2022
The power of play We take our hats off to technology. Without it, the last two years would have been virtually impossible. And, while we’re grateful it helped us all keep the lights on, Google Hangouts are a far cry from the real thing. Nothing replaces the feeling you get when you meet face to face. It’s why we all need to flip the script on WFH and get out into the world again—to go from “sorry, I think you’re muted,” to peals of laughter. Here at Paws Up and the green o, we’re perfectly poised to welcome you. Few things build strong bonds quite like wrangling a herd of cows, rafting down a river or just having some good, old-fashioned fun together. Of course, no challenge should come without a handsome reward, which is why we offer groups of all sizes cuisine that rivals five-star, big-city dining, plus sumptuous accommodations that provoke the biggest “wows” in the West. Montana’s trademark wide-open spaces have inspired generations of visitors. Now, let them take you on an incredible adventure of reconnection, too. Laura Crugnale, Director of Group Sales Samantha Lange, National Sales Manager JJ Barlow, National Sales Manager The Resort at Paws Up and the green o
GUIDED GUIDED GUIDED GUIDED by Passion GUIDED GUIDED GUIDED GUIDED GUIDED GUIDED
When it comes to activities at Paws Up, you’re not simply blocking time to try something new. You’re taken under the wing of someone whose life is built around the very thing you’ve signed up to do. The guides who work each day on our 37,000-acres property don’t do it because it’s a job. They do it because it’s their passion. Take Jackie Kecskes, for one. As the longtime Equestrian Manager at Paws Up, Kecskes begins preparing for a group months in advance, designing a program that’s beneficial to both guests and horses. For a team-building exercise in the equestrian arena, she might invite each guest to participate in a mini–horse whispering session. Then she’ll teach one person how to brush and saddle their horse, then that person will teach the next person, and so on. “It’s all about being self-aware,” she explains. “How do the things we do with horses shape us as humans, to be better at interacting with other humans? I want people to be able to take something away from this experience that they can go and apply to their lives back home.” Other activities are designed to be just as profound. Assistant Activities Manager Ben Pepe, a fisherman of 24 years, says that floating the river—two guests and a guide literally floating on a raft to fish along the way—is a unique offering thanks to Paws Up’s geography. “You get to cover so much more water, with more opportunities to catch fish,” he says. It’s clear, the fly-fishing guides genuinely love their jobs. “They’ll do a morning trip, an afternoon trip, a fun fish and then go sleep in their cars just so they can fish more in the morning. They love it: they live and breathe fishing,” Pepe says. In fact, he adds, “With any of these activities, it doesn’t feel like a job. And that translates to a pretty special experience for guests. They’re getting to spend time with someone who’s genuinely excited to be on a boat, or a horse or an ATV. How cool is that?”
Some of the best meetings begin with donuts.
There are hometown meetings with coffee and donuts, and then there’s a business meeting at The Resort at Paws Up. Here, you can pull together a think tank in an old historic Bull Barn or head outside to explore 37,000 acres of pristine ranch land, 100 miles of trails and 10 miles of storied river. Put an outing to the Shooting Club for sporting clays in your crosshairs—followed by a whiskey tasting. Or how about a snowmobile or an ATV trip into a historic ghost town, with a hearty lunch and local brews after? Camaraderie, bonding and the occasional bragging rights that activities bring are as vital to feeling part of a team as a boardroom coffee klatch. And while our new resort, the green o, may be hidden among the trees, it seamlessly provides access to all the events and adventures found at Paws Up.
Wi ld e r n ess Gam es Saddle up for a cattle drive. Rope a steer. Play Cow Croquet. Experience the cowboy life, then huddle in our Saddle Club Sky Box with Equestrian Manager Jackie Kecskes to hear how we’re slowly assimilating wild American mustangs into our string of riding horses. Challenge yourself to your first cattle drive amid the sagebrush to channel your inner ranch hand.
S po rti ng Clays an d S n ow Tu b i ng Head to the Paws Up Shooting Club for a winter rush. Take aim at an endless horizon beyond with a finger poised at the trigger and wait for clay pigeons to launch in formation, or engage a friendly rivalry of .22s at the shooting galley below. Celebrate marksmanship victory by hopping into a rubber snow tube and glide down Blast Mountain’s gentle slopes for some slippery winter fun.
Cu r li ng an d B roo m H ockey Sweep the ice and learn an Olympic sport on our ice rink on The Yard at the Cook Shack, just beyond the dining room in Pomp.
Fat Ti r e E - B i ke Tou rS From the Wilderness Outpost, head out on multiple snowy trails to navigate a winter wonderland without the “oomph.”
Too many cooks? No such thing.
“ IF T H E G R E E N O had no hikes, no bikes and no ATVs.
NO T R E E H A U S E S, Round Hauses or Green Hauses.
