The Wild Life

When working in a destination, it's great to be able to bring events off site to expose guests to as much of the local culture as possible. In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, wildlife is a huge part of the area's attraction so The National Museum of Wildlife Art is the perfect venue. Situated on a butte overlooking a 25,000-acre national elk refuge, the museum offers more than 5,000 items of art inspired by wildlife, a dramatic exterior (there is a photo of it at the end of this post) and a beautiful main hall great for events.

As this area is quite open, we created a central focal point -- a sculpture of natural branches and yellow roses that broke up the space and became a background for photos (and of course, the logo was strategically placed). The ultimate compliment came from a guest who asked "You mean that sculpture isn't always there?" We know we've done our job right when we add an element of decor that feels like it should have been there all the time.


We added texture to the white walls of the main hall where the dinner was taking place. This also helped warm up the large space. Purple washes up the stone facade made it even more "cave like" or intimate.

The tables featured centerpieces of yellow roses and elements natural to the area such as these elk horns.


We tried to position the tables in front of the artwork as much as possible. It was great to have the built-in perimeter decor!


The owl and the ... pussycat?? This is Zaid Arriola, AOO's event producer. He's demonstrating one of the features of the evening, an animal trainer who specializes in birds of prey. This owl didn't mind Zaid's presence at all. Come to think of it, Zaid looks pretty cool about the whole thing too! The trainers also brought in an eagle, and a couple of hawks.

This was a nice tie-in with the museum, but I'd recommend it for any event at a mountain resort. Every time we've done it, it's been a huge hit. And there are usually professional trainers in these areas (as well as in desert and tropical zones) who love to teach people about the indigenous animals, birds and reptiles. It goes a long way in helping people understand more and feel connected to the region.

The exterior of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.