SAM Magazine—Woodstock, Vt., April 20, 2016—Grooming technique and hospitality were emphasized at this year's Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) annual conference at Snow Mountain Ranch, Colo, April 5-6.

CCSAA saw a need for educational workshops, and restructured its annual event to include hands-on programming in both grooming and marketing. New, individually scheduled one-on-one sessions were offered with key presenters in several areas, including snowcat and light implement grooming, customer satisfaction, loyalty programing, and digital website review.

"Most events I attend give you about 10 minutes in a snow cat, [but] here I was able to spend an hour in the driver's seat with an expert answering questions and learning skills,” said Brian Long, Aspen groomer. "I don't get that opportunity anywhere else."

PistenBully, Prinoth, Tidd Tech, and Yellowstone Track Systems took part in the conference. During the on-trail portion, three snow cats ran continuously with attendees operating the machines alongside master groomers who shared tips and instruction. Attendees could also demo lightweight follow-behind grooming implements with Gators, Grizzlys, and snowmobiles.

Indoor sessions included grooming theory and snow science, hospitality presentations and forums, online marketing and a discussion on the guest experience.

The event concluded with keynote speaker Liz Stephen, two-time Olympian and member of the U.S. Ski Team.

• Previous
  Mount Snow EB-5 Snowmaking Project On Hold
• Next
  Nicolson Named President and CEO of CWSAA