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MIDWEST SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION, GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA, WIS., AUG. 13-16

The annual Midwest Ski Areas Association Summer Meeting and Tradeshow was held at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis., Aug. 13-16. The event drew a total of 465 attendees—the largest-ever registered attendence at the Midwest summer meeting—for educational sessions, networking opportunities, and a tradeshow.  1. One of SAM magazine’s “10 Under 30,” Ry Baumann of Granite Peak, Wis., poses with Jack Fagone of SAM, a 2017 “10 Under 30.”   2. Sam Garrett of PRINOTH, Jack Fagone of SAM, Bill London of Terry Peak Ski Area, S.D., and Mike Gorney of Cone Drive Operations at the annual 9-hole golf scramble.  3. Charles Skinner of Midwest Family Ski Resorts accepts the Jim VanderKelen Achievement Award, pictured with (from left) Brooke VanderKelen Alba, Joe VanderKelen, and daughter, Charlotte Skinner.

SAM SUMMER OPS CAMP, STEAMBOAT SKI RESORT, COLO., SEPT. 10-12

Participants gathered Sept. 10-12, at Steamboat Ski Resort, Colo., for this year’s SAM Summer Ops Camp, a part-experiential, part-educational event designed to help ski area operators grow their summer business. 1. Eric Lipton of SNOW Operating presented a workshop on process mapping for the summer guest experience. Pictured: Susan Cross and David Grey of Snowmass and Claire Humber of SE Group work on idealized mapping together.  2. Campers got to experience A-Basin’s spectacular via feratta courtesy of Mike Friedman, Adventure Partners.  3. Steamboat president Rob Perlman with SAM’s Olivia Rowan.  4. Ski legend and Steamboat director of skiing Billy Kidd with another industry veteran, Blaise Carrig (formerly of Vail Resorts). 5. OpenSky presented a drone show that wowed the crowd with moving images and a soundtrack narrated by Billy Kidd for Steamboat’s 60th anniversary. 6. Campers were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the world-class learning area called Greenhorn Ranch, where plans for year-round use were discussed. 7. Mountain bike and e-bike demos, courtesy of INTENSE bikes, with the team from Gravity Logic and the Steamboat bike park managers. 8. Hugh Reynolds of SNOW Partners was the lucky winner of the Great Glamping Giveaway, which included $50,000 in glamping tents from EJH Distribution, represented by Jacob Marler and Nick Purslow.

NEW ENGLAND SUMMIT, PORTLAND, MAINE, SEPT. 18-19

The New England Summit’s first year in Portland, Maine, drew 375 attendees, including representatives from 75 suppliers and 39 ski areas, for two days of educational sessions, meetings, and networking events, Sept. 18-19.   1. Erik Barnes from Ragged Mountain, N.H., with NSAA president Kelly Pawlak.  2. Kim Stearns of Mountain Uniforms with MND’s Dennis Kinsella. courtesy of Dave Gibson.  3. Senan Gorman of North Pole Design hangs at the SAM booth with the Pats Peak team.  4. Ryan Lavoie of MountainGuard and Kevin Nichol, Ontario Snowsports Association, sharing dad jokes. courtesy of Dave Gibson.  5. Tim Bruce from Safehold Special Risk with NSAA’s Earl Saline.  6. HKD and Ratnik welcoming Cannon’s (N.H.) Greg Keeler. 

SKI NY-SKI PA EXPO, LAKE PLACID, N.Y., SEPT. 25-27

The Ski Areas of New York and Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association held their annual joint SKI NY-SKI PA Expo in Lake Placid, Sept. 25-27, with more than 350 ski area personnel, supplier partners, and experts on hand to learn, network, and have a little fun at the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games. 1. Leaders from New York’s Oak Mountain and Bristol Mountain at the Prinoth booth.  2. Party-on Hugh [Reynolds of SNOW Partners], party-on Senan [Gorman of North Pole Design], party-on Stew [Jensen of NXT Concepts]. 3. Cindy Dady of ORDA and Mike Lane, NSAA. 4. Ski NY president Scott Brandi presented safety awards to ORDA’s Cindy Dady, Bristol Mountain’s Steve Fuller (pictured here), and Holiday Valley’s Kate Eshbaugh. 5. Retiring Hunter president Russ Coloton and NSAA president Kelly Pawlak.