SAM Coverage
Linda Goodspeed
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Season Ends on High Note
For most resorts, good weather and snow helped salvage a season plagued with challenges at the outset. With the exception of drought-stricken California and…
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Dealing With Adversity
Wild swings in the weather challenged resorts across the country. Even in an industry used to weather extremes, the first half of the 2013-14…
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Summer: What Price is Right?
Flexibility is the key to pricing summer activities. For as long as ski resorts have been offering skiing, they are still learning how to…
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It’s Party Time!
Birthday parties can be a good source of income–and promotion–if the nearby pool of kids is big enough. When Ski Roundtop, Pa., opened its…
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Nick of Time
Winter arrived late in much of the country, but stayed late—and proved snow is always better late than never. Call it the “just in…
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Maintaining Mid-Season Momentum
Resorts are taking a variety of steps to avoid late-season burnout. Christmas is over. New Year’s. Crazy busy MLK weekend. The next big holiday…
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Skiers, Riders Are Optimists
A little early-season snow is all it takes to tap the pent-up demand from last winter. “To say the mood is upbeat is an…
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Seasonal Hiring: Full Speed Ahead
It’s business as usual when it comes to staffing for the upcoming winter. Despite having to lay off staff and reduce workers’ hours last…
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A Tough Sell
As the 2011-12 season wound down in March, many areas had to figure out how to promote next season’s passes. Despite an historically warm…
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Perp Patrol
When the cameras roll, thefts go down. When a guest at Liberty, Pa., reported his snowboard had been stolen, Tim Koons, base area manager,…
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It’s All About the Snow
Lack of snow for many cut into visits during the first half of the season. Sparse snow in nearly all regions of the country…
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Rocking the Rental World
Areas are actually making rental shops a positive part of the guest experience. Today’s rental shop is not your father’s rental shop. It’s not…
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Positive Signs Pile Up
The tea leaves favor a big season ahead for most. With forecasters promising another la Niña and the East picking up from the ravages…
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Halo Effect Lifts Pass Sales
A strong finish to the 2010-2011 season helped boost season’s pass sales for 2011-12. There is a big difference between a hangover and a…
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Learning Curves
As Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month continues to grow, see how resorts across the country are promoting the program. Jim Mullins, marketing director…
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Workers Everywhere
The upside to a down economy: the labor pool. Not too long ago, ski resorts had trouble filling all of their winter positions. No…