SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, July 20, 2026—The Rocky Mountain Lift Association (RMLA) held its annual conference in Salt Lake City for the first time this spring, relocating the event from its longtime home in Grand Junction, Colo., to better accommodate future growth and improve accessibility.
Held May 18-21 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, the conference drew 584 attendees representing 42 ski areas, according to information RMLA recently shared with SAM. Attendance was down just under 4 percent from 2025.
“Given the move to a new location and a challenging winter across many regions, that level of participation really speaks to the value the industry places on education, collaboration, and continuous improvement,” said RMLA board president Joe Klosterman.
Association leaders cited several reasons for the move from Grand Junction, including larger classrooms and networking spaces, easier air travel into Salt Lake City, nearby hotel accommodations, and proximity to the facilities of Doppelmayr USA and Leitner-Poma/Skytrac. The new venue also allowed for a larger trade show featuring exhibitors from across the industry.
“Coming into this year, there was definitely some uncertainty around the move—how it would impact attendance, how the event would flow in a new location,” said Klosterman. “In the end, everything came together the way we hoped. The conference ran smoothly, disruptions were minimal, and the industry showed up in a meaningful way.”
Programming included lift maintenance and operations courses, leadership development, workplace safety sessions, and emerging technologies.
The conference also recognized several industry leaders. Scott Pierpont, former senior vice president of sales for Doppelmayr USA, received the Bob LeSage Award in recognition of his 40-year career serving ski areas in a variety of roles. Bailey Curtis of Yellowstone Club, Mont., was named Lift Operations Person of the Year; Jamie Haats of the Town of Mountain Village Gondola (which serves Telluride, Colo.) received Lift Maintenance Person of the Year; and Idaho-based Timberline Helicopters earned the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award.
 Scott Pierpont |
 Bailey Curtis |
 Jamie Haats |
“Our industry partners and sponsors are a critical part of making this conference possible,” said Klosterman. “Beyond their support, they strengthen the connection between manufacturers, service providers, and operators—which ultimately raises the bar for safety and reliability across the industry.”
