Convention gets rave reviews
By Cole Boehler
Montana Tavern Times
Well, the dust has settled and the 54th annual Montana Tavern Association Convention and Trade Show is in the memory archives.
This was my 14th convention and it was one of the best. The host city, Missoula, and it's tavern members pulled out all the stops to make the over 300 registrants welcome and assure all had a good time.
The weather was perfect – mid 80s and this is during the last week of September! The host facility was comfortable and events came off like clockwork. The golf and sporting clays shooting and shopping sprees excelled due to first class venues and cooperative weather. The same can be said for the Tuesday night pub crawl that covered the city.
But the indoor events, including parties Monday and Tuesday night, a poker tournament, a magnificent trade show, luncheons for both men and women, a gala Wednesday night banquet and Thursday morning brunch buffet were all first class. Even the business meetings, one of which featured Montana's top government regulators, were well organized and highly informative.
The only downside to the whole affair is that if you're not in reasonably good physical shape, you can easily overdo it and find yourself run down and exhausted. The key, veterans will tell you, is to pace yourself, drink plenty of fluids (not necessarily beer, wine and spirits) eat well and get plenty of rest.
Next year the MTA plans to "have 'er in Havre" and many were heard to remark that smaller towns somehow make the best venues for these conventions. If so, members ought to be pleased that Red Lodge was selected to host the MTA convention in 2011.
In my experience, it isn't really the location that makes these events special; it is the people working behind the scenes that make the difference. Here are a few that deserve a tip o' the MTA hat for putting on a fine convention and trade show in Missoula this year:
Diana Koon, retiring MTA executive director and responsible for the trade show with help from Bonnie Smith; and Bob Anderson, new MTA executive, and their able assistants, Mary Kenny, Brandi Damon and Billie Larson. Smith also spearheaded the trade show luncheon and cocktail party, as well as the Thursday morning brunch.
Sandy Jones, convention chairman, and Dave Campbell, vice chair; golf and 19th Hole Party, Brad Martens, chair, and aids Jim Haney, Bob Hayes and Brian Shennum; Kent Frampton, KC LaFlesch, and Jill Frampton for organizing the sporting clays shooting; and the ladies outing and shopping spree coordinated by Heather Mosby and Sierra Keating.
Kelly Hansen, Kathy Hatch and Wendy Mosby who were in charge of the popular Tuesday night Industry Party; Laurie Clark, Missoula County Tavern Owners Association executive secretary for organizing the pub crawl; Bridget Herceg and Sandy Jones for organizing the ladies luncheon; Kevin Head, Dave Campbell and Aaron Herceg for the men's lunch.
Mark Staples for his work on the industry panel and for emceeing the Wednesday night awards banquet (and much, much more); and the folks with perhaps the biggest job of all – arranging the transportation – Harry Watkins, Brian Peterson and Josh Paffhausen.
The staff and caterers at the Hilton Garden Inn certainly deserve kudos, and so do the staff at the Montana Tavern Times who busted their tails for an entire month to put out another excellent pre-convention edition in September, which was the equivalent of 40 pages and had 13 separate articles, most accompanied by pictures, all about the convention. Jim Haney and Paul Vang did a great job.
Tavern owners know they can never take their eyes off the ball: primary elections are only nine months away and the general elections are just 13 months down the road, followed by another session of the Montana Legislature in just 15 months.
But at least we get to look forward to the 55th Annual Convention and Trade Show up on the Hi-Line in Havre in less than one year. It will be a hoot, no doubt.
See ya there!