SAM Magazine—Mclean, Va., June 10, 2016—The staff at SnowSports Industries America (SIA) will all soon have skis hanging from the walls of their offices in Park City, Utah—a sight not necessarily seen at its current digs outside of Washington D.C. The decision to move SIA's headquarters to one of the nation's premier snow sports hubs came after a unanimous vote by the SIA board of directors in May, and an approval from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development for a post-performance Industrial Assistance Fund grant. The relocation will happen in August.

The relocation puts the organization in the same neighborhood as many of its partner businesses, which was an important factor in the decision, said SIA president Nick Sargent. “This relocation is a necessary step to keep SIA at the core of our industry and is a strong indicator of the direction we are taking with the organization's future. [It] allows us the ability to be closer to our members and other industry stakeholders, while leveraging the synergies found in a snow sports community to develop new programs and strategies for positive industry growth,” he said.

But that's not the only reason: “In addition to these significant business benefits, having the opportunity to ski and ride the Greatest Snow On Earth is a nice perk,” Sargent admitted.

After 40 years in the current location, Bob Gundram, chair of SIA's board of directors and CEO of C3, notes, “The organization and industry as a whole would not be where it is today without the dedication and hard work of the current and former staff, who built the roots that will inevitably guide a positive future for SIA and the business of snow sports. Our gratitude is immeasurable.”

Another benefit of moving to the Rocky Mountains is it puts SIA closer to Colorado, where its annual SIA Snow Show is held. The organization stated it looks forward to further solidifying its relationship with the state.

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