Seminars at the SKI NY-SKIPA EXPO

Management Sessions | Marketing Sessions | Operations Sessions | Risk Management Sessions

EXPO Schedule Here

KEYNOTE

State of the Ski Industry Update – Kelly Pawlak – President of NSAA


Management Sessions

A Technology Symphony: How to use your resort’s technology to improve operations, communications, marketing, and more – Ryan Triffit – Dirigo Valley Systems

In this session, we’ll outline the way that resorts should think about their technology and data collection. We’ll outline strategies for ways to streamline technology and get all your systems to work together to create a Mission Control for all your messages. Most of the session will outline practical ways that resorts can coordinate their technology to improve their website, on-mountain signage, operational communications, and more. With so much work to be done with so little time, technology, when used properly, can be a powerful tool. You should never be fighting your technology. In this session, you’ll learn how your technology can become a powerful ally, and all your systems can make beautiful music together.

Recruiting and Retaining Snowsports Staff – Kathleen Brennan – PSIA

Recruiting and retaining snowsports staff will be discussed with an eye toward understanding key trends and leveraging these in coming up with solutions to your organization’s staffing and operational struggles.  Topics will include gender equity, staff training, and what it takes to get to become a certified instructor.  With ski areas across the country facing staffing challenges this session is not to be missed.

General Manager Roundtable – Led by Stu Winchester of the Storm Skiing Journal

Join Stu Winchester as he discusses current issues in the industry with a stellar line up of General Managers from NY, PA and NJ. It will be a seminar not to miss! Featured on the panel will be Aaron Kellett of Whiteface Mountain, Evan Kovach of Mountain Creek, Ladora “Lori” Phillips of Ski Big Bear, Andrew Halmi of Mt. Edinboro and Tim Woods of Woods Valley Ski Area.

Managing Change in Daily Operations- Keeping the Balance of People, Process, and Technology – Kim Shulver, The Only Sky

This session will look at the People, Process, and Technology Framework and apply it to how we run our business today. We are going to walk through how operational efficiencies can get out of balance when you change one without considering the others. Kim will also talk about how you need to design and develop your internal solution around the guest experience.

Background- PPT framework has been around since the 60’s, before self service technology exists as it does today. This is still foundational for business efficiency but we need to adapt to the self-serve aspect of this.

Better, Faster, Smoother… Exploring Efficiency in Your Operations – Hugh Reynolds of SNOW Partners and Evan Kovach of Mountain Creek

A friction-free and efficient operation is not only profitable but lays the groundwork for an enjoyable day on the mountain for both your guests and your teams.  In this session, we will share insights and ideas for improving the efficiency, flow, and guest experience at your areas by highlighting some of the tools SNOW Partners has used to transform their operations at Mountain Creek.

Insurance Procurement in 2023 – Scott Brandi – President, Brandi Insurance Group / SKI NY

Join long time ski insurance industry pro Scott Brandi as he shares insights gained from over 35 years in the business.  They will take you through the renewal, marketing and management of your insurance and assets.  Don’t think insurance is boring, these guys will make it as exciting as it can be.  You will be sure to pick up facts and techniques that will assist you in future insurance tasks.

The 2022-23 Kotte Report Reviewed – Kelly Pawlak of NSAA and Dennis Eshbaugh of Holiday Valley Resort

Join Dennis and Chip as they review and highlight the highs and lows of the 2022-23 ski season from a numbers point of view. They will provide valuable insights from their experience of where the industry ended up last year and where it could be going in the future.


Marketing Sessions

AI: Supercharging Marketing, Operations & Guest Experience – Led by Dave Gibson of Propeller Media Works and featuring Mike Lannen of Eternity, Lindsay DesLauriers President of Bolton Valley Resort and Jamie Ippolito of Dirigo Valley Systems

In this session, our panel of ski industry experts will discuss how AI can be leveraged across the entire resort to increase efficiencies, analyze data to make better decisions, elevate your digital marketing and interact with guests to influence purchase decisions, answer questions, and enhance their stay.

