You could tell it was going to be that way by the speed with which the annual business meeting was disposed of. CallthequestionallthoseinfavoropposedCARRIED. Minutes dispensed with and treasurer’s report a two-minute version of “we’re doing just fine, folks.” Meeting adjourned. Applause. On to the Welcome Cocktail Reception.
That said, I have a few after-thoughts. First on speakers. I confess to a personal prejudice: I am unmoved by motivational speakers. Knowing myself quite well enough, I find I have no desire to do something like getting in touch with my innerself, and I have yet to derive benefit from the breathlessly enthusiastic authors of books on how to make my business more profitable. I know I am in a small minority on this, so I won’t presume to report on these, but will press on to the other speakers.
While good outside speakers can bring valuable insights, so do knowledgeable presenters from inside the industry and, as noted in our convention coverage (pages 38-39), the presentation on housing demand by ASC’s Les Otten and Intrawest’s Gary Raymond was outstanding. Not only did they understand their subject, they were incredibly forthcoming with what must have been proprietary details on their strategies.
The trouble with many outside speakers is that they often lack sufficient understanding of our world and present a lot of stuff that is just not applicable. As Ski Sundown’s Rick Carter put it, “I came away feeling the speakers were very knowledgeable, but that a lot of the stuff I heard just wasn’t relevant to me or the business I’m in.”
The presentation on database marketing was one such. And the otherwise knowledgeable presenter needlessly lost credibility when he told us he was aware of the competition we face from all the new ski areas opening up all around the country. Duh.
Peter Zollo’s keynote address on teenage markets was fascinating and entertaining, but much of it was from the perspective of, say, a Nike that goes after the whole market. These insights are interesting and useful, but would have been even more useful if he had also acknowledged our more narrowly focused segment of the teen market.
The rolling out of NSAA’s Operation SnowNet by Michael Berry was, of course, of intense interest, as was the supporting presentation by Tim Garrett, whose company, McElroy Communications, has the job of crafting NSAA’s marketing initiatives. The spirit of what Garrett is producing seemed right on target for the teenage target we want to emotionally connect with; but again, at no point did I hear anyone coming to grips with the generic limitations of our snow sports: cost and accessibility (meaning both time and distance constraints). Projecting our coolness is great, but our target market has to be defined by more than just age.
Random Thoughts
Is everyone as tired as we all are at SAM with the clichés—the marketing jargon—used routinely by so many speakers. Starting with thinking outside the box and paradigm shift, let’s exorcise them and drive a stake through them whenever they raise their heads. NSAA might derive some marketing funds by collecting a $250 fine for any use of either in a presentation.
Other candidates for exorcism? You probably have your own favorites. Some of ours: Put the customer into the equation, managing perceptions and meaningful dialogue. We also tire of rocket scientists and brain surgeons. We would be happy to see less no-brainer ideas and win-win solutions. Mercifully, empowering seems to be fading of its own accord, perhaps because everyone is now empowered.
