Business Insights for Reaching New Heights
Join Glacier Country Tourism, Western Montana's official destination marketing and management organization (DMO), Destination Analysts, Tread Lightly!, Tourism Diversity Matters, Glacier Guides and Montana Raft, Job Service Missoula, ABMJ Consulting and Janna Lundquist Consulting for a meeting of the minds. We'll discuss travel and tourism trends, diversity, equity and inclusion, responsible motorized recreation messaging, building on your social media, and workforce development and training. Come learn how to take advantage of Glacier Country Tourism’s marketing assets to grow and support your business. Our tourism and marketing experts can help you market your business or organization to travelers. There's strength in numbers, after all.
November 9 + 10, 2021
9 a.m. – noon both days
Location
Virtual
Details
Free
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1.800.338.5072
Examine the current national thoughts about, perceptions of, and confidence around travel and tourism using data collected from our Coronavirus Travel Sentiment Index Study and delve into how COVID-19 affected the travel industry. Discover where tourism stands nationally and statewide, and analyze the forecast for the industry. Gain insights on the Montana-oriented traveler as well as on Montana in general, using the state’s custom research program.
How COVID-19 impacted Montana's tourism and recreation industry and how DMOs like Glacier Country Tourism are working to ensure its sustainability based on the capacity of our communities and recreation resources.
Gain a groundwork for understanding “The Why and How” of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Greg Deshields of Tourism Diversity Matters. Companies must ensure that they are building culturally inclusive environments and internal systems that allow equitable opportunities for success. Learn the core essentials of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and explore the value of cultural diversity. Learning objectives include: Defining Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, also understanding the Dimensions of Diversity and how they impact how we see each other; The Business Case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and ways to impact organizational processes and routines to make them more inclusive and welcoming. The benefits of developing an Organizational Assessment and comprehensive DEI strategy for a modern workforce; Cultural Diversity is the system that recognizes and respects the existence and presence of diverse groups of people within a society; Discover the quantitative outcome of The Black CVB Leaders Open Letter to the Industry.
Get your guide—to social media marketing. Courtney Stone, the marketing and communications director for Glacier Guides and Montana Raft, will draw upon her experience as both an employee and previous business owner to provide tips and tricks for finding your compass (voice, brand), finding your trails (channels), finding the time (process), and finding the fun (fun!). Finding Your Compass is crucial for establishing who you are and what you offer. Finding Your Trails is vital for reaching your audience. Finding the Time is important in all aspects of life, but especially when it comes to growing your business. Finding the Fun is essential!
Learn about Tread Lightly! and how T.R.E.A.D. Principles can provide a better experience for the visitor and how your business can implement and/or promote responsible and respectful recreation by motorized vehicles.
The current pandemic-related workforce shortage is unprecedented in recent history. With U.S. job openings—particularly in the service sector—hitting record highs, employers have been boosting wages and offering sign-on bonuses to identify and attract candidates. While at first glance necessary, these approaches may not be sufficient to solve the shortage. Our panelists will provide a more nuanced overview of present-day hiring challenges by sharing key data as well as anecdotal evidence, while also discussing effective workplace communication and leadership practices.
Michael Braun is the director of employer partnerships of AccelerateMT, a University of Montana-affiliated organization focused on helping Montana's for-profit, nonprofit and government organizations with economic and workforce development initiatives. Mike’s industry background is in business development, sales and client management in publishing and media as well as the finance sector.
Matt Caldwell became the executive director for Tread Lightly! in October of 2020. Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible, motorized recreation through stewardship programs and ethics education to ensure off-roading opportunities are accessible for future generations. As executive director, Matt is responsible for the strategic direction, operations, partnerships and overall leadership of Tread Lightly!
Matt’s career experience includes global brands, like Adidas and Michelin, but for the past 16+ years, he has spent time in the advertising, marketing and design agency world, working with clients in the automotive, automotive aftermarket, transportation and sports + entertainment sectors. Despite being an "East Coast guy," Matt and his wife now live in Arizona and enjoy hiking, camping, off-roading and exploring all this great land has to offer.
