SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Aug. 9, 2005-SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is launching a pilot education seminar series, "Capitalizing on Today's Business Environment," in September. Workshops will focus on sales, marketing and effective small business practices, with separate tracks for retailers, suppliers, and reps. The seminars will take place in Manchester, N.H., on Sept. 20, and Burlington, Vt. on Sept. 21.

The agenda: Jim Spring, president of Leisure Trends will preview SIA's new "Model for Success." The lineup includes the women's market, internet and teen marketing, sales training, the diversity market and business management.

The two pilot seminars are the precursor for a series of regional programs intended to replace SIA's involvement in the Snow Industry Summit, a national conference that has taken place for the past two years at Copper Mountain in conjunction with Mountain Sports Media and TransWorld Media. "We felt that changing the timing of an education program from the spring to the fall would suit our constituents better, and we wanted to give more people the opportunity to hear this valuable information," said David Ingemie, SIA president.

Cost for the seminar is $45. For more information on content and speakers, visit www.thesnowtrade.org//sia/marketing/business_seminar. \