I f t he wood l a nd s were
To execute the Social Haus’s seasonally inspired
to be extremely detail-oriented while pulling out all
masterpieces
tweezer-precise
the stops. The goal? “To push [a guest’s] boundaries
platings, there are hours of brainstorms and
while at the same time taking them back to fond
planning leading up to a given night’s menu. Not
memories of childhood or a special time and place.”
to mention, the menu isn’t fixed; it changes every
No pressure, of course.
presented
via
single day. It’s only natural, given that it’s inspired by what’s in season. Executive Chef Brandon Cunningham describes the Social Haus’s culinary calling card as “thoughtful plates in an intimate setting,” but he’s burying the lead: thoughtful is a vast understatement. “I feel like I’m always in a state of brainstorming and planning as the seasons change,” says Pastry Chef Krystle Swenson. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to be inspired, and to work on improvement.” Sous Chef (and resident pasta nerd) Elijah Rivers says that the Social Haus’s intimate setting gives
Despite that tall, self-imposed order, they’re clearly delivering. When we asked each member of the Social Haus’s culinary team what the most common guest reaction was, they all had the same answer: “How did you do this?” “Customers are usually baffled by the techniques associated with the meals,” says Sous Chef Shannan Wages. Like the others, Wages credits the Social Haus’s intimacy as the key to its success. With such refined, immaculate details given to every aspect of every meal, he says it’s easy to focus on the exceptional quality of both food and service.
him and his fellow chefs the leeway to get a little
And while the hardest part of working at the Social
weird, in a good way. “Having creative input and
Haus was setting up an entire kitchen from scratch—
expression is a big part of why I do this,” he says.
Sous Chef Kyle Baumgartner says the easiest part
Because the dining room seats just 24 people,
comes from the team itself: “The release of all of this
Rivers and the rest of the team have the flexibility
creative energy into the menus.”
D E V O I D O F M O U N TA I N L I O N S , deer and hibernating bears.
I f t here were no
G O L D E N TA M A R A C K S , golden pastures or golden paths of golden needles. I would still go to the green o—
“
The Orchestrator. The Enforcer of Excellence. The Pasta Guy. The Sweet Treat Snack Lady. There’s an entire cast of characters at the Social Haus at the green o, working intensely to pull off something they call dinner. (Most guests probably would call it magic.)
F O R T H E F O O D. —JAMIE EDWARDS (@IAMLOSTANDFOUND_)
D
I
N
N
E
R
H O U R O N E ( PA S S E D A P P E T I Z E R S )
sample menu
popcorn chicken/herbed salt & vinegar/dill aioli nashville hot cauliflower/cashew buffalo sauce petite vegetable crudité/goat cheese green goddess/onion ash streusel winter squash “cappuccino”/aged sherry/pomegranate/maple espuma seeded cracker/avocado/smoked trout roe/oxalis sour cream & onion chip/crème fraiche/osetra caviar H O U R T W O ( E N T R É E S T Y L E S TAT I O N S ) wagyu sando/milk bread/miso aioli/cucumber/ishiyaki takoyaki waffle/bbq trout/yuzu mayo/bonito raclette fondue/montana-produced vegetables & charcuterie/sourdough king salmon “pop-tart”/spinach/everything spice/cultured cream/puff pastry
ne
tamago tortelloni/country ham dashi/bacon katsuobushi beef & broccoli/scallop/daikon/xo sauce/fortune cookie
A Cozy Feast in the Pines “The Social Haus is ideal for a cocktail hour with passed appetizers, followed by larger dishes prepared with guest input,” says Executive Chef Brandon Cunningham. “Other options, weather-dependent, are a plated, formal long table event on the outer deck or a picnic just beyond a pine thicket.”
One of the nation’s most ambitious new restaurants is tucked away in the —Robb Report Montana wilderness.
There’s ROI in OMG There are team retreats—and then there are team retreats at Paws Up. We hear this time and time again from our group facilitators. In their minds (and in ours, of course), there simply isn’t a comparison. “Paws Up is just a different level, from the service to the experiences,” says Martha Schwartz, the president and cofounder of Activate Marketing Services, whose teams are split between New York and San Francisco. Every year, Schwartz and her partner treat their team of 40+ to a truly unique offsite: a chance to bond and get to know each other—ideally somewhere they’re not likely to visit on their own. Meetings are kept to a minimum, and team-building trumps everything else. For her group, that meant large family-style dinners, backcountry trail tours, the cattle drive, ATV rides, fly-fishing, shooting—the works. And it worked: Schwartz says she noticed that people acted differently in Big Sky Country. The word elated came to mind. “There they were in Montana, far from anywhere else in the country, and it was beautiful, unique and special,” she says. “They just had a different look in their eyes. Of course, we’d all been looking at each other over Zoom forever, but this was just different.” Beyond having an incredible time, Schwartz says that hosting her team at Paws Up felt like a reward worth offering. She admits it “might sound crazy,” but in the era of the Great Resignation, the trip to Paws Up turned out to be a retention tool: “When people are weighing their job options, this—trips like this—is part of why people work at a company. If there is leadership that thinks enough of them to take them to such an amazing place, that matters.” Months after their fall retreat, Schwartz says everyone was still adding photos and video from the trip. A few have asked what Paws Up might be like in wintertime. Looking toward next year’s retreat, Schwartz says she has just one thought:
“My concern is that nothing will beat Paws Up.”