Kellyann Deniger was born and raised in Montana. She graduated from Montana State University with a degree in sociology. She has worked in workforce development for 30 years at Job Service-Missoula. Kellyann has served in a variety of roles including employment consultant, case manager, supervisor and manager. Her work with employers, job seekers and community partners gives her a unique perspective of the workforce needs of Montana. She has a passion for serving the community in any capacity that allows for the mutual advancement of businesses and job seekers alike.
Greg Deshields, executive director of Tourism Diversity Matters, is a longtime tourism and hospitality professional and a native Philadelphian with a passion for his work, and he is dedicated to giving back to the next generation of hospitality leaders. He is a qualified tourism/hospitality and academic professional certified hospitality educator (CHE) proficient in developing and implementing plans, strategies, and initiatives specifically designed to raise destination images for diverse, multicultural travel. Greg is also an experienced certified diversity executive (CDE) with demonstrated cultural competence, prepared to strategically position an organization to remove systemic barriers to inclusion, lead culture change, and transform the brand. Greg graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, with an A.S. Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management and B.S. Degree in Hospitality Management. He is also a Professional Development Leadership Graduate: Institute for Diversity Certification, Urban League of Philadelphia, Leadership Forum, Leadership Philadelphia, and Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange.
From the small Montana cattle town of Ovando, Racene grew up on the southern end of the Crown of the Continent—an upbringing that helped establish her inherent love for Montana. Racene has spent more than two decades promoting travel and tourism to Montana, including the past 14 years as the President CEO for Glacier Country Tourism. She has been a key player in helping make tourism one of the top two industries in the state. In addition to leading one of Montana's largest destination marketing organizations (DMOs), Racene is also actively involved with Tourism Matters to Montana, Voices of Montana Tourism and Montana Chamber of Commerce.
CEO Janna Lundquist provides the big-picture vision for Janna Lundquist Consulting and creative solutions for clients. Macalester College in St. Paul launched Janna into her 16-year career in the Midwest and the Rocky Mountains. Her professional journey includes experience at a Minneapolis advertising agency, as a vice president on the senior management team at First Security Bank, Division of Glacier Bank, as board member and president of United Way of Missoula County, and as board chair and volunteer capital committee fundraiser for the Foundation for Missoula Public Library.
David Reichbach is a highly regarded information privacy attorney who received his JD from the University of San Francisco. David oversees the analysis, retention and security of data collected in Destination Analysts’ diverse research programs. With his BS in engineering, mathematics and statistics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a passion for technology, David brings his specialization and skills to Destination Analysts, particularly in data segmentation, cluster analysis and heat mapping as well as developing new and innovative methodologies. He is also highly valued by Destination Analysts’ clients for his ability to communicate data in a relatable way. David is a frequent speaker on tourism insights at travel industry events.
Courtney Stone got her start in marketing as a founder and former owner of Glacier County Honey Co. in Babb, where she took the honey industry—and the east side of Glacier National Park—by storm as she grew the retail side of the business and launched successful and engaging social media channels. After moving to the west side, Courtney went on to teach Social Media Marketing at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell. She then assisted with various social media voices as a project manager at Wheelie Creative in Whitefish, before landing her dream job as the marketing and communications director for Glacier Guides and Montana Raft in West Glacier. Courtney is passionate about protecting the east and west sides of Glacier National Park—and Montana in general—and enjoying all our amazing state has to offer, too. When Courtney isn't in West Glacier, you'll find her in Columbia Falls raising her kids, or relaxing with her family near Babb. Courtney is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the Appalachian School of Law.
Bryce Ward is a co-founder of ABMJ Consulting and an economist at the University of Montana. He has a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and two bachelor's degrees in economics and history from the University of Oregon. He has expertise in urban and regional economics, labor economics, health economics, public finance, social economics, real estate economics, environmental and natural resource economics, and statistics/econometrics. Bryce has taught classes at Harvard University, Lewis and Clark College, the University of Oregon, and Portland State University. He has published dozens of scholarly articles and economic reports, and he has provided expert testimony in dozens of court cases and legislative proceedings. His research has been featured in places like the New York Times, the Associated Press, PBS NewsHour, NPR, and ProPublica.
