More than 500 lift mechanics, operations staff, managers, suppliers, and instructors attended the 45th annual Rocky Mountain Lift Association (RMLA) Spring Conference May 2-5 in Grand Junction, Colo. The theme was “Expanding Winter into Summer” but focus was clearly on lift maintenance training and winter operations. There were fewer sessions on risk management and guest service this year, and more about how to keep older lifts healthy.

The annual Toronto Snow Show, Oct. 15-18, 2015, at the International Centre, helped kick-start the upcoming Canadian winter ski season—as well as the North American consumer show season. Featuring a mix of vendors, local retailers and 40+ resorts from across North America, thousands of consumers flooded the trade show floor looking to purchase the latest gear, the best season passes available, and unbeatable travel packages.

The annual ISKINY-PSAA Expo Sept. 21-23, 2015, at Lake Placid, N.Y., attracted more than 370 ski resort, vendor, and guest attendees from across North America. Two major themes dominated the gathering: the guest experience and risk management.

Before diving into business, though, the fun kicked off with a tour of the operational areas at Whiteface Resort, followed by a friendly golf tournament.

The near-record turnout at this year's New England Summit Sept. 15-17 showed how much excitement there is in the region as resorts anticipate what El Nino will bring—including the possibility the Northeast is looking at another record-breaking snowfall year. Show organizer Bo Bigelow of the Ski Maine Association said the Summit drew 290 ski area attendees and an overall total attendance of 452 including exhibitors and speakers. Sessions were well attended, and the trade show hall was standing room only. 

The continued growth in summer resort operations lured more than 160 attendees representing 50 resorts, along with 34 vendor partners, from across North America to SAM’s 6th annual Summer Ops Camp at Camelback Resort, Pa., Sept. 9-11. The three-day conference addressed several aspects of “The Serious Business of Summer Fun” and provided several opportunities to demo a variety of summer activities and different ways to program them.

OK, that’s a trick question. SAVMI, the Ski Area Vehicle Mechanics Institute, is likely the only such program anywhere. Where else can groomer mechanics learn about Tier 4 mechanics, oil analysis, tire and track maintenance, plus electrical and hydraulic troubleshooting? And that’s why its 30th annual Conference and Trade show drew 312 attendees, including more than 200 resort personnel from 49 resorts (comprising 13 states and three countries) and representatives from 47 supplier companies to the Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction, Colo., May 18-21.

NSAA’s National Convention and Tradeshow in San Francisco at the Hilton San Francisco May 2-6 drew the usual crowd. But there was a greater sense of urgency than usual, as the prolonged drought in California and extreme snow and cold in the East depressed visits last season. A slew of other issues kept attendees focused on business issues.

Approximately 23,000 winter resort professionals descended on Messe Innsbruck, Austria, April 15-17 for the annual Interalpin trade show. Attendees came from nearly 80 countries, from major markets such as the U.S., France, and Switzerland to emerging markets such as Kazakhstan, China, and Argentina. More than 60 percent of the visitors came from outside of Europe, indicating the show’s international appeal.

On Feb. 10-12, more than 400 ski area attendees representing 87 areas gathered at Snowbird, Utah, where 105 exhibitors filled the show floor. Attendees had a variety of educational sessions to choose from as presenters tackled everything from drone technology, freestyle terrain resource updates, minimum wage exemptions and the future of electronic incident reporting. Snowbird itself received close to six inches of snow during the conference, which many attendees took full advantage of during first tracks on Wednesday and Thursday. 

From September 22-24, 2014, Hunter Mountain, N.Y., hosted the annual SANY/PSAA meeting. It was a record-breaker in many regards. Overall, there were over 400 attendees, 237 of whom came from 52 ski areas from New York, Pennsylvania and beyond. Over 76 companies were on hand to showcase their products. The highlight of the show was the final gala dinner, which called for attendees to come dressed in their best Woodstock outfits. Many obliged, creating a throwback event complete with daisies, tie-dye and funky glasses.

From September 16-18, 2014, over 250 people from 65 resorts gathered at Attitash, N.H., for three days of shopping, networking and learning at the New England Summit. There were 72 exhibitors in the packed trade show hall, giving attendees plenty to peruse. When not in the trade show hall, attendees had dozens of sessions to choose from, covering everything from snowmaking to marketing and rental to risk management. On the final evening, conference goers were treated to a spectacular fireworks display by Atlas PyroVision, followed by a dinner at Bear Peak base lodge.

With interest in summer business continuing to grow, it’s no surprise that this year’s Summer Ops Camp, held at Vail, Colo., Sept. 3-5, drew a record attendance of 150 from both resorts (46) and suppliers (34). Campers from North America, Chile, and China participated in range of business, activity-specific, and risk management seminars and discussions, and got hands-on with activities at Vail’s Adventure Ridge, Glenwood Caverns, Breckenridge Fun Park, and at the suppliers’ demo area in Vail Village.

From August 3-6, over 290 ski area attendees representing 55 ski areas gathered at Boyne Mountain in Michigan for three days of shopping, networking and learning. Over 76 companies displayed their wares providing attendees a one-stop shop for the coming season. Boyne supplied attendees with abundant sunshine, great food and a beautiful resort packed with every amenity a guest could want, from an indoor waterpark to a golf course, and from biking to zip lining. Indoors, attendees had the choice of dozens of information-packed sessions, addressing everything from lift maintenance to marketing.

Cutter's Camp at Timberline, Mt. Hood, wrapped up last week, May 12-16, and celebrated its 12th year for this gathering. The shorter eastern Cutter's Camp took place last month, April 4-6, at Mount Snow, Vt. Between the two camps, over 85 resorts from across the continent (and a few from overseas) gathered with one thing in common—a passion to ensure that resorts both big and small run safe and successful parks.

On a glorious evening in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 18, Leitner-Poma hosted an event to celebrate its installation of the world's tallest observation wheel, the High Roller. Attendees included representatives from Leitner-Poma, Sigma, Aspen/Snowmass, Grouse Mountain, Mt. Hood Meadows, Arapahoe Basin, Val Badia and many other parties involved in the construction of the project. The 550-foot wheel proved to be an impressive back-drop for an opening cocktail reception. And right at sunset, attendees were treated to a 30-minute ride on the wheel.

The annual Rocky Mountain Lift Association (RMLA) conference May 5-8 in Grand Junction, Colo., expanded the usual safety and risk-management themes to year-round activities—a trend that has spanned several conferences this season. That, along with the many training sessions and several “does this happen at your area?” roundtables, drew a typical crowd of 315 attendees, along with another 111 speakers and suppliers.

The annual NSAA Convention, held in Savannah, Ga., April 29-May 2, drew an enthusiastic crowd. The convention provided an upbeat conclusion to a season that started slowly but rebounded strongly. Over 120 resorts were in attendance to cruise the trade show aisles, which hosted 150 companies. In all, 867 people had the chance to network, learn and recreate.