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  • Poised For Change
    The ski area industry came together in Charleston, S.C., for NSAA's "Future of the Industry" Summit at the national trade show. The conference used a "visioning" approach to plan for the future, asking tough questions such as: "Who are we?" "What do our customers want?" and "How do we give it to them?" Though no specific answers emerged, a process has begun which seemed valuable to most attendees.
  • NSAA's New Chairman
    A profile of Dan Seme of Snowshoe, W.V., NSAA's new chairman. Team effort and consensus are his twin themes to moving the ski industry into the future.
  • More Days/ More Fun But Shrinking Numbers
    The 1995-96 National Skier/Boarder Opinion Survey (NSOS) shows continuing trends in participation, income levels, age and interests. Customers are more complex and attracting them is more challenging than ever.
  • Downsizing Snofones
    The ubiquitous toll-free 800-number for snow condition reports is on the wane at many ski areas. It's not lack of skier interest, but the big dollars needed to maintain these services.
  • The Snow King Of Tyrol Basin
    A whimsical tale based on the true story of the McKays of Tyrol Basin and how they attempted to create the world's first fullpipe.
  • Bedless Destination
    Without a bed base, Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon, couldn't compete as a destination ski resort but without big bucks, it couldn't construct overnight housing. A lodging/lift ticket partnership with the nearby town of Hood River solved the problem.
  • Suggestion Box Goes High-Tech
    At Silver Mountain, Idaho, the old on-site, intercept-and-quiz customer surveys have been replaced by metal boxes with keypads, providing results that are cost-effective, more reliable and less biased.
  • Plastic Replaces Coupon Books
    Swain Ski Center, N.Y., replaced coupon books with a debit card system using credit card technology and equipment already in place. The new system provided valuable marketing information on the skiing and use patterns of guests, allowing customized marketing offers.
  • Caution! Forest Plan Revisions Ahead
    A timely reminder that the mandated revisions of land-use plans by the Forest Service require close involvement by ski area permittees.
  • Reliability For Evacuation
    All parts of lift backup engines should be tested and maintained to ensure reliability. Three possible components of an effective evacuation system include: accommodation of a worst-case scenario, preservation of system design capacity and component assurance testing.
  • Emotional End Of An Era At S-K-I
    A report on the S-K-I stockholders' meeting where an overwhelming vote was taken to approve a planned buyout by Sunday River's Les Otten.
  • Replacements, Rebuilds And Other Fixes
    An outline of the various approaches being taken to solve the problem of design and manufacturing deficiencies in Yan detachables produced by Lift Engineering of Carson City, NV.
  • Fighting Snowboard Theft
    A list of precautions ski areas can take to combat the problem of snowboard theft.
  • Skiing Down; Boarding Up
    Review of annual sports participation studies by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) and American Sports Data (SD).
  • Welcome To Aspen
    The Ambassador program at Aspen, Colo., gives guests a local connection, locals a chance to talk up their favorite ski area, and gives the Skico a direct line to guest concerns and problems.
  • Making Media Best Friends
    Seven steps to make writers and photographers the best friends of a public relations director.
  • What Do Singles Want? Try Romance
    Effectively targeting the singles market is more of an exercise in emphasis than structural change: talk about romance, not inches of powder. Includes other suggestions for attracting members of this sizeable group.
  • Fall Consumer Ski Show Schedule
    Roundup of North American consumer ski shows.
  • 1996 Metro Newspaper Directory
    A comprehensive roundup of newspaper special sections and winter travel promotions in major North American markets.
  • The Charleston Summit
    Praise for NSAA's innovative design of the Future of the Industry Summit at the national trade show, with a recommendation to include the participatory component every year.
  • Bands Of Small Ski Areas
    Small, non-competing ski areas should form peer groups to share experiences and expertise in order to minimize their size disadvantage and assure their survival.