WWW.METRAPARK.COM METRAPARK M O N T A N A A FACILITY THAT REFLECTS THE REGION
A FACILITY TH REFLECTS TH METRAPARK MONTANA AT A GLANCE METRAPARK MONTANA WHAT: A premier event facility and home to the MontanaFair WHERE: B illings, Montana WEBSITE: www.metrapark.com 1 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06
HAT HE REGION OFFERING UNFORGETTABLE EVENTS FOR 5 DECADES Spanning more than 180 acres just east of downtown Billings, MetraPark has been a pivotal part of Montana’s event landscape for half a century. From sell‑out concerts to local and state sporting events, and the much anticipated MontanaFair, this versatile complex blends long‑standing traditions with forward‑looking plans, fueling economic impact and community pride. 2 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06
A LONGSTANDING FACILITY For 50 years, the First Interstate Arena at MetraPark has welcomed audiences to an eclectic mix of concerts, sports, and community happenings. With its signature “in the round” configuration, the arena can accommodate up to 10,000 guests, with most headliners drawing about 8,500 attendees. Beyond the arena itself, the property offers two expansive trade‑show halls, one almost 70,000 sq ft and the other just over 30,000 sq ft, and a new outdoor arena is also under construction. MetraPark General Manager, Stoney Field, shares, “There was one in the past, but it had been up for close to 80 years. Now we’re in the process of rebuilding a new outdoor arena, which will seat around 3,200 in the actual bleachers.” The site is also home to several stalling barns, and a large open area for the carnival to set up during the MontanaFair. THE NOSTALGIA OF THE FAIR REINVENTED This August the MontanaFair is proudly celebrating its 110th year, consistently drawing more visitors than any other event in the region. Fair Coordinator Michaela Woempner highlights,“We’ve got a lot of things planned around not only the 110 years, but having a new theme-‘Celebrate’.We are really getting that county fair feel back. We’ve been hearing a lot of feedback from the community, and we are making sure that they’re a part of this fair and that we’re creating an event that brings memories.” Attractions such as the People’s Garden and interactive educational opportunities invite attendees to engage with Montana’s agricultural roots, offering the atmosphere of a genuine state fair experience.“Not only are we showcasing a lot of our great community partners in our programming, but we will also have an audio tour this year,” details Woempner.” She explains that by scanning a QR code archival photos located throughout the facility will be paired with narrated stories, allowing visitors to trace MetraPark’s evolution. “You’ll be able to learn the history of Metra and the buildings that are on the grounds, what the fair used to be,” she describes, “We are happy to be able to share that tradition and that history while also moving forward and sharing about our new, exciting changes.” 3 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06 METRAPARK MONTANA
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A HUB OF THE REGION MetraPark is a cornerstone of the community, bringing events that generate economic ripple effects throughout Billings and the area, and close to 1000 businesses directly benefit from its success. With a local footprint of 160,000 residents, the city of Billings, and MetraPark, draw from a four state region of approximately 600,000 people.“They come to Billings a lot because of our connection to the Ag community, restaurants, retail, events. But Metra is that draw that usually gets them here,” John Brewer, President and CEO of the Billings Chamber of Commerce depicts.“We’re extremely thankful for that facility, and we have a big team of businesses and individuals that are passionate about that support and partnership.” While many guests arrive on day trips, a significant share opts to stay overnight, fueling local hotels, restaurants, and shopping, with an average visitor expenditure of $180 a day. “We’ve really identified ourselves as an event destination. We can provide those upscale events that other places can’t,” says Brewer.“In addition to that, MetraPark is driving local job creation and tax revenue, and really reinforcing that position of us as a regional destination.” Visitor spending tied to concerts, conventions and sporting events pushes annual lodging‑tax revenues into the tens of millions, supporting not only MetraPark’s capital improvements but also a host of other tourism initiatives. A STRONG TEAM It takes a dedicated group of 41 full‑time employees to orchestrate MetraPark’s year‑round operations, and each of them are committed to the venue’s success. “I couldn’t be prouder of the team that I have,” boasts Field. “You have to be willing to put in the hours, be working the weekends, working the events where your family and friends are coming to enjoy themselves. I have a young management team right now that all have the same mindset.They want to make this the best facility it can be.” MetraPark also brings in up to an additional 150 part 5 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06 METRAPARK MONTANA
