Visit with Ambassador Baucus and American business leaders in Asia

On Wednesday, April 13th, our group met with Ambassador Baucus and 250 business leaders from 29 American Chambers from Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim.

What was originally scheduled as a 30-minute meeting with Ambassador Baucus followed by a briefing from senior Embassy staff extended to a two hour session as the Flathead delegation and the Ambassador clearly were enjoying each other's company and the exchange.

Topics discussed by Baucus on American-Chinese relations included trade, tourism, technology, security, business trends and much more.  In a response to a question how he would advise young people today, he said we as Americans need to be engaged with the world and that if we do not, it is at our own peril.

I asked him about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bill pending before Congress right now because of its importance to our members in the ag and technology industries. He said this trade agreement is critically important to our country. If we do not pass it, we cede trade leadership to our competitors.

Several from our group were able to make connections with business men and women active in the region in the social that followed. A nice contact for me to make was with United Airlines marketing director for the Far East. Chinese travelers are branching out to markets like Montana and represent new market potential for our state.

Our time at the Embassy was truly a special experience for our group to understand the issues, opportunities, and personal stories of our diplomats and business leaders that are on the front lines of working with one of the world's largest economies and trading partners.

Joe Unterreiner, President and CEO
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and CVB

Spreading the word about the beauty of the Flathead Valley

Working through the U.S. Commercial Services office in MT and Beijing, Diane Medler, Director of the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau, met with five of the leading China travel companies to discuss how Kalispell and Glacier National Park can be included in their list of US products.

Chinese frequent individual travelers (FIT) segment is growing dramatically. Many traditional travel agencies are opening new departments like customized and semi-FIT market to serve the significantly growing market. Due to the new U.S. visa policy and the rapidly developing sophistication of Chinese travelers, the shift away from package tours is accelerating, with long-haul Chinese travelers embracing fly and drive products, which have shown a remarkable year-on-year increase of 30%.

The companies currently offer itineraries to Alaska, Utah, Yellowstone and other similar western destinations. They are interested in including Kalispell and Glacier in their list of US products. The Kalispell CVB will work with the travel companies to provide images, packages and information, and assist local businesses to understand the needs and expectations of the Chinese traveler.


Diane Medler

Photos - From Rags to Riches: A day spent across Beijing

Entrance to gardens in Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

Hutong tour

Summer Palace

From Rags to Riches: A day spent across Beijing

Today started with another enormous breakfast. Many of our travelers are getting more adventurous with their meal choices. Yesterday I saw a lot of plates with waffles, yogurt and variations of bread items pass across the tables of the dining area. Today there were several more items selected from the traditional Chinese side of the hall. How many of you have had Fried Rice or Lo Mein by choice before 7:30am?

While we were waiting in the lobby for our groups to come together, the sky outside started to drizzle a bit, and I'm glad most people went back to their rooms to grab a rain jacket. 

Off to the Pearl District we went!

Do you know the different ways to tell if a pearl is real or fake? We spent 20 minutes with a wonderful representative of the factory who gave us these tips and explained the differences in pearl colors and quality. Then we got a chance to shop.

Next, we trekked to the Summer Palace, home of Kunming Lake and the residence of the Dragon Lady. This is where the Ming Dynasty emperors would vacation and relax. The sheer size of the palace, bridges and out buildings is enough to make you gasp! Then we heard the lake was dug entirely by hand! 

Following the Summer Palace, many of us were able to participate in a Hutong tour on the back of a traditional rickshaw. These fearless drivers took us through the narrow streets of the Hutong District where we then had a home-cooked meal in one of the local’s homes. This area looked extremely poor and impoverished, but many of the streets and homes are the oldest in all of Beijing.

Following our journey through the narrow streets we ended up at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The square is the largest of its kind in the world and is highlighted by buildings to the North, South, East and West, following traditional feng shui. Across the square we entered into the first of the three gates that create the entrance into the Forbidden City. Only after the third gate were we truly inside the Forbidden City. Each of the gates through the city were used for different political, traditional, or religious purposes, such as the celebration of the emperor’s birthday or his anniversary of his rule. 

