NewWest.Net/Conferences
New West Festival: 2011
- "The Rise of the Rockies"
- Missoula, MT
- Thursday Evening Reception, May 5th
- Friday All-Day Sessions, May 6th
CLICK HERE to visit the official New West Festival site
Thursday Evening Reception:
This inaugural New West Festival in Missoula, Montana, will begin with a rich artistic experience at the celebrated Missoula Museum of Art, a short downtown walk from the hotel site.
Founded in 1975 and accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1987, MAM has always been a flagship institution in culturally savvy Missoula, Montana. After a $5.3 million capital campaign and grand opening in September 2006, MAM offers a spectacular attraction in the heart of the historic downtown: a fully accessible, free, public museum that boasts six exhibition spaces, a library, education center, and an inviting information lounge.
The successful building design has seamlessly fused the 100-year-old Carnegie Library building with a contemporary addition, creating the ideal environment for exhibiting, celebrating, and preserving MAM's growing contemporary art collection.
A (local foods) catered cocktail event will feature interaction with the current museum artists as well as members of the Alpine Artisans, who will also host an art showing during the Festival the following day.
Calling all entrepreneurs!
New West is offering a chance for you to bring your business or your new business ideas to a newly-scheduled “pitch practice session” at the New West Festival in May in Missoula. Trevor Loy, General Manager of Flywheel Ventures in New Mexico, has agreed to extend his speaking engagement to include a session for entrepreneurs and budding entrepreneurs who would like to hone their skills pitching to a major venture capital firm who is actively seeking new opportunities in the Rocky Mountain West.
While this is not a formal pitch session, if you are chosen to participate, you’ll get to experience the joy of selling the “elevator pitch” to the money guys, and you will get valuable feedback on your pitch, your ideas and your business plan that will help to prepare you for the more formal pitch opportunities in your future.
Do you have a burning hot business plan or a burning hot new business idea that you are ready to turn into a business plan? Now is the time to sharpen the pencil, fire up the computer, and pull it together! This new session has been added to the New West Festival just for you and for companies or potential companies like yours.
If you’d like to be considered for the short list of presenters, send your business plan or business plan outline to with the words “VC Pitch Session” as your headline. We will notify you at least two weeks prior to the event if you are accepted to be in pitching rounds, and we’ll send you the specifics of what to bring and how to prepare at that time.
Good luck! We hope to hear from you soon!!Friday All-Day Sessions
The inaugural New West Festival: Rise of the Rockies celebrates life in the Rocky Mountain region and highlights the issues that are on Westerners’ minds. Just as NewWest.Net chronicles and analyzes the news and culture of the region, the Festival will feature a variety of timely speakers and topics that provide a deeper look at what makes living here so meaningful and interesting.
A preliminary list of topics and speakers:
Climate Change
Alison Gannett is a world champion extreme big mountain skier, ski film star, and an award-winning consultant to solutions for climate change. In addition to many world “extreme” free-skiing titles, endurance mountain biking titles, Rippin Chix Steeps Camps and avalanche courses, she has dedicated the majority of the last 20 years to saving our snow, water and ecosystems from the devastating effects of global warming.Entrepreneurism and Venture Investing
Trevor Loy is a General Partner at Flywheel Ventures with more than 15 years of venture investing, entrepreneurial and operating experience in technology ventures. He focuses on investments in semiconductors, software-as-a-service, and digital services. Trevor is a co-founder of the New Mexico Venture Capital Association and participated in the creation of the Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association.Farming and Food
Ken Meter is one of the most experienced food system analysts in the United States, integrating market analysis, business development, systems thinking and social concerns. As president of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, Meter holds 39 years of experience in inner-city and rural community capacity building. His “Finding Food in Farm Country” studies have promoted local food networks in 45 regions in 20 states and one Canadian province.Economic Development
John Engen, Missoula’s 50th mayor, was elected in 2005 in a race that began with six candidates. He ran unopposed and was re-elected in November of 2009. His Missoula Economic Partnership (called the Missoula Best Place Project) is focused on bringing new business to Missoula, helping existing businesses grow and prosper and creating new opportunities for businesses through development and redevelopment. The five year project is a $3.2 million regional economic growth plan targeted at the enormous pent-up opportunity represented by Missoula and Missoula County.Digital Branding
Jim Nichols, Chief Strategist and Senior Partner at Catalyst S+F, has 21 years of experience leading the strategic development efforts of blue chip companies, and 13 years developing digital strategies for companies looking to grow their brands and drive sales online. Jim has a broad range of experience including advertising, brand management, and market research. Some of the brands Jim has helped develop include ABC Daytime, Betty Crocker, Cablevision, Cap’n Crunch, Clorox, Hyundai, Kodak, Microsoft, Ofoto, Pfizer, Radio Shack, Sega, Showtime, Wachovia, Zone.com. Jim holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Chicago, and a BA in US History from the University of Pennsylvania.Art & Architecture
Warren Hampton, an architect and a Montana native, returned to the area in 2001 to work for a local achitecture firm designing the Missoula Art Museum and the new six-story Garlington Lohn Robinson building in downtown Missoula. Warren received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from MSU and later obtained a Master of Architecture degree in Tucson, Arizona, where he also became a faculty member at the College of Architecture, The University of Arizona. Warren has taught drawing, design, environmental controls and acoustics, and he specializes in materials and methods. He currently has a private architectural practice in the area.
Register now and save %25 with our early bird special!
This is just the beginning of a “don’t miss” day and a half in springtime Missoula, Montana. More to come!
Check back soon for registration details or email us for an invitation to the event: conferences@newwest.net
Planning in the West
- Boise, ID
- June 3rd and 4th, 2010
NewWest.Net was proud to host the 2nd annual Planning in the West conference, produced in partnership with the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho and Boise State University. Featuring leading planners, policy-makers, architects, developers, and landscape architects from around the Rockies, this conference aimed to track planning and development trends, showcase best practices, and understand how thoughtful and place-inspired planning can help us shape our region in the most positive possible ways.
Thursday, June 3rd features three pre-conference tours, concluding with a opening reception and social. Friday, June 4th is a full-day program at the spectacular Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State University with a mix of presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
2010 Conference Agenda | Register Now | Newsletter Sign-up
Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies
- Missoula, MT
NewWest.Net's leading conference on Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies will bring together developers, architects, lenders, attorneys, journalists, government officials and non-profit leaders for a robust series of discussions, presentations and tours about the real estate and development in the region, where are we, and what's next. Join us for the 4th annual Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference, where we will continue the conversation based on current economics, conservation-based development, sustainable design, financing, and much more. Check back for more information, or sign-up for a personal invitation.
REDNR 2009 Web Site | Buy DVD of 2008 Conference | Newsletter Sign-up
Designing the New West
- Bozeman, MT
Leading architects, developers, land planners and landscape designers from around the region will gather for this unique conference, Designing the New West, which is aimed at identifying the best practices, showcasing great projects and understanding how thoughtful design can help us shape our region.
Produced by NewWest.Net in cooperation with the Sonoran Institute, the event will cover a rich array of topics including the economics and politics of green design, urban revitalization, historic preservation, land design and rural development, resort design, and much more.
2009 Conference Agenda | 2008 Coverage | Sign up For Email Updates
