SAM Magazine—Red Lodge, Mont., June 25, 2024—The 2024 Intermountain Ski Areas Association (ISAA) Conference, held June 10-12 in Red Lodge, Mont., attracted a record attendance of 246 ski industry business professionals. Red Lodge Mountain GM Jeff Schmidt accepts the Outstanding Contribution Award at the ISAA Conference.The event provided a platform for attendees to share best practices and discuss the future of the ski industry with a host of educational sessions and networking opportunities.

“This year’s conference was about getting back to the roots of our business, and Red Lodge helped us do that,” said Ken Rider, president of ISAA and general manager of Brundage Mountain Resort, Idaho. 

ISAA is a trade organization that represents ski area members in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.

The conference kicked off on Monday, June 10, with a golf scramble at the Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course. The day concluded with a welcome reception at the golf course.

Tuesday and Wednesday were mostly dedicated to a variety of education sessions, which followed five different tracks: mountain operations core, revenue centers, resort management and administration, lifts (maintenance and operations), and base area village ops. The PistenBully Service School, where Mike Palfreyman and Scot Sorensen covered basic hydraulic and electric architecture, was held both days.

The educational mix also included a session on rigging that was led by Jason Zakotnik from Above & Beyond, Inc., focusing on haul-rope rigging, splicing, and inspections. Jacob Shafter from Schaeffler Group led a session on bearings and grease. Alicia Etcheverry, director of operations at Wyoming’s Pine Creek Ski Resort, led a roundtable discussion among small ski area operators that shared best practices in a variety of mountain departments as well as new trends and emerging revenue centers. 

On the environmental front, Bonnie Hickley, director of sustainability at Bridger Bowl, Mont., led a session reviewing the practices of waste management and composting, incorporating renewable energy, and “greening” your ski area supply chain. 

On Wednesday, Red Lodge Mountain GM Jeff Schmidt led an on-site session detailing the construction of the area’s new Stache Express high-speed detachable triple chair that it purchased from Utah’s Alta Ski Area. 

“Hosting the ISAA’s annual conference for the first time in Red Lodge was an honor and a privilege, both the mountain and the town were buzzing with excitement to welcome this group,” said Schmidt. “We were thrilled to showcase our ski area operation as well as the many fine restaurants and businesses in town. The success of this event truly reflects the spirit of our community and the passion we share for the ski industry.” 

This year’s conference also included a charity concert in downtown Red Lodge on Tuesday night that raised $2,000 for the Snow Angel Foundation. Chauncy Johnson, founder of the foundation, was on-hand at the trade show and also led two sessions: “Productive Bystander Intervention” (see “Safer Slopes” in the March 2024 issue of SAM for more on that topic) and another titled “Building Effective Teams to Enhance Your Culture of Safety,” in which he discussed safety through problem solving on your mountain by leveraging each team member and their strengths.

The conference concluded with the annual Golden Wrench Awards. Schmidt was honored with the Outstanding Contribution award, which recognizes an individual’s outstanding effort to further the sport of skiing. In addition, Red Lodge Mountain lift maintenance manager Katie Kyler received the Golden Wrench for Lift Maintenance. The Golden Wrench for Operations, Maintenance, Safety & Equipment was awarded to Jim Grewe of Peterson Equipment. And the Pioneer Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the development of the ski industry, went to Peter Pitcher of Montana’s Discovery Ski Area. 

“We are so grateful to Red Lodge for hosting this year's ISAA conference, it was truly an incredible experience and the small-town vibe of friendly and hospitable people was the perfect setting for this year's event,” said Lindsay Korth, treasurer of ISAA and director of business operations at Bridger Bowl. 

Report by Troy Hawks