SAM Coverage
Linda Goodspeed
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Early Signs Reflect Last Season
Pass sales are up in the West, and middling elsewhere. Halo or hangover? Following a bad season two years ago, Stevens Pass, Wash., could…
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Focusing on Beginners
Resorts are expanding efforts to attract—and convert—newcomers. The 2016 January Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) lured a record number of never-evers onto…
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An El Niño Year
Thanks for everything, or nothing. A monster El Niño wreaked havoc on the 2015-16 ski season, restoring normal snowfall and visitation to the Pacific…
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Time for a Guinness
The Guinness Book of World Records is still evaluating the results of the World’s Largest Lesson (WLL), which drew about 6,000 first-time skiers and…
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Busted!
When it comes to ticket scams, most resorts have seen it all. Scammers have long taken numerous routes to avoid paying full price—or pay…
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Passing the Test
As season pass options continue to expand, purchases do, too. The pass wars continue to heat up, with more countries, more alignments, more partnerships…
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Job Number One
Ski areas continue to search for new skiers and riders to replace the aging, and departing, Boomers. With the huge Baby Boom generation, which…
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Pricing Summer
Pricing summer activities is the season’s hardest task. After another mediocre winter, resorts are happily turning their attention to summer. And if winter does…
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A Wild and Crazy Year
It was the anti-Goldilocks year: too warm or too cold; too little snow, or too much. Yet many areas enjoyed record or above-average seasons.…
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Gearing Up for LSSM and BAF
Resorts are taking a variety of approaches to boost trial and conversion. Entering its seventh year, the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative has…
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Creating New Customers
Resorts roll out new conversion programs to put skier/rider numbers on a growth track. Terrain-based learning, ski giveaways, free season passes, affinity cards, coupon…
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Down to the Wire
The battle is on for the last-minute guest. And the Internet, which helped create the phenomenon, is now helping ski resorts cash in on…
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Last-Minute Preparations
Painting, mowing, dusting, tuning skis, flushing out the sewage treatment plant. . . From one end of the country to the other, ski resorts…
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Working the Shows
With the consumer ski show circuit fast approaching, ski resorts are busy dusting off their booths, repairing their banners and fine-tuning their objectives for…
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Happiness Comes in Big Numbers
In the wake of 9/11 and a still-weak economy, fewer groups are clamoring to go skiing or riding—or even getting away during the summer.…
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Safety First
National safety week continues to be a great showcase for ski areas to educate and build awareness around one of their highest priorities—safety. And…
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Looking to Summer
After a couple of lackluster summers and big dropoffs in meeting business, ski areas are putting more resources than ever into their summer marketing…