Gate after gate we made our way through the city, 9 in total. If you have the chance to your the Forbidden City you'll notice everything was built in a series of 9. The number 9 in traditional Chinese culture is the most powerful of numbers and was reserved only for the emperor. 

The vastness of the Forbidden City is impossible to describe, especially considering there are 9,999 rooms (remember that important number 9?).

Dinner for us was a wonderful meal of Peking Duck before heading to The Legend of Kung Fu-an acrobatic show telling the story of a young boy as he travels through the difficulty of training and becoming a master. Before the show we were warned to never try the moves at home and now I know why! True Kung Fu artists are incredible athletes and I was (and still am) in awe of what they can do! 

Tag along with us tomorrow as we tour the Temple of Heaven and our much anticipated trip to the US Embassy. Remember, we're meeting with former Montana Senator and now US Ambassador to China, Max Baucus and 300+ representatives from the American Chambers from across every Pacific Rim country and the leaders from many of the world’s largest companies. 

Walking the Wall

Day One in China: Ming Tomb, Jade Factory, the Great Wall, Olympic Stadiums 

Today was our first full day in China! We had a great flight and getting through customs in Beijing was a breeze. The first "sightseeing" chance we got was a thrown-in-the-deep-end first-hand experience with Beijing traffic. Immediately leaving the airport we got on the "Airport Expressway", never got over 10 miles an hour and spend about an hour and a half traveling the 20 mile distance to dinner. 

After dinner was a quick and easy check-in to the hotel and everyone was off to bed; finally, after being awake for 26 hours!

This morning we were greeted by the largest breakfast hall you've ever seen followed by an hour drive to the Ming Tombs, the 13 burial tombs of the Ming Dynasty built approximately 600 year ago. 

After the Ming Tombs we had a quick drive to one of the only government-run jade factories. Here we learned about the importance of jade to Chinese culture and got to see how many of the intricate pieces of jewelry and figurines are made. In China jade is a common substitute for wedding rings. In America we place rings on a woman's left ring finger, but in China it's common for a man to buy his wife a jade bangle, symbolizing holding all five fingers and her entire hand through life. 

Many travelers purchased jade items before heading off to a traditional cloisonne factory and lunch. 

After lunch was the much anticipated trip to the Great Wall! Several of our groups experienced different portions of the wall, but the entire section of the wall outside of Beijing is known as the most beautiful and scenic area in all of China. And let me tell you, the scenery is amazing once you haul yourself up the world's most uneven and worn steps!

Check in with us tomorrow: on deck is the Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, a hutong tour and a show highlighting the Legend of Kung Fu!

- Kate Lufkin

Beautiful colors and intricate work are the signature of Chinese Cloisonne. 

Vases are the traditional Chinese gift to others

Climbing up the great wall with one of our travelers - 86 years old and flying up the wall!

See the beautiful colors and intricate work are the signature of Chinese Cloisonne

 A beautiful lion from the Jade factory

The emperor bronze is at the entrance of the Ming Tomb museum

A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

One of the most anticipated pieces of this trip, most travelers agree, is our organized trip to the American Embassy in Beijing to visit with former Montana U.S. Senator and now Ambassador to China, Max Baucus.

On April 13 we will lead a group of 95 individuals from the Flathead Valley to visit Ambassador Baucus for a 2-hour session on how the Ambassador manages the complex trade and economic relationship the U.S. has with China and how he works to promote opportunities for business and investment in Montana the United States.

Immediately following our time with Ambassador Baucus, we will move to a reception format, which we have learned will consist of over 250 business leaders from the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce who are in Beijing for their 2016 Business Conference.  The Council is comprised of American Chambers from 29 countries across Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim.

