New Year's Eve Bash - Explore Big Sky

LoCaL neWS
The Big Sky Community Corporation received a
little boost Tuesday toward creating the second
annual Big Sky PBR event.
To the tune of $12,201.35, the BSCC was
granted—among seven other recipients—was
granted money from the Montana Department
of Commerce Special Events Grant Program.
BSCC was the eighth and final group to receive
part or all of the requested money. 20 applicants
didn’t receive any grant funds.
Eric Ladd, who helped coordinate the event
last summer, said he was glad to see statewide
recognition after the first PBR.
“It’s a wonderful community event for Big
Sky,” he said. “It’s nice to see the state recognize
it and help make it a bigger event next
year.”
The West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce,
two groups from Kalispell and Helena, and
groups from Great Falls and Hobson each received
grants to execute their tourism-boosting events.
The Office of Tourism website says the purpose
of the program “is to diversify and enrich Montana’s
tourism product by developing new and
enhancing existing community-based tourism
6 december 16, 2011
explorebigsky.com
festivals and events. The goal of SEGP is to create
and sustain economic development through the
advertising and promotion of “hallmark events.”
In total, $100,000 was awarded to the eight
groups, up $20,000 from the previous year.
The commerce department received more than
$400,000 in requests.
explorebigsky.com
big sky pbr receives $12k for repeat event
By tayLor anderSon
big sky weekly assistant editor
More than $500k raised at
spanish peaks vehicle auction
trustee begins liquidation process
with 54-vehicle sale
By tayLor anderSon
big sky weekly assistant editor
More than 250 people filed into the lodge at the now-defunct Spanish
Peaks resort to bid on the remaining vehicles once used at the club.
The 54 vehicles included pickups, SUVs, ATVs, snowmobiles and trailers,
and drew crowds from as far as New York to bid on cars at discounted
prices.
In total, the vehicles, including a few that didn’t start, went for more than
$550,000 after a 15 percent buyer premium was added to purchases.
The sale represents more than cheap Chevys. The sale means those
representing the now closed resort have begun liquidating the estimated
$10-$50 million in assets to pay off a list of debtors valued as much as
10 times that much.
Several Spanish Peaks members bid on items during the sale. One was
quoted as saying, “It was sad to see them sold, but hopefully we can find
a new owner who can return the luster to what was once a great club.”
Also present in the audience Dec. 13 was the trustee, in from New York
City, to oversee the sale. He said the representatives are in the process of
finding a brokerage to market and hopefully sell the property.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether anything else would be sold to pay
creditors. The trustee was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying
Spanish Peaks Holdings, which owned the club, had just $27,000 in
cash, with as much as $500 million in debt (although some estimates are
as low as $50 million).
By aBBie digeL
big sky weekly editor
The Big Sky Chamber hosted its semiannual
Town Hall meeting on Dec. 7,
in the Big Sky Chapel. Started last year,
the Town Hall meetings allow local
organizations to present on a variety of
projects, including community marketing,
organizational improvements and
working initiatives.
About 50 people attended the Town
Hall meeting. “It was a good turnout,
but we always hope for more,” said
membership director Robin Brower-
McBride.
This was Marne Hayes’s last Town Hall
meeting as the chamber's executive
director. Her final day at the Big Sky
Chamber of Commerce is Dec. 20. The
top candidates for her position were
interviewed on Dec. 13 at the Board of
Directors’ meeting. There will be an
opportunity for full public interaction
with the top and final candidates during
their final interviews.
The board hopes to have a new director
by the end of this month and starting
within the first few weeks of January.
Big Sky Weekly
Money must be spent on media marketing at least 100
miles outside of the recipient's town. Last year, the Big
Sky PBR received $12,000 total in government funding
from the Big Sky Resort Tax Board.
Grant recipients were decided based on an 800-point
scale. The Big Sky PBR received 671 points, 27 more
than the next group—the cutoff for grant recipients.
billings marketing group to revamp
big sky's brand
Cowboy hall of fame and Biggest Skiing in america
campaign also discussed at Big Sky Chamber’s town
hall meeting
The chamber is looking for part time
help to assist Brower-McBride with
administrative responsibilities between
the few weeks after Hayes leaves and a
new director is hired.
The chamber recently chose the
Billings-based A.D. Creative Group to
assist in development and implementation
of a strategic planning, marketing
and branding initiative to identify and
promote Big Sky as a travel destination.
A.D. Creative Group has hosted two
private meetings in Big Sky, and plans
to conduct more through December and
early January that will be open to the
public. Contact the chamber of commerce
for more details at (406) 995-
3000
Hayes also discussed improvements to
the Biggest Skiing in America campaign.
Ryan Hamilton and Eric Ladd,
both of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and
Montana Western Heritage center committee,
spoke of the success of their
final round interview with the CHF
and MWHC board. The home of the
facility will be announced by the end of
January.