History

Conceived and started in 1984 by four individuals (Alan Gunsbury, Chich Knight, Bill Koch, and Bob Graham), the CMR (at first called the “Minnesota Resort Congress”) was created out of a need for help and support for the unique problems they faced daily in operating their resorts.

This need was not fulfilled, nor even begun to be addressed, by existing organizations.

The organization began to grow following the first workshop at the Quarterdeck in the fall of 1984.

Organizational meetings were held that fall and goals were discussed. The founders staged 10 workshops (traveling 7,000 miles) around the state the first year. Attendance and participation were excellent, and a format was established for subsequent workshops: future workshops would draw heavily on the expertise of resorters and tap the skills and resources of all participants.

The workshops were to be the heart of the CMR - opportunities for resorters to come together and share their successes and failures, and then go away with renewed spirit, ideas and methods.

The Congressional Log (a periodical newsletter), which from the beginning was mailed to all state resorters, became an important supplement to the workshops. In it, resorters continued the exchanges of information begun at workshops.

Today, it is a quarterly publication, and like the workshops, it has earned a reputation among resorters as a source of valuable information. This publication is also sent to the legislature to keep them informed and interested in the resort industry.

Unselfish exchange of information continues to be realized through the CMR and is a continuing vital goal as the organization grows.

From a beginning of four resorters, membership has slowly and steadily grown. In 1991, membership topped 150, and 1992 looks like the best year ever for CMR growth.

As resorters become more sophisticated and business oriented, their hunger for information increases. The CMR helps satisfy that hunger, especially in disseminating practical techniques for running a day-to-day resort operation.