Most often travelers to the Colorado Rockies are thrill seekers, and these thrill seekers are athletes looking to push their physical limits.  The thin air makes physical exercise that much harder, you dehydrate faster, headaches come on quick- it’s a test to push your abilities to the limits.  For the past 5 years Aspen has been putting on the “Ideas Festival”, meant to push and challenge intellect. Leaving behind the bikes and skies, bring your books and notebooks because this festival will get your wheels turning.  The Aspen Ideas Festival is going to be celebrating its 6^th year this July.  This festival brings together a diverse group of people to share new ideas, debate old ideas, discuss current topics in the media and that effect the nation and the world.  The goal of the festival is to make our world a better place.  From presentations and lectures this is sure to be intellectually stimulating with words from writers, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and other leaders in their fields of expertise. All of the events will take place at the Aspen Institute and the theme is “Ideas in Action”.  Aspen is a beautiful and peaceful setting that will stimulate your mind, body and soul.  Summer is a busy time in Aspen so be sure to get your travel plans made early so you don’t miss out on this big Idea!

These days it takes a lot to put a successful corporate retreat together, the Colorado Rockies can be the perfect place to bring your next corporate retreat.  There are a number of factors from within your company and outside that can affect the success of your retreat.  When considering putting a retreat together the first step is to have a goal of what needs to be accomplished at the retreat.  Asking a team to come together outside of the work place is a big commitment.  Everyone has their own lives, and families to take care of, so asking them to step away from that for a few days can be a lot.  The goal needs to be clear and involve all necessary parties and departments- this means not just bringing in the upper level managers but involving all levels of management.

Time management is the next key element to having success at your next corporate retreat.  No one can dominate and no one should be excluded.  In larger companies often times departments don’t have any communication with one another.  Team building is another element of success at a corporate retreat, and this is usually the most fun part.  The Colorado Rockies play the perfect host to corporate retreats.  All of the mountain destinations provide a relaxed and casual atmosphere; you are far from the city so there are fewer distractions. And the fun stuff- team building activities, the Rockies offer more activities to do together as a team than anywhere.  In the summer you can take your retreat on a thrilling rafting trip, get the team together for a round of golf on the pristine mountain courses- they say most business is done on the course anyways! There are jeep scavenger hunts in the forest, quiet sunset horseback rides for reflection.  Rocky Mt Group Travel specializes in helping groups of all kinds find the perfect location for their next company outing.

April 11-17, Banff, Canada hosted the 35th annual Mountain Travel Symposium, which for those who don’t know is the premier ski industry conference of the year. Tommy Hoffman and James Bengala were the lucky two who represent Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at the show. MTS was nothing short of a week of power networking, business card exchanges, and cocktail receptions and of course a little skiing in between.

Having planned meetings, I’m a firm believer that nothing can compare to meeting with someone face to face. Living in the business environment that we do; where days are spent in front a computer blasting off emails, leaving voice mails and waiting for someone to get back to you, it is key to have that personal interaction.

The Mountain Travel Symposium allowed RMVR to educate industry suppliers and ski clubs on the uniqueness of our business model and how it has evolved in a way that has raised the bar in the vacation rental industry. It’s always rewarding to learn that your competition has had their eye on your company for quite some time; it says something.  The fact that our company is operated by locals in all the destinations we serve, so we  honestly can provide a different experience for our clients. It boggles my mind that someone would allow a tour operator living in Illinois to plan their ski vacation to Colorado. Wise travelers know that the best way to truly experience a destination is from that of the perspective of a local, not a guide book. It’s a testimony to why I backpacked through Europe staying with locals in every city I could along the way. It’s true that those who live there, offer an unmatched experience and so does Rocky Mountain Group Travel. I’m excited to see all the good to unfold  in the coming months here at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals and Rocky Mountain Group Travel. Not to mention an epic summer is right around the corner from this current snowstorm I stare at through my office window….  Got to love Colorado!