s Last Stand.” The monument memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to defend their way of life after Lieut-enant Colonel George Custer and 263 soldiers suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of more than 3,000 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Take your time, wander about and breathe in the history; you’ll be experiencing Montana’s essence.   Back to Top

Getting There

• Billings Logan International is Montana’s largest major airport and serves as a regional hub for Delta, Northwest and United airlines. Flathead Valley, Missoula, Butte, Helena, Great Falls, and Bozeman all have airports with both daily and seasonal direct flights to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago and Minneapolis.  Back to Top