Spring Fling: Elk Fest and Old West Days

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It's still snowing in the Tetons but the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is having a spring fling! We're looking ahead to our favorite springtime events, ElkFest and Old West Days!

ElkFest 

May 16-17, 2015 • 48^th Annual

ElkFest, a weekend of activities built around the world famous Jackson Hole Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction, is an exciting time for celebrating nature, outdoor skills, hunting, and ecological education and awareness.  Every spring, thousands of elk wintering on the National Elk Refuge lose their antlers before they migrate to their summer range. The Boy Scouts assist the Refuge with harvesting the shed antlers and auction them to bidders from around the world who use the sheds to make furniture, wall decorations, and jewelry. This annual event, which includes the Howdy Pardner’s High Noon Chili Cook-Off and the kick-off of a Mountain Man Rendezvous, supports the National Elk Refuge with significant portion of auction proceeds going back to habitat enhancement projects.

Location: Town Square

http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/events/elkfest.php

High Noon Chili Cook-Off

May 17, 2015

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce and the Howdy Pardner Ambassador Club presents the annual High Noon Chili Cook-Off on the Sunday of ElkFest weekend. Local chili aficionados are invited to show off their skills and enter the contest. There are categories for individuals and for businesses. Chili may be hot and spicy or mild and flavorful. It could be meaty or vegetarian and green or red. But it must taste the best to win top honors. Rain or shine, Town Square is the place to be!

Location: Town Square

http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/events/elkfest.php

Old West Days

May 22-25, 2015 • 34^th Annual

Celebrating the Heritage of the West! Jackson Hole has long been referred to as "The Last of the Old West" and with the community’s rich history it’s no wonder Old West Days is a favorite among visitors and locals alike. Visitors from all over the country come to delight in the live music, theatrical entertainment, arts and crafts, delicious food, rodeo events, and much, much more.

Location: Town Square

http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/old_west_days/

Old West Brew Fest

May 23, 2015

The Old West Brew Fest is a celebration of an age-old craft. Breweries from around the mountain west region gather on the Jackson Hole Town Square to compete for the Golden Boot, a people’s choice award. Taste tickets are purchased on-site. Sample sizes vary. Old West Days entertainment begins with the traditional parade and concludes with the Town Square Shootout and Jackson Hole Rodeo.

Location: Town Square

http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/old_west_days/

Town Square Shootout

May 23-September 1, 2015 • 59^th Annual

In 1957 the first annual Shootout Gang rode into Jackson and into the history books! Clover the Killer, the hardened outlaw, was famously halted by the Cache Creek Posse. The Shootout is now a tradition that allows Jackson to live up to its claim to “the last of the Wild West.” Performances are held at 6:00pm each evening, except Sundays, during the summer. “No shootin’ on Sundays!”

Location: Town Square

http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/events/jh-shootout.php

 

Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival Kick-Off Luncheon

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, along with Mountain Living Magazine and the Western Design Conference, will host a Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival Kick-Off Luncheon on Thursday, April 16 from 12:00-2:00pm at e.Leaven Restaurant + Bakery, 175 Center Street.

The luncheon will provide an exciting preview to the 31^st Annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, which will be held September 10-20, 2015.  For more information and to RSVP, please contact Lori Perry, lperry@mountainliving.com or 320.241.2591.  Visit http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/fall_arts_festival/.

Winterfest Snowcross Race: Bondurant

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present the 5th Annual WinterFest! 

One of the new events is the Jackson Hole Snowmobile Races at River Bend Ranch (Saunders Ranch Company), 30 miles south of Jackson on Hwy 191 in Bondurant, Wyoming (Physical Address: 13856 South Hwy 191, Bondurant, Wyoming 82922) – Snowmobile Snocross and Oval Racing returns! Join Xtreme Mountain Racing and Hold Fast Racing as they join forces to bring quality snocross and vintage oval racing back to the valley. Racers from Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana will battle it out on the high flying snocross track. Then move over to the oval track and cheer on the vintage racers as they battle it out on a banked 1/8 mile Nascar style track on machines that are 25 years old or older – a flash back in time. With racers from 5 years old to 75 years old – you’re never too young to experience the thrill of racing. Notice: Due to snow conditions, this event has been relocated to this new location in Bondurant.

Joni Harms In Concert for Jackson Hole WinterFest

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce another addition to the 5th Annual Jackson Hole WinterFest schedule. Joni Harms will perform at 8:00pm on Saturday, February 21 at the Virginian! View the complete WinterFest schedule at www.jacksonholechamber.com/events/winterfest.php.