ChatGPT: Your AI Co-pilot in Travel and Hospitality Marketing – Mike Lannen – Eternity Marketing

Pack your bags for a journey into the future of travel and hospitality marketing! This session is your boarding pass to exploring the power of ChatGPT. Get ready to turbocharge your marketing efforts, all while keeping your brand’s unique voice front and center.

We’ll map out how ChatGPT can be trained on your own documents to replicate your brand’s voice. Imagine a digital concierge that not only enhances your marketing but does it while perfectly channeling your brand’s personality.

Whether you’re a seasoned travel marketing entrepreneur or just embarking on your hospitality journey, this session will equip you with a treasure trove of insights, effective tools, and a roadmap for making ChatGPT work for you.

So, come join us and discover how to create an AI that’s ready to take your brand’s voice to the next level. Don’t worry, the only thing we’ll be summoning is your brand’s potential, not Skynet!

Three things attendees can expect to learn:

1. Learn how to train ChatGPT in your brand voice

2. Discover how to plan your SEO, blogs, social media and ads with ChatGPT

3. Downloadable with ChatGPT prompt examples and tips to put into action

The Changing Face of Social Media; Don’t be Left Behind – Sam Rufo – nxtConcepts Ltd.

Social media platforms are struggling, paving the way for chaos in 2024.

Twitter has lost more than half of advertisers.  Meta is trying to combat new privacy laws and requirements.  TikTok is just trying to stay active in the US.  New social channels offer ephemeral content, podcasts, short-form videos, and AR.  The online options can be staggering.

What does all this mean for resorts that have spent 50% or more of their marketing budgets on social media ads? Plus, the considerable amount of time to build loyal followers on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and more.

Why You Should Attend this Session

– Gain a “cliff notes” understanding of what social media changes will have the biggest impacts for you.

– See how companies are adapting and thriving.

– Understand how to create, keep, and support a successful social marketing effort.

– Learn from discussions, case studies, and other resources. 


Operations Sessions

The good, the bad and the ugly – Michael Lane – NSAA

In this rebranded little shop session, we will celebrate the really cool things we’ve seen over the past few years, some things probably considered bad, and some of the really tragic things, giving all of us an opportunity to take pride in what we do, learn some things and gain an understanding of things going really wrong.

What’s new in 2022, ANSI B77 Update – Michael Lane – NSAA

This session will layout the coming changes in the B77.1 revision to the 2017 standard. The changes include over 40 significant items and many are must knows for you and your teams. A deeper dive into what to expect for work carriers, procedures,  dynamic testing and operation and pre-operational logs. Bring your questions, and notebooks.

Snowmaking Tech Updates – A Panel Discussion
Join Ayden Wilber VP of Operations At Greek Peak Mountain Resort as he leads a discussion of the latest in snowmaking technology and techniques with industry pros. Included on the panel is Aaron Madison of TechnoAlpin, Dave Reed from SMI Snow Makers, Gordon Santry of HKD Snowmakers and Tim Wang of Ratnik Industries as well as Craig Raphaelson from DemacLenko.

Water Pumps and their Application in Snowmaking – Tim Wang, Ratnik Snowmaking

Tim Wang, Senior Snow Systems Engineer, will do a deep dive on the types of water pumps and how to apply them for various snowmaking situations. Also he’ll be looking at performance parameters, pump curves and how to interpret those. Tim will also cover application of VFD’s and their effects on pump and system performance as well as rebuilding pumps along with basic troubleshooting.

SANY LTMP Session – All Day Tuesday

Whiteface Mountain lift maintenance crew will be demonstrating the rebuilding of a 10 sheave Doppelmayr depress evener. This will include the detensioning, rigging, lowering, breakdown, and cleaning of the assembly. Things to look for, as well as safety considerations will be addressed. Q and A during the process.

