Celebrate New Year's Eve in Jackson Hole

Grand Targhee Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Snow King Resort put on festive displays for local residents and visitors with the annual torchlight parades. Skiers of all ages are invited to participate in this holiday tradition that makes the ski slopes sparkle as hundreds of skiers light torches at the top of the lift slide to the base of the mountains. The display is followed by fireworks that illuminate the blankets of brilliant snow. Ring in the New Year with glamorous parties or in a casual atmosphere. Celebrations are hosted by the resorts and other local businesses. For more information, please call 307.733.3316.

Photo Courtesy: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Make Your Nomination!

Western Hospitality Award Nominations Due December 31

The Western Hospitality Award is presented by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce each quarter to the individual or business who exemplifies true western hospitality and exceeds the expectations of visitors and locals alike.

The spirit of western hospitality is alive and well in Jackson Hole! Please help us to spread the word and share your experiences!

To make a nomination, simply email the name of the person you're nominating along with the story of how he or she exceeded expectations to Kate Foster, Communications Manager, kate@jacksonholechamber.com.

Pictured: Jenny Rowe from Four Seasons Resort. For details, please visit http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/initiatives/western_hospitality.php.

New Year's Resoloution: Tackle Your Taxes! Wyoming Entrepreneur Offers Free Webinar Series

Join Wyoming Entrepreneur for a series of tax webinars presented by Keith Hall, the National Tax Advisor for the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) and a certified public accountant. Keith will present three, 45-minute webinars each beginning at 2:00pm with Q & A time included.

On January 12, the topic will be "Top 5 Tax Questions for the Self-Employed." This session will cover entity formation, what to do first, how to pay and plan for estimated taxes, automobile deduction and meals and travel. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/620675145.

The January 19 session will be "Preparing an Audit-Proof Tax Return." This session will help you get organized, search for deductions, build your paper fort and more. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/834427376.

On January 26, "Tips for Saving on Your Taxes" will offer insight into maximizing your deductions. Included will be hiring your child, the home office deduction, retirement contributions and more. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/307272832.

Wyoming Entrepreneur will also present their regular 1-2-3 Webinar on on Thursday, January 5, 2012 from 2:00-3:00pm. The webinar will be an overview of the 2011 income tax laws presented by Steven R. Phillips, a CPA in the State of Colorado. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/535923896.

Please Note: There is no fee to attend these webinars, but you will need to register for each session separately.

Find the Gifts Santa Forgot!

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is pleased to spread the word about a local effort to extend shopping hours in Jackson Hole.

Many of your favorite local retailers will stay open late this week! With the long winter nights, outdoor activities often end before 5:00pm. Looking for something fun to do after dinner or before going to the movies? Stroll around the festive shops to explore their unique products. Perhaps you'll find a few things that Santa forgot!

Help us to spread the word about this great opportunity for shoppers and retailers! Share this email with your colleagues, staff, and friends! For more information about this program, please contact Rick Howe, Director of Visitor Service, rick@jacksonholechamber.com or 307.733.3316x114.

Extended Hours Through January 1, 2012:
Call business individually for Christmas Day & New Years Eve.

Town of Jackson

• Touch of Class: 10am-9pm
• Jackson Mercantile: 9am-9pm
• Forever Young Store: 10am-9pm
• Jackson Mercantile: 9am-9pm
• Vom Fass: 10am-9pm
• Moose on the Loose: 10am-9pm
• Mountain Trails Galleries: 10am-9pm
• Beaver Creek Hats & Leathers: 9am-8pm
• Cayuse Western Americana: 10am-8pm
• West Lives On Gallery: 9am-6pm Mon-Wed / 9am-9pm Thursday-Saturday / 10am-5pm Sunday
• Valley Bookstore: 9am-8pm
• Mangelsen - Images of Nature: Sun-Thur until 7pm, Fri-Sat until 8pm
• Made Gaslight Alley: 10-8pm Fri-Sat / 10am-6pm Through January 1
• Lee's Tees: 10am-8pm All Winter
• Teton Toys: 10am-8pm All Winter
• Diehl Gallery: Open Until 8pm All Winter / Apres Ski & Art on Fridays from 5-8pm with Wine, Treats & Fine Art
• Horizon Fine Art: 10am-8pm
• Legacy Gallery: 10am-8pm
• Tayloe Piggot Gallery: 10am-8pm
• Accentuate: Mon-Thurs Until 7pm / Fridays until 8pm
• Leslie: Mon-Thurs Until 7pm / Fridays until 8pm
• Hines Goldsmith: 10am-7pm
• Eddie Bauer: 10am-7pm
• Jackson Hole Resort Store: 10am-7pm
• The Jackson Bootlegger: 10am-7pm
• Pearls By Shari: 10am-6pm / Closed Sundays
• Ranch Inn Shops: 10am-6pm
• Wyoming Outfitters: 10am-6pm
• Belle Cose: 10am-6pm
• Jackson Hole Trading Company: 10am-5pm

Teton Village

• Made Teton Village: 11am-7pm
• Jackson Hole Sports: 8am-7 pm
• Teton Village Sports: 8am-7pm
• Hole in the Wall: 8am-7pm
• Wool and Whiskey: 10am-7pm
• JHS Junior: 8am-5pm
• Resort Store: Thurs-Sat 10am-8pm / Sun-Wed 10am-7pm

Wyoming Office of Tourism Comments on National Attention

Jackson Hole locals know JH is the place to be in the winter (and summer and, well, spring and fall too!). But the secret is out! Forbes just ranked Jackson Hole number one on their "Top 5 Ski Resorts in the United States" list. Forbes is one of the nation's top news magazines with a print circulation of 930,000 and over 10 million unique visitors to their website on a monthly basis.

Diane Shober, Director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, said "We are very grateful to have a world-class resort that receives this type of recognition. It speaks volumes to the quality of product and branding efforts that Jackson Hole has achieved over the years."

Jackson Hole was honored in a piece about women in the world of skiing in the New York Times Travel Section, "Taking Women Way Beyond the Snowplow." Freeride World Tour competitor Jess McMillan teaches Ski the Line and Stretch the Limits clinics at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort which helps women break into the world of extreme skiing.

On the Skiing by the Numbers page, Burton Stash Terrain Park gets a shout out for having 20 features carved by a chainsaw. The New York Times has a print circulation of 950,000 with 16.5 million unique visitors per month to their website.

In addition to receiving accolades from top news outlets, Jackson Hole continues to receive press for their stellar deals this season. The Los Angeles Times featured a package deal in their article on Your Money: Making the ski slopes more affordable. The LA Times has a print circulation of 615,000 with over 7 million monthly unique visitors.

Shober is elated to see this type of exposure promoting Wyoming as a winter destination, "We simply could not afford to buy this type of coverage. Our paid winter marketing budget is $600,000 and although it is coupled with extensive communications, social media and promotional efforts, it does not come close to the roughly $2 million in advertising equivalency that these articles produced."

To read the complete press release, please visit http://wyomusings.blogspot.com/2011/12/jackson-hole-garners-national-attention.html.