Jackson Hole Shrine Club Benefit Concert with Kip Attaway

 The Jackson Hole Shrine Club is hosting a benefit concert with Kip Attaway at The Virginian on Saturday, February 14 beginning at 9:00pm.

Notice: The 44th Annual Cutter Races and 3rd Annual Ski Joring events have been canceled. The events traditionally raise funds for the Shriner Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City, Utah. Donations for the cause will be accepted at the concert. For more information, please visit www.jhshriners.org.

Tourism Numbers in Wyoming Soar to Record Levels in 2014

Contact: Chris Mickey, Media and PR Manager
PH: 307.777.2831
chris.mickey@wyo.gov   

Tourism Numbers in Wyoming Soar to Record Levels in 2014

Wyoming's tourism economy saw another year of tremendous growth in 2014. A preliminary assessment of Wyoming's travel and tourism impact shows that a record 10.1 million people visited the state in 2014. That number is up 11% from 2013 when Wyoming had a total of 9.07 million visitors and is the highest percentage growth year over year since tracking began in 1998. This follows several years of consistently strong growth. The last decade of tourism marketing has resulted in a 45% increase of visitation to the state.

Two separate reports prepared for the Wyoming Office of Tourism by Dean Runyan & Associates and Strategic Marketing and Research Inc. indicate that not only did the volume of visitors rise in 2014, but the amount of money visitors spent on their trips also increased.  According to the reports, travel spending in the state grew to over $3.3 billion in 2014. This number is up from a record year in 2013 of $3.2 billion.

This visitor spending fuels Wyoming's economy by generating $159 million in local and state tax revenues, up 10.8% in 2014 compared to $144 million in 2013. Since 2004, tax revenues generated by the tourism and hospitality industry are up 85%.

"We were confident that 2014 was going to be a banner year for Wyoming's travel economy," The Wyoming Office of Tourism's Executive Director, Diane Shober said. "We know that great creative coupled with targeted spending will generate more visitors. We had laid the groundwork of a strategically focused marketing campaign as did local lodging tax boards and many tourism related businesses. Visitation at our iconic national parks and national monuments were at all-time high and local events and festivals also enjoyed robust attendance throughout the summer. Each month we saw increases in tax collections from important industry sectors like accommodations and food and beverage. We are grateful to have the resources available to help drive these tremendous results," Shober added.

In 2015, the Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) will add the city of Seattle to their list of target markets such as Chicago, Portland, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver and Salt Lake City that will be reached through a fully integrated marketing campaign consisting of magazine, TV, billboard and digital media ads. "We have deployed a very tactical, research-based marketing strategy that contains elements of traditional advertising and public relations. Social media along with an ever growing digital presence is helping to contribute to the rise of Wyoming's tourism economy," Shober said.

"With the significant reduction of gas prices, we believe more people will be willing to travel this year. We just have to make sure that Wyoming is their destination of choice. Since our research shows that 75% of visitors drive to Wyoming, the lower gas prices add to our confidence that 2015 will yield even more visitors and generated revenue for the state," Shober added.

The hospitality and tourism industry is responsible for over 31,000 full and part time jobs in Wyoming.  In 2014, 490 jobs were created within the industry and over the past 10 years employment has risen 11%. "Seeing a rise in jobs created in this industry is extremely important. Not only does this help provide the best experience possible to visitors, but it adds to Wyoming's overall economy which benefits everyone," Shober said.

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Wyoming will always be Forever West  

Chamber Welcomes New Members in January

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce was pleased to welcome the following new members in January 2015.

•     BigLife Media: www.westernhomejournal.com
•     Carrie Wild Fine Art: www.carriewildart.com
•     Everything But the Dress: www.ebtdress.com
•     Jackson Hole Grand Expeditions: www.jacksonholegrandexpeditions.com
•     Outpost: www.outpostjh.com
•     Paty's Concierge: www.instagram.com/patysconcierge
•     Skating Club of Jackson Hole: www.skatingclubofjacksonhole.com
•     Weber Drilling: www.weberdrilling.net
•     Wyoming Game and Fish Department: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/home.aspx

The mission of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is to champion the interests of local businesses, enhance their prosperity, and strengthen the economic climate of Teton County.

Would you like to join the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce? Are you a member who has questions about benefits? Contact Andy Heffron, Membership Manager, andy@jacksonholechamber.com or 307.201.2301. Visit www.jacksonholechamber.com.