SAM Magazine—Lake Geneva, Wis., Aug. 15, 2025—It was Bo Bigelow’s first major event as executive director of the Midwest Ski Areas Association (MSAA) and the industry showed up in droves to celebrate the future, honor the past, learn, and network.MSAA 2025 HNTim Larsen, Michael Bisner, and Nicholas Vornle from Axess with Dave Meeker, SAM Magazine. The 2025 MSAA Summer Meeting and Tradeshow drew a big crowd of 475 attendees to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Wis., Aug. 10-13, including 320 ski area personnel. 

“The 2025 MSAA Summer Meeting and Tradeshow was an incredible success,” said Bigelow, who started as MSAA executive director in November 2024. “We had amazing support from our ski areas, sponsors, suppliers, our dedicated board of directors, NSAA (National Ski Areas Association), and the outstanding team at Grand Geneva. Their collective efforts helped create one of the largest and most engaging events in our history.”

General sessions Monday and Tuesday included keynotes from NSAA president and CEO Mike Reitzell, who was attending his first MSAA conference since taking the lead at the national association, and Snow Angel Foundation founder Chauncy Johnson, who also led sessions covering risk management and signage. 

Educational sessions ran the gamut. Technical classes that served the strong mountain ops personnel presence covered a variety of lift maintenance topics such as gearboxes, drive motors, electrical, and wire ropes, as well as snowcat maintenance and snowmaking. Other operational topics included a review of the ANSI B.77 standard and summer snow storage.

Equipment rental was a hot topic, with three different sessions focusing on both rental shop operations and the guest experience. In Tuesday’s “Rental Operations Roundtable,” moderator Joe Yasis, who administers the SARA bulk buying program, commented that it was only a few years ago that rental-focused sessions would draw maybe a dozen people, but he was speaking to a packed room. The other rental sessions had similar turnout. 

 

  • Dave/Bobby- Skytrac
  • Chauncy
  • GCC/TechnoAlpin
  • IMG 2757
  • IMG 2781
  • Joe Yasis
  • IMG 2783
  • Dave Meeker, SAM Magazine, chatting with Bobby Langlands, Skytrac.
  • Chauncy Johnson, Snow Angel Foundation, presented on Tuesday's general session.
  • (Right to left) Jim Vander Spoel, Gogebic Community College; Martin Baumgartner and PJ Britz, TechnoAlpin; Josh Bremer and Bill Perrin, Gogebic Community College.
  • Kyle Wilson, Nordic Mountain, Wis., with Tom Anderson, Andes Tower Hills, Minn.
  • MSAA awarded Fred Seymour, Giants Ridge, Minn., with the Distinguished Service Award.
  • Joe Yasis of the SARA Program presenting during the "Rental Operations Roundtable."
  • MSAA recognized its former executive director Amy Reents with the 2025 MSAA Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Zander Kestly discussed the risk management considerations facing ski area employees and reviewed various OSHA requirements, and a handful of the NSