SAM Coverage
Linda Goodspeed
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Open Season
With good snow coast to coast, resorts racked up a second stellar year. Once again, proving that snow trumps all—even a still-weak economy—coast-to-coast great…
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Getting Started
How effective is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month? Consider: Two ‘never evers’ who took lessons as part of the January promotion three years…
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Election Elation
Will the electoral changes in state and national government be good for business? Areas vote yes. The country’s dramatic lurch to the right in…
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Summer Biz Blooms
New and old attractions alike drew big numbers of summer visitors. In early July, Chris Hale, VP of sales and marketing at Shanty Creek,…
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Fighting Fraud
Scammers have grown more resourceful–so have resorts. They make their own season passes. They white out dates, cut wickets, sell promo tickets for cash.…
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Short But Suhweet
Good snow offset a short season for most. Late start. Early end. But in between, the 2009-2010 ski season was quite good. The length…
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F&B Adapts to a New Normal
Economy making your stomach queasy? You’re not alone. With the recession taking a toll on discretionary spending, ski resorts are taking a hard look…
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Head for the Pass
Skiers and riders scooped up season’s passes in great numbers this year. In an effort to overcome a lingering recession and lock in skiers…
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Watching the Games Go By
The Olympics may generate a lot of excitement, but areas are sitting on the sidelines. Thank goodness for big-screen TVs in the bar! Otherwise,…
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Summer Blues
Weather and economy cast a cloud over summer ops. Between the weather and the economy, it has been a tough summer. “We’re down 2.7…
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Trippin’
In the never-ending search for visitors and market share, ski shop bus groups can be a valuable option for ski areas. “In this economic…
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2009-10 Pass Sales Off to Mixed Start
Results mostly match last season’s snowfall and enthusiasm levels. Ski resorts are doing their part to combat the worldwide economic recession, slashing season pass…
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So Far, So Good
Does snow really trump all? It did through January. A combination of mostly good snow and weather, big promos and value-added packages fueled a…
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Rentals on the Rise
The economic slowdown could fuel an uptick in rentals. When the airlines first announced last spring that they would charge extra for each checked…
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Business Forecast: Mixed
Fly-to destinations report soft early bookings, while drive-to areas saw increases. The conventional wisdom in the ski industry is that snow trumps all other…
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My Kingdom for a Busload
As energy costs rise, shuttle buses and organized trips may well take on increased importance. Vail Resorts’ acquisition this summer of the Colorado Mountain…
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Playing the Value Card
What, us worry? The price of gas doesn’t faze ski areas. In China the character for “crisis” can mean either chaos or opportunity. In…
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Season Passes for Sale
Pass possibilities continue to expand and results are good. A coast-to-coast, beginning-to-end outstanding snow and ski season is already carrying over to next winter.…