This year we published more than 75 articles in print and online. And while we're not obsessed with clicks or eyeballs, it was interesting to see what resonated with our readers and editors. We've presented the top 10 stories you spent the most time with, commented on and what we thought were some of the most thought provoking pieces put to print.
Have another article in mind that deserves to be on this list? Let us know in the comments section below and we'll add it!
BEST/WORST MARKETING 2015-16
In a season during which prolific snow was falling out West before most in the East had seen a flake, the approach to resort marketing, like the snowfall, was a tale of two sides. [Full article]
10 UNDER 30
The ski industry is on the cusp of a major shift. Nearly 40 percent of U.S.-based resort general managers are age 60 or over, according to NSAA. When all of these leaders retire, they’ll take about 3,000 years of experience with them. [Full article]
THE RISE OF THE SHE-CONOMY
When it comes to marketing or selling anything, you should never underestimate the power of women. A Nielsen consumer study from 2013 revealed women in America spend between $5 trillion and $15 trillion annually. [Full article]
WHY DON'T MORE PEOPLE LIKE US?
Here it comes again, hurtling toward you like that old double chair that whips into the back of your legs no matter how prepared you are for it: survey results forecasting doom and gloom for the snow sports industry. Reams of data telling you what you likely already know: snow sports participation has been flat since Franz Klammer made his epic downhill run at Innsbruck four decades ago, and it could head south, soon, if something drastic isn’t done. [Full article]
MORE THAN BEER AND BRATS
Events are often the cornerstone of summer business, but Snowbird's nine-weekend-long Oktoberfest takes the concept to to a higher level. [Full article]
THE CASE FOR A CARBON TAX
As climate change becomes an accepted notion, how will Americans decide what uses of energy are acceptable? A carbon tax can provide the answer. [Full article]
A TEACHABLE SEASON
A look at the lessons learned from a winter that humbled even some of the best snow management teams. [Full article]
SNOWCAT MAINTENANCE
A SAM roundtable discussion explores the practical, confounding, and sometimes comical world of vehicle maintenance. [Full article]
SOCIAL MEDIA IN CUSTOMER SERVICE
As social media become customer service channels, resorts must step up efforts to stay abreast of comments and request. [Full article]
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
Wisdom tends to accumulate over the years, as Mammoth chairman Rusty Gregory and former CSIA executive director Bob Roberts prove. [Full article]
