State Tourism conference set for Great Falls April 10-11

Organizers are expecting as many as 500 people to converge on Great Falls in April for the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation.

It is the first time in the 32-year history of the gathering that it will be held in Great Falls. The conference takes place in Helena during legislative years and has moved about the state in off years. The event is set for April 10-11.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer is inviting people in the tourism industry "to celebrate with our Great Falls partners the important role tourism and recreation plays in the Montana way of life and the benefits it brings our economy."

Schweitzer is scheduled to speak at a conference luncheon on April 11.

How many folks will visit the Electric City isn’t clear yet.

"We usually get 400 to 450," said Victor Bjornberg, a spokesman for Travel Montana, the state commerce department’s promotion division. "The most we’ve ever had was about 528, in Billings and West Yellowstone. Maybe for the first time in Great Falls, it could be above 500."

By JAMES E. LARCOMBE Tribune Business Editor

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