17) NSAA Lift Safety Bootcamp – All Day Wednesday – Mike Lane and Earl Saline of NSAA

Focusing on lift operations, this full‐day special event will cover key aspects of your lift operations, from maze design to unseated passenger plans, to help you and your staff improve your operations and create the best environment for all of your guests to ride your lifts safely and successfully. Aimed at lift managers and supervisors, each class will utilize a mix of indoor and outdoor time to take the discussion from concept to real‐world application and promote information sharing with your peers. You will leave this series with new planning and operational skills and tools to put to use as you set your area and guests up for success.

Module 1: Lift Operations ‐ Setting Your Guests up for Success: Maze Design, Load and Unload Ramp Setup

This session will discuss methods of setting up Mazes, Ramps and Signage to most effectively impact the success of your guests. Essential concepts to be covered will include calculating the appropriate maze length needed before the load board, and correct placement of unload signs. Bring your questions and ideas.

Module 2: The What, Why, and How of Creating Unseated Passenger Plans

Unseated passenger plans are critical tools to help areas and their employees respond quickly,

effectively, and safely. If you don’t have plans already, or are in the process of updating yours, this is a session you won’t want to miss. This session will cover recommendations for what to include and, using an actual lift scenario, go through the process of creating a plan for that lift. You will then be able to walk through those same steps at your area to create or update your own plans.

Module 3: Root Cause Analysis & the Five Why’s

Incidents and near misses rarely ‘just’ happen. And, trends in incidents don’t appear overnight. Using thoughtful analysis and well‐defined tools, you can identify the core (root) reason (cause) why something happened. Which then allows you to develop solutions to address that cause. Join this class to learn or brush up on how to conduct a root cause and trend analysis using example lift incidents. And, of course, we will also identify potential solutions so that you can work with your area team to address issues you are facing at your area.

Module 4: Breaking the Cycle: A Lift Operations Roundtable

“But we’ve always done it that way!” Sound familiar? Or, maybe you have felt the need to use that phrase? Change is hard and often difficult. This facilitated roundtable is intended to bring out and bring up the barriers and challenges you face making changes at your area. Maybe it’s terrain, snow, staffing, or culture – bring the challenges you face and we will discuss strategies to address those barriers, the takeaways from the other Boot Camp sessions, and help you move your lift operation forward.


Risk Management


NSAA Fall Education Series Workshops presented by Dave Byrd of NSAA, Ryan LaVoie of MountainGuard Insurance Programs and ASDA Attorneys.


CONTROL YOUR DESTINY: RESORT OPERATIONS IN THE AGE OF NUCLEAR JURY VERDICTS

Businesses in all industries are experiencing off-the-chart jury verdicts recently, often based on meritless or unsubstantiated claims — and ski areas are not immune from these so-called “nuclear verdicts.”  The good news is that you can control your destiny with smarter operations, both pre-loss and post-loss. Using a number of recent incidents and trials, we will underscore key operational considerations to better protect yourselves. From guest education, signage, and social media, to marking, padding and hazard awareness, we have specific examples and take-aways to re-emphasize the incredible value of smart risk mitigation efforts, punctuated by recent claims. We will also focus significantly on a likely national standard that could impact all ski areas involving protocols for padding some man-made equipment, and we will conduct a mock deposition underscoring the common tactics plaintiffs’ attorneys use effectively to exploit inconsistent padding and hazard protocols.

SKI STATUTES:  DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN YOURS?

Did you know your State likely has a ski statute or a recreational use statute? The real question is, do you know what’s in your state’s statutes which regulate skiing or recreational activities? In this session we’ll examine the lowest bar that each ski area operator has to clear for protections from lawsuits, with a deep dive into some of the unique aspects of these laws, many which have been on the books for four or five decades. Even if your state does not have a ski statute, there are other relevant laws, including ANSI and recreational use statutes, that affect your operations. We’ll also take a look at other non-statutory ways that ski areas can protect themselves, especially with releases and waivers of liability. We will explore some unique applications of these various laws with recent examples to show why a solid grasp of these laws is beneficial to improving overall guest safety and protecting your deductible.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP:  CLAIMS, TRENDS, AND TRIALS IN YOUR REGION, AND IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL TAKE-AWAYS

