When Jeff Etzkin, vice president of events and international memberships for Alexandria, Va.-based Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, decided to hold this year’s Summer Executive Committee Meeting in Jackson Hole, attendees were buzzing about the meeting’s site even before the June event had begun.
“There was a lot of excitement about the location,” he says, adding that the group’s expectations where surpassed once they arrived.
“We were just surprised by how beautiful it was,” Etzkin says. “We had no idea. It was breathtaking.”
The 20-person group stayed in and held meetings at The Wort Hotel, located in the town of Jackson, and thought the property was top-notch.
“It was a beautiful and fantastic hotel,” he says. “They had a very attentive staff and did an excellent job with all of our requirements.”
The group’s attraction to Jackson Hole was further enhanced by its participation in a variety of outdoor activities, with many active jaunts set up with the help of the staff at The Wort Hotel.
“We did a white-water rafting trip, we did a hot-air balloon trip one morning and we spent a day in Yellowstone,” Etzkin says, making sure to mention that because Yellowstone is so spread out, it was difficult to see everything they wanted to in just one day. “Maybe our visit to Yellowstone would have been better with a day and a half. You just touch the surface when you are there for such a short time.”
According to Etzkin, one of his groups’ favorite memories was listening to a guitar player perform at The Blue Lion, a restaurant situated close to Jackson’s Town Square.
“We had dinner on the patio [of The Blue Lion] and this guy was out there playing all cover stuff,” he says. “He was excellent.”
In addition to Jackson Hole’s activity options and entertainment, Etzkin says he was impressed by the affordability and accessibility of the destination.
“It was very reasonable; it wasn’t astronomical,” he says. “Jackson Hole offers a lot in a very convenient location and it is easy to get to compared with other places we have been.”
When asked if he would return, Etzkin didn’t hesitate.
“Oh yeah, I would go back. I would go out of my way to find a reason to go back,” he says. “It was the beautiful location, the amenities, the restaurants, the shopping, it was easy to get to; it was just the whole package that drew us there. The whole experience was just perfect. It was one of the best we’ve done. I just had a blast in Jackson Hole.”