We are excited to meet these international business leaders to discuss the business climate between America, China, and the countries of the Pacific Rim and how we might benefit the economy of Montana and the Flathead Valley.

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event and we could not be more grateful for the opportunity and invitation from Ambassador Baucus and the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce.

Keep an eye on our local news sources in Montana for coverage from our Embassy visit! We'll also post updates and photo/video coverage here as well.

-Joe Unterreiner, President/CEO of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Joe has been the president of the Kalispell Chamber for 20 years. This is his third time leading a group of people from Montana to China.

Just 2 Days Away

Guest Entry:

So excited for our upcoming trip to China!  

We’re heading to Seattle on Friday, then flying about 12 hours on Saturday from Seattle to Beijing where we’ll spend 9 days touring and learning about Chinese history, culture, and future.  Who’d have thought that a small community could bring 200 of us together for a trip halfway around the world?  Evidently, the Kalispell Chamber did and we’re so grateful to all of the folks there who put this together.  China is fascinating; it’s about the same size as the U.S.A., with almost 1 billion more people!   We hope to learn more about how this powerhouse country will affect the rest of our globe in the years to come since it’s pretty clear that,  whether you live in a rural community or a big urban city, China’s going to matter.  Stay tuned!

-Diane Smith, CEO/Founder of American Rural

Diane is an entrepreneur, attorney, businesswoman, policy expert and writer from Whitefish, Montana. 

Preparing our Group for International Travel

It's hard to believe we are just a 11 days out from our Mission to China.

Here at the chamber we started this process approximately nine months ago with our first full-page advertisements in the Daily Inter Lake and initial informational meeting. Over the following months of getting more and more travelers signed up (see post from 3/25), our office to-do list grew longer and longer.

Organizing a trip around the world, especially to China, entails a lot more than putting a name and contact information on a sign-up sheet.

In case you're wondering what behind the scenes here looked like while prepping for this trip, here's a little inside information on what we've been keeping ourselves busy with.

The last few name badges
with tickets and luggage tags

While payment for this trip wasn't due until nearly 6 months after our first informational meeting, we started working right away. Our interested travelers had to complete a registration form and leave a deposit to reserve their space (good thing everyone did this early, since we built a waiting list of 30+ people).

Our Administrative Services Manager, Katie, and our Presidents son, Andrew, began taking these registration forms and creating what would soon become one of the largest Excel spreadsheets you could imagine. First name, middle name, last name, phone number, permanent address, winter address, deposit received, rooming with, traveling with, luggage tag name, and finally a registration number.

This spreadsheet quickly grew longer when we began collecting visas. As
you know, China is a heavily regulated country and requires a significant amount of paperwork and documentation for anyone wanting to visit.

Soon, instead of registration forms we were collecting 4-page applications, passports and payment for Chinese visas. Additionally, we made copies of all this information as well as duplicates of passports for our own records. It took about 4 months to coordinate all 200 Chinese visas, match every little bit of information across all of our documentation, send everything to California for the visas to be processed, receive the passports back, and then distribute them to their rightful owners.

By early March we finally received all of the airline tickets and itineraries we needed. It's taken us about 3 weeks now to get everyone their information, but I can confidently say we're pretty much done with all of the planning and preparation for this excursion!

One thing that we implemented for this trip that resulted in an overwhelming positive response was a
series of four newsletters we developed. These newsletters included information like important dates, helpful hints for international travel, flight and hotel information, frequently asked questions, optional tour information and more. Providing this information helped us insure our passengers are going to be well-educated and prepared for their trip around the world.

Remember those 30 people I said were on the waiting list for this trip? Well they're in luck! We will be running this trip again in April 2017. If you're interested in experiencing a whole new part of the world, through the safety and comfort of the Kalispell Chamber, give us a call and we'll give you the information you need. (406)758-2806.

If China doesn't suit your fancy, click here to learn about our upcoming trip to Innsbruck, Austria and Oktoberfest, Sept 25-Oct 3, 2016.

