How good are you at picking tomorrow’s stars?

It’s awards season, judging by all the Oscar talk, and we’re not immune to the lure of recognizing greatness in our industry. So we’re asking you to help us identify current and future stars in the resort business.

First, let’s talk SAMMYs. These awards recognize industry players who, at mid-career, are destined for greater things—people who are ambitious, creative, innovative and represent the best in our industry. If the last 17 years are any indication, you have done a very good job of identifying such leaders. Just take a closer look at our SAMMY Hall of Fame. Chris “Gunny” Gunnarson was a winner back in 1999. At the time, he was the snowboard director at Snow Summit, Calif. Gunny went on to create SPT, and has had a major influence on events such as X Games, and freestyle terrain’s evolution in general. 2011 SAMMY winner Joe Hession was nominated for his strong leadership skills as GM of Mountain Creek; he has since gone on to become the driving force behind terrain-based learning. 2014 SAMMY recipient Pat Campbell, COO of Breckenridge, is slated to become head of Vail Resorts mountain division in May 2015.

The value and weight peers place on the SAMMYs, and the excitement recipients have in their selection, are reason enough to look around you and nominate your worthy colleagues. And do it soon: nominations close Mar. 18. Visit “Contests & Awards” at www.saminfo.com

Second, we ask you to tell us about the 20-somethings who are having an impact at your resort. Which young reformers, revisionists, innovators and entrepreneurs should we highlight in SAM’s annual “10 under 30?” Visit saminfo.com to fill out a nomination form or just send us an email (olivia@saminfo.com) and your choice could make the final list. Let’s give the next generation of leaders some recognition and hear how they will help shape the future. It starts with your help.

Finally, we want to talk summer business. Summer operations continue to grow and become more important to the big picture, and to the bottom line. The recent gathering in Denver of The Assembly dove into the metrics, activities, and drivers of summer business. SAM will continue to explore the opportunities at our 6th annual Summer Ops Camp, set to take place at Camelback, Pa., Sept. 9-11, 2015. Camp includes a variety of workshops, seminars, demos, and one-on-one discussions with fellow operators and summer activity vendors. With the chance to explore Camelback’s new hotel and indoor water park, along with the famous Camelbeach and new Mountain Adventures, this promises to be our biggest gathering to date. Hope you can join us!