HomeMy WebLinkAboutYellowstone Business Partnershi PO Box 7337 · Bozeman. MT 59771
~~~~ (F) 406 522 9155
Announcing New Research on Seasonality tn the Yellowstone-Teton Region
Please Attend the Upcoming [Vorkshop in Your Area!
The Yellowstone Business Partnership has launched a multi-state research project to gain a new
perspective on the region's seasonal character and help'its leaders uncover potential for economic and
community development in the slack months. Our research team is holding six community workshops this
month to gather new ideas and information from business leaders, government officials and private
.citizens who care about the year-round health of the Yellowstone-Teton region. We are interested in your
perspective on the seasonal nature of your local economy and how the negative aspects of seasonality
- .,- -might bz ~ tl~-,rmghqrmo~ative investments and~egional collaboration.- ................
Monday, October 23 - Livingston, Montana
2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at thc Public Library, 228 W. Callender ~t.
Tuesday, October 24 - West Yellowstone, Montana
12 noon to 2:00 p.m. - The Rendezvous Building at 100 South Geyser
Co-hosted by the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce -- Please bring a sack lunch.
Wednesday, October 25 (Morning) - Rexburg, Idaho
9:00 to 11:00 a.m. - The Cottontree Inn/Chamber Conference Center at 450 West 4t~ South
Co-hosted by High Country R/C&D and Parmers for Prosperity
Wednesday, October 25 (Afternoon) - Pocatelio, Idaho
2:00 to 4:00 p.m. - City Council Chambers at 911 N. 7th St. (aka Yellowstone Ave.)
Co-hosted by Three Rivers RC&D and Partners for Prosperity
Thursday, October 26 - Jackson, Wyoming
1:00 to 3:00 p.m. - Teton Comity Public Library, 125 Virginian Lane
Co-hosted by the Jackson Hole :Chamber of Commerce
Friday, October 27 - Cody, Wyoming
9:00 to 11:00 a.m. - Coc Auditorium at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Co-hosted by the Cody Institute for Western American Studies and Cody Country Chamber of Commerce
These workshops are open to the public, so we would appreciate your help in spr6ading the word to your
friends and associates. Please RSVP to Jim Dungan at the YBP office by Friday, October 20. Call
406-522-7809 or 888-583-8283 (toll-free) or email jdungan~¥ellowstonebusiness.org.
YELLOWSTONEBUSINESS.ORG
IN FO@YEL[OWSTONEBUSINESS.ORG
About the Yellowstone Business Partnership
and the Turning On the Off-Season Project .
The Yellowstone Business Parme~ship is a 200~member tri-state business organizati6n based in Bozeman,
Montana. Our mission is to unite businesses that are dedicated to preserving the health of th9
environment and shaping a prosperous and sustainable future for communities in the Yellowstone-Teton
region. The Partnership promotes scientific understanding, informed dialogue, and collaborative
approaches to resolving our region's most complex socioeconomic and natural resource challenges.
Turning On the Off-Season, a new YBP research project, will inventory and analyze off-season assets and
economic opportunities in the 25-county region around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Our
members want to better understand how the regionZs natural and physical asset~ and shoulder-season
opportunities may be better utilized for our region's !ong-term benefit, and identify wa_ysm which the
region's resources might be better managed to support the changing economies of its communities.
Funtling and guidance for this research have come from regional businesses and organizations includin
the Idaho National Laboratory, USDA (ID Community Forestry and RC&D Councils), ?artners for
Prosperity (E. ID), Rocky Mountain Bank (WY), and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (WY).
We know that both gateway communities and larger cities have real interest in strengthening their.off-
season economies. The Yellowstone Business Partnership has set forth the following research objectives:
1. Assess and describe the region's population growth trends, socioeconomic indicators and
availability of natural and physical assets as they relate to the off-season.
2. Identify off-season investment opportunities that will helP maintain or enhance Our region's
greatest natural, recreational and cultural assets.
3. Recommend collaborative Scenarios suggest practical, concrete, thoughtful solutions to the
region's off-season investm6nt challenges.
Six community workshops are scheduldd in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming the Week of October 23rd to
gather new ideas and information from those wh6 care about region's year-round health. The r~search
team that will be conducting these sessions includes distinguished economist Dr. Larry Swanson from
the university of M0n~a~a ~nd Mi~hele Arehie and H~ward Terry of The If~rhi~ger l~stitute in
Bozeman. They will listen to local residents' and area leaders' views on seasonality and request available
information on the region's non-summer social, natural and financial assets.