H I R E DGUNS A truly memorable experience at The Resort at Paws Up will always offer an array of exhilarating outdoor activities. But visiting groups can also select from an unlikely menu of workshops, unique to the ranch and its landscape, for an exceptional signature Montana retreat. What’s more, learning new skills provides participants the chance to break out into smaller teams, challenge themselves, foster camaraderie and deepen their connections.
Here are just a smattering of options. Ple i n Ai r Pai nti ng “Plein air” is a style of painting ushered in around the turn of the 19th century, when artists began rejecting contrived landscapes, turning to nature for actual inspiration. Northwest fine artist Danielle LaGoy introduces groups to this art form in one sitting. She finds people surprise themselves once they begin painting. Seated under a willow tree, or overlooking pastures and the Swan Mountain range, even novices create delightful “destination memories.”
Pr i m itive S u rvival S ki lls Montanan Gary Steele spent 30 years living remotely in the woods and teaches both practical (fire-building) and primitive skills. Stone-blade knives fixed to antlers and other found objects make for authentic, useable mementos. Participants also learn knife throwing and atlatl—a spear thrower that revolutionized hunts for primitive man 30,000 years ago. “People love the primal nature of this that they can’t really do anywhere else,” Steele says.
Cu li nary Arts As a food-focused resort, cooking demos of every variety have happened at Paws Up, but none are more delightful than those featuring foraged ingredients. “In spring, all kinds of blossoms and shoots (balsam leaves and salsify are common) lend themselves to a tempura or ‘wilted’ presentation with butter, shallots and champagne vinegar,” Senior Executive Chef Sunny Jin says. And, as participants learn, that kind of connection to place can happen anywhere, and any time of year.
Natu r e Ph otog raphy No better setting could ever be imagined than the 37,000 acres of Paws Up and the new resort on the Ranch, the green o. Bring your pro camera or your iPhone and go exploring with Stuart Thurlkill. It could be a fleeting deer or a piece of bark, he says, but the focus is on seeing ordinary things and crystallizing them into something extraordinary. “Visuals act as a strong marker of an experience,” he says. “I teach people to be in the moment with that.”
T H E EXP E RT G U I D E TO
P L A N N I N G Getting the most out of your group trip is easy: just focus on accommodations, event spaces and activities. If only it were that simple, right? Well, let us help with a handy flow chart.
I N T R O D U C I N G T H E M O N TA N A M E E T I N G M A X I M I Z E R : L E T ’ S TA L K WANT TO STAY IN SAFARI-STYLE TENTS WITH NIGHTLY CAMPFIRES?
WANT TO STAY IN A STYLISH RETREAT NESTLED IN THE WOODS?
WANT TO STAY WHERE YOU’LL HAVE PRIVATE SUITES?
YES
YES
YES
Is your event in the spring, summer or fall?
Is your group 12–24 people?
How does falling asleep to the whisper of the wind in a safari-style tent with heated floors and spa-like bathrooms sound?
INCREDIBLE!
GREAT! Will some be bringing a plus-one they’d like to impress?
YES
Do you need an intimate, outside-the-box space for brainstorming?
Try the Social Haus at the green o.
How about a bigger space where you can stretch out and strategize?
Commandeer the Bull Barn.
How does sinking into a buttery leather couch in front of a roaring fire sound?
YES YES
V E N U E S
What about hot tubs and decks?
NATURALLY!
Looking for a big night out?
Gather in the Saddle Club Sky Box for an equestrian skills exhibition, then sit down to dine in the Tack Room.
Do you want to feel immersed in the woods any time of year?
YES
Choose from an array of spacious homes scattered among the trees. There are 27 in all.
Reserve a private glampsite. We have six sites in serene settings near the Blackfoot River. Book the green o, with 12 double-occupancy Hauses nestled in a pine forest.
Care to dine on the banks of the river?
Host an evening in a camp Dining Pavilion, where guests can spot eagles’ nests and biting trout.
Hungry for some gorgeous Montana views?
Organize a Montana Long Table at The Yard at the Cook Shack or the Island Lodge at Salmon Lake.
Win a green o GIFT BOX. In just five minutes, answer five questions and turn each guess into a “yes!” Send us your completed quiz by email to pawsupgroupsales@pawsup.com. You’ll be entered to win a box full of surprises from the green o.
1:
2:
3:
HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIRDS CALL OUR RANCH HOME?
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE BISON?
HOW MANY ANIMAL SPECIES LIVE ON PROPERTY?
55
100 pounds
100
333
500 pounds
115
433
1,000 pounds
125
735
1,500 pounds
142
4:
5:
WHEN THE PROPERTY FIRST BECAME A WORKING RANCH, WHAT ANIMALS WERE PAINTED WITH A GREEN “O”?
WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF OUR CARRIAGE TEAM HORSES? Pete and Repete
horses
Step and Repeat
sheep
Pete and Tom
cows
Tom and Jerry
bison
Ready to wow your crowd? Connect with us today to plan an unforgettable meeting, retreat or incentive for your group this year. Just email us at pawsupgroupsales@pawsup.com or go to pawsup.com/groups/rfp to request a proposal.
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