Great Falls Montana Tourism Seeks New Opportunities to Drive Growth

Photo credit Karen Anderson Great Falls Montana Tourism has allocated over $500,000 in the past decade to support local events that enhance the region's attractiveness to visitors. This financial investment has positively impacted more than 40 organizations, facilitating a diverse array of activities, including lacrosse tournaments, horse racing, concerts, the Highland Games, the East West Shrine Game, the PRCA Circuit Finals Rodeo, the 4th of July Hootenanny, and so many more. In pursuit of further promoting tourism and fostering economic growth within the local community, Great Falls Montana Tourism is actively soliciting event organizers, whether for established events or new proposals, to seek sponsorship. The organization emphasizes its commitment to positioning Great Falls as Montana’s premier destination for art and adventure, recognizing that events create unique, limited-time experiences that encourage overnight visitation. Rebecca Engum, Executive Director of Great Falls Montana Tourism, articulated the significance of these events by stating, “Great Falls has stellar outdoor recreation and world-class cultural assets that are available every day, all year, however, events provide a limited time offer environment where people have to come on a specific day to experience it or it’s gone." A recent survey conducted by the City of Great Falls indicated substantial community support for tourism development, with 83% of residents supporting tourism growth. In 2024, Great Falls Montana Tourism spearheaded the creation of a Travel Industry Growth Plan aimed at enhancing the visitor experience, resulting in the appointment of Liz Lauver as the Tourism Event Planner. Lauver is tasked with developing The Eventory, a weekly email that compiles traveler-focused events. This communication serves three primary objectives including, assisting travelers in formulating their itineraries, enabling local businesses to align their activities with scheduled events, and fostering collaboration among event organizers to enhance attendance. Event organizers possessing established events or new concepts that appeal to overnight visitors in Great Falls are encouraged to pursue sponsorship from Great Falls Montana Tourism, particularly for events scheduled during off-peak months, such as January, February, April, May, November, and December. For more information, please contact Great Falls Montana Tourism at 15 Overlook Drive, call them at (406) 761-4436, or visit them at www.GreatFallsMontanaTourism.org and let them know you heard about them in The Great Falls Gazette.