For more information on the Yellowstone Business Partnership, contact Executive Director Janice Brown
or visit the YBP website at www.yell0wstonebusiness.org
YELLOWSTONE BUSINESS
PARTNERSHIP
Turning On the Off-Season
WORKSHOP AGENDA
Our research team looks forward to meeting you during the October community workshop series. These
workshops will provide critical guidance during the early phases of our research, which aims to profile
the Yellowstone-Teton region's assets and identify opportunities for generating economic activity that
evens out seasonal swings.
The agenda below outlines the ground we'll cover. R/hile we hope you find the information we present
valuable, we also hope to learn from you and your colleagues during our discussions. In~oarticular. we
plan To~e~a~eTlffd worksWnop ¢ith ct betted understanding of h~w ~odr ct~m[n-u~ ex~i~c~ ~e~s~n~lity;
opportunities you see for addressing seasonal fluctuations; and existing sources of data, analysis, and
insight we might use as resources for this project.
Dr. Larry Swanson
O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
Michele Archie and Howard Terry
The Harbinger Institute
Welcome and project origin and overview
Presentation of background information and discussion about:
1) Larger economic and demographic trends in the Rocky
Mountain West;
2) Economic performance and demographic trends in the
Greater Yellowstone region and the area in which the
workshop is held;
3) Preliminary analysis of the sub-regional economic
organization of the Greater Yellowstone region
Break
Presentation of preliminary analysis of indicators of seasonality
and/or effects of seasonality on businesses in the region.
Discussion of seasonality:
1) How does this area experience seasonality?
2) What are this community's greatest challenges related
to seasonal economic fluctuations?
3) What are the area's underutilized assets and
opportunities for "turning on the off-season" or
building an economy that is not so seasonally affected?
4) What sources of information should the research team
use for its inventory of assets and opportunities?
5 minutes
40 minutes
10 minutes
10 minutes
45 minutes
Meeting evaluation and wrap-up 10 minutes
YELLOWSTONE BUSINESS
PARTNERSHIP
Turning On the Off-Season
WORKSHOP AGENDA
RESEARCH TEAM MEMBERS
Dr. Larry D. Swanson is Director of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West and head of its
"Regional Economy" program. The program focuses on economic change in the region, implications of this
change for community and regional development, the region's evolving trans-border relationship, and
changing economy-environment relations in a region renowned for its high quality environment and abundant
natural resources:
With assistance from several major foundations, Swanson designed and developed a web-based information
and analysis system to assist in evaluating sub-state regional economies throughout the western United States.
The system referred to as READ - the Regional Economies Assessment Database - is used to organize and
conduct area economic "peer reviews," in which an arm's economic performance is evaluated against many
other areas with similar characteristics. READ is distributed via the Intemet to development practitioners,
businesses, and planning organizations throughout the region.
Swanson was appointed to the Center in 1994 to develop and head the Regional Economy program, after
serving for six years as Director of Economic Analysis of UM's Bureau of Business and Economic
Research and Associate Professor of Management. Prior to that, Swanson was an economic consultant for
over ten years, both independently from his office in Lincoln, Nebraska, and with a Washington, D.C.,
firm. Swanson has a doctoral degree in regional economics, public resource management, and community
and regional planning from the University of Nebraska and an undergraduate degree in journalism and
business.
Michele L. Archie and Howard D Terry are principals of The Harbinger Institute
Founded in 1995, the Harbinger Institute is a consulting firm that specializes in communications,
community transformation, and organizational development. Current and past clients include
international, national and local nonprofit organizations, government agencies, groups of public officials,
private corperations~ cooperatives, and other organizations. Harbinger's work encompasses;
Research, writing, and publication design and layout services;
Facilitation and workshop planning;
Education and training;
Leadership development and coaching;
Analysis of cormnunication, work, and decision-making processes;
Validated assessments of organizational performance; and
A range of related consulting services.
Michele and Howard share extensive experience in community and business development; designing
educational and collaborative processes; and translating technical concepts and data into plain English.
We appreciate your help in identifying reports, data sets, and current studies that might inform this
research. Please contact The Harbinger Institute at 335 Silvertip Trail, Bozeman, MT 59715; 406-
522-0300; harbinger~aloha.net