This spring’s Gwyneth Paltrow trial in Utah was a media circus, but beyond the glitz and glamor of that trial’s spectacle, there are notable operational considerations that can be gleaned from issues raised at trial—handling skier-skier collisions, trail design, ski school operations, patrol response, spoliation of evidence, video surveillance, and the importance of investigations. With the aid of our amazing ASDA attorneys, we’ll dissect how some of these unique issues play out locally in your region. In addition, we will examine other recent verdicts, claims, and settlements in your region—wins and losses—and reinforce the operational efforts that help limit exposures. From routine slip-and-falls and lift incidents, to the importance of contracts and releases of liability, our local ASDA teams will analyze these recent incidents to highlight important risk management protocols.  

HOT TAKES AND KEY TRENDS—UNIQUE ASPECTS OF RISK MANAGEMENT

Given how vast and varied our resort operations can be, there are often a smorgasbord of unique risk management issues that deserve highlighting. It’s a thorn in your side and there just doesn’t seem to be an obvious workable solution the problem. This session takes a look at some of these smaller, unique risk management challenges, from after-hours operations, auditing your investigations, recent OSHA and workplace safety challenges, skier behavior on the hill, technology hacks, group events, even pets at resorts—we’ll showcase how other areas have addressed similar situations.

Other Risk Management Sessions

To Catch a Thief.  Detecting & Defending Against Fraud at Your Areas – Evan Kovach  of Mountain Creek, Dempsey Mendrzycki of SNOW Partners and Brett Bagley of SnowCloud

Learn why experience-based businesses are especially attractive to criminals that are trying to take advantage of them. Credit Card fraud and theft of services can be a hidden drain on your resources, financially and on your personnel. Using a real-life incident, this group will discuss what happened, how the area detected the fraud, their response, and their actions to prevent this from happening again. This cautionary tale is one every area needs to hear.

Ski Industry Jeopardy – Earl Saline of NSAA and Cindy Dady of ORDA

I’ll take Lifts for $300. Combining entertainment with education, this engaging session will test your knowledge using a Jeopardy-style game show. With both ski areas and suppliers in mind (along with a little friendly competition), we will be exploring the different education offerings and free and low-cost resources available to help your areas and employees be the best they can be. The game board will include topics like human resources, safety, sustainability, operations, and lifts – all of which are available to you via your SANY or NSAA membership. Go head-to-head with fellow industry professionals in a fast-paced, interactive format that will challenge your expertise with this unique opportunity to learn, network, and have a blast in a friendly and competitive atmosphere!

The Successes—and challenges—of Workplace Safety

Dave Byrd, Director of Risk & Regulatory Affairs, NSAA

Cindy Dady, Risk Manager, ORDA Resorts, NY

Dana Kent, Safety Specialist, Stowe, VT

Dempsey Mendrzycki, Risk Manager, Mountain Creek, NJ

We have arranged a panel discussion of some of the ski industry’s leading workplace safety champions, where we will share how each of them successfully changed their employee safety cultures and improved accountability at their ski areas, with remarkable successes.  Moderated by NSAA’s Dave Byrd, the panel will explore how they affected positive change in your health and safety programs, and how these changes lead to serious ROI’s for their employees’ well-being and worker compensation premiums.  Our panel features some of the best in the industry—Dempsey Mendrzycki was just voted NSAA’s “Safety Champion” at Mountain Creek, where his resort also won NSAA’s Best Overall Safety Program, resulting in remarkable reductions in employee injuries.  Moreover, Dana Kent, who formerly lead health and safety programs at Vail Resorts’ New England ski areas, has successfully implemented employee safety programs at both western and eastern ski resorts during her career, and Cindy Dady, also the winner of multiple NSAA safety awards, will address how she significantly re-invigorated safety efforts at the three New York ORDA ski areas through training, culture, and an emphasis on employee health and well-being.