- Kate Lufkin
Marketing & Communications Specialist for the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Taking 200 People Around the World

Typically the Chamber organizes annual trips to destinations around the world through an agent that specializes in chamber trips. While we followed our typical, initial steps for setting up this trip to China, we quickly learned this was going to be a whole different experience. While our travel agency is wonderful and we can't imagine pulling of this trip without them, there is a BIG difference between this trip and our typical ventures; 200 people.

Have you ever taken 200 people around the world, to a country that for the majority, speaks no English? Us either.

Our trips normally average close to 50 people, so back in July when we learned we had the ability to take 100 people to China this April we were a bit surprised at the increased availability. We were even more surprised when all 100 of those seats were booked within 45 days and we had a waiting list that was ever-growing.

"Hey Leo, can we have an additional 50 seats added to our trip this year?" our president, Joe Unterreiner asked the representative for our travel agency, Citslic.

150 People are now coming with us to China. Crazy right? It get's better.

The fall is our busy season where schedules are jammed packed with events like Flathead Manufacturing Day, the Timber Tour and Small Business Saturday. Needless to say, with 150 people already signed up for our trip, marketing the thing more was the last thing on our minds.

"Hey Leo, can we add another 50 seats to our trip this year?" 200 people coming to China with us - WHAT?!

Fortunately with every 30 seats we sold to our passengers we were given the privilege of bringing a staff member for assistance overseas. Joe and the director of our Convention and Visitor Bureau, Diane, were already scheduled to go on the trip. It wasn't long before Joe called our Administrative Services Manager, Katie and I into his office to tell us we'll be flying to China in 6 months.

While Katie and I were (and still are) extremely excited, the idea of taking 200 people around the world and the logistics of the whole thing was definitely daunting.

Over the following weeks it was all-hands-on-deck in the office to collect 200 passports, complete Chinese visa applications, schedule 200 plane tickets, organize travel groups and stay on top of our normal day-to-day Chamber projects.

Needless to say we're definitely well-versed in everything about this trip. We even took a Chinese Travel Vocabulary class at Flathead Valley Community College for four weeks.

Now we are 14 days away from being wheels up and on our way to Beijing and really couldn't be more excited.

Wish us luck!
-Kate Lufkin, Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Kate has been with the Kalispell Chamber since August 2015, prior to which she was a competitive equestrian. Kate graduated from The University of Montana in 2013 with two bachelor degrees in Marketing and Management as well as an Organizational Communications minor and Entertainment Management certificate. Go Griz!



Follow along with our trip to China via this blog. We'll be posting daily updates, photos and features of our trip, including a special evening with Ambassador Baucus. 

Welcome to Kalispell Travels

Discover the world with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce.

Each year we facilitate trips for dozens members, Flathead Valley locals and their friends and family across the country to explore the world. Traveling with a chamber often gives individuals a first-class experience while providing an unparalleled sense of safety and security at an unbeatable cost.  We at the Kalispell Chamber pride ourselves on bringing the best experiences to our travelers and an unmatched system of support and preparation to make international travel a breeze.

Through this blog you will be able to follow along with us as we travel to many of the world's most incredible destinations. We'll give you a sense as to what our chamber trips are like by letting you follow along with us through a stream of photos and stories from each trip. Additionally, we'll let you in on the whole process of planning one of our trips as well as travel tips and suggestions.

Some of the destinations we have traveled to include:
Costa Del Sol, Spain
Tuscany, Italy
Athens, Greece
China
Ireland

Coming up this year is a 10-day trip to Beijing, Xi'An and Shanghai, China in spring that we were able to offer for $2,499. Follow along with our trip through this blog, we'll post updates daily!

Also coming up is a 10-day trip to Innsbruck, Austria this fall for $3,549.

If you are interested in receiving more information about any of our international trips, please reach out to us at info@kalispellchamber.com or call (406)758-2803.