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time employees to work concessions and other areas during events, with the number increasing to 300 during the fair.“We do have a ton of folks who year in, year out want to be at the fair, so they’re folks that we can rely on,” says Field.“But as a whole, trying to fill some of those part time spots, to keep reliable folks in there that also have the same passion for what we do, that is a challenge.” SELF‑SUSTAINING UPGRADES With the county currently directing most of its funding to public safety initiatives, MetraPark’s capital improvements, including the new outdoor arena, are being funded through ticketing revenue and venue rentals. “We did not have to go to the general fund. We did not have to ask the taxpayers for any of those dollars,” Field remarks. Looking ahead, improvements will need to be made to the arena, including upgrades to the sky boxes, as well as seating and HVAC updates. He recounts,“The reality of it is, 50 years in a building puts a lot of wear and tear, and we’ve tried to keep up on the maintenance of that, but we have some big infrastructure stuff that is going to need to be addressed sooner than later.” He underscores the benefits of the outdoor arena from both a cost and maintenance standpoint.“The HVAC system has to have brand new filters each time that I have an event in here with dirt. We physically have to bring the dirt into the building and then take it back out,” he expands.“The outdoor arena is going to fit a niche that will help us be able to extend the life of our building. From a price point, some of the smaller events, the local horse shows, local equine events, it’s going to be much more compatible for 7 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06 METRAPARK MONTANA
them to utilize our outdoor arena during the summer time.” The outdoor arena will set the stage for a new rodeo partnership at the MontanaFair, adding to the excitement of this classic event.“We truly appreciate the chamber’s support with what we’re trying to accomplish here,” imparts Field.“At a facility like this with an outdoor arena, we’re not limited to just rodeo and equine events. We can do some of the smaller concerts in an outdoor area, as opposed to bringing everybody inside the building on a nice summer evening.” IT TAKES A COMMUNITY MetraPark recognizes the value of its partnerships, from First Interstate Bank, who hold the arena’s naming rights, to the many collaborations that help elevate the venue and the community.These include local non profits and community groups, as well as entities such as the Tourism Business Improvement District, who generate lodging tax revenue.“That is a significant funder of supporting MetraPark as well as other tourism aspects,” conveys Brewer. “We’ve also got a very focused media team in town, whether it’s our TV stations, newspaper, and others that really partner and give a lot of visibility, broadcasting live at MetraPark and creating that regional excitement about things that are going on at Metra.” FUTURE PLANS Over the next 24 months,MetraPark aims to expand its sports offerings and cultivate new events, specifically during the fall and winter months. Brewer says these align with the Chamber’s key priorities. “We have developed the first sports commission within our 8 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06
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region and are really focused on recruiting more amateur athletics, to boost our economy as well as quality of life,” he relays. For Woempner, the emphasis is on bringing people together at the fair, to celebrate the skills and talents of the community, along with the agricultural history of the region. “We have a solid quarter of a million that attend the fair every year, so now we just really want to focus on making sure that we’re offering the best to our community and having them be a part of that.” Field’s own wish list includes a possible “festival grounds” concept, tailoring to outdoor events such as mid‑sized concerts, cultural gatherings and community festivals that might feel too small for the indoor arena. “Currently we’re just moving forward with some of the things that have been approved and that are in my pocket that I can work with,” he reflects.“We will continue to improve and allow our facility to be absolutely the paramount facility within our region.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Yellowstone Bank www.yellowstone.bank 10 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06
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