SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, Jan. 16, 2026—
NSAA president Mike Reitzell and Snowbird president Dave Fields at the first track breakfast.A challenging start to the season for much of the west kept some ski area personnel from attending the National Ski Areas Association Western Winter Conference, but a crowd of 690 industry professionals—up from last year’s conference—still made their way to Snowbird, Jan. 13-15, for education, networking, and discussions about pressing issues and opportunities.
The mix of educational sessions included broad topics like how to handle OSHA inspections, tips for having difficult conversations with staff, advancing women in mountain operations, and navigating AI-led recommendations online. Some sessions capitalized on the host resort’s knowledgeable staff, who highlighted Snowbird’s various innovations in water and energy sustainability—including facility tours—for others to learn from.
A big crowd gathered for the session about restraint-bar use on chairlifts, for which the industry is determining the best alignment on messaging to encourage guests to always use the devices on lifts equipped with them. Terrain park professionals led a discussion about how technology is helping longtime park builders pass along their knowledge to the next generation of leaders in the space. Other sessions shared data from NSAA’s recent economic and guest experience studies and covered how ski areas can use the results to improve their operations.
The trade show was packed and energetic as suppliers engaged with the ski area operators in attendance. Exhibitors included a variety of technology and equipment providers alongside services such as architects, safety professionals, and health and wellness experts, among others.
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A perennial highlight of the winter conferences is the morning of first tracks, when breakfast and early-ups are offered to attendees. Wednesday’s first tracks experience was an excellent example of ski area operators’ penchant for problem-solving and adaptability.
Snowbird planned to send everyone up the tram to Hidden Peak around sunrise for breakfast followed by a few runs before lifts opened to the public. When a mechanical issue prevented the tram from running first-thing that morning, the Snowbird team quickly pivoted to Plan B: Open the Peruvian chair to bring attendees most of the way up the mountain, followed by a ride through the conveyor-served tunnel (a unique, museum-like experience) for a sunrise run down the east-facing Mineral Basin to load the Mineral Basin quad up to the summit.
The Snowbird staff made the transition from Plan A to Plan B appear seamless. Kudos to all involved for what turned out to be a terrific adventure to start the day.
The NSAA Eastern Winter Conference will be held at Killington, Vt., Feb. 3 and 4.
