The Voice of the Mountain Resort Industry  |  Est. 1962

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  • Capital Ideas for Summer

    Experts dish on how to survive (and thrive during) summer construction projects. During summer, the challenge of balancing capital improvement construction zones, staff schedules and tasks, and providing guests with activities and positive experiences requires a lot of planning, strong communication, and the ability to adjust when unforeseen circumstances inevitably arise. SAM convened a panel…

  • It’s Just Business

    By analyzing key performance indicators, resort managers and leaders are better equipped for success. Ed. Note: It’s important for leaders at all resorts, from department heads on up, to have a basic sense of how to analyze the performance of their area of responsibility. A great way to track performance is via key performance indicators, as the…

  • Better Branding

    How to keep or grow your brand’s position in a market of like competitors. For all ski areas, staying ahead of trends with your mountain’s image and message is vital. Serving up the same old ideas makes a brand easy to ignore.  Clearly articulating what you offer and delivering on that promise in a design…

  • Successful Succession

    Succession planning is critical in securing long-term success for future owners of a business, and cementing the legacy of current ones. Katie Boedecker grew up at Showdown Montana, the ski area her father, George Willett, bought in 1973 when Boedecker was just 10 years old. The mountain has had a tremendous impact on her. “She’s…

  • A Chat with New Hampshire’s Black Mountain Crew, Including New GM Gareth Slattery

    SAM Magazine— Jackson, N.H., Nov. 15, 2023—Amidst a variety of news coming out of the ski area recently, ski industry veteran Gareth Slattery has been named general manager of Black Mountain, N.H. Slattery worked for 17 years at Cannon Mountain, where he climbed the ranks in positions that included patrol director and risk manager. He…

  • Consumer Ski Shows Report Record Attendance

    SAM Magazine—Boston, Mass., Nov. 8, 2023—The producers of two of the largest consumer ski shows in the nation—Snowbound Boston, and Snowvana in Portland, Ore.—reported a record number of attendees, vendors, and sales at their events this past weekend. Snowbound’s pre-show reception: Mary Walsh, Snowboarder; Tim Smith, Waterville Valley; Jen Karnan, Cannon; Brian Norton, Loon; and Olivia…

  • New HQs for Mountain Ops

    Mountain operations have expanded greatly over the decades, and so must the notion of “maintenance shops.” Maintenance shops are one of those capital expense items that are often difficult to fund. The guest doesn’t see them, and they can put a large dent in an area’s budget, knocking them down the priority list for management. Yet…

  • Construction Site : November 2023

    It was a big summer for capital improvements at North American ski areas.   CRANMORE, NH   When Cranmore tore down its main base lodge in April 2022, it planned to complete the first floor of a new mixed-use building in time for the 2022-23 ski season. Covid supply chain and labor challenges derailed that plan,…

  • New Products :: November 2023

    Hard goods, soft goods, software, and light shows.   STEEP MANAGEMENT: ARENA SLOPEMANAGEMENT New to the North American market, ARENA SlopeManagement is a geospatial software application that combines snow measurement data, snowmaking control system data, and weather data to provide ski resorts with real-time feedback on where to groom, where to make snow, and how a…

  • Clean Heat, Boiled Down

    Two ski areas look to reduce financial and environmental costs with new state-of-the-art, clean heating systems. Ski areas consume a tremendous amount of fossil fuel to heat their facilities, which comes at both a financial and an environmental cost. Two resorts on opposite ends of the country—Mt. Bachelor in Oregon and Jay Peak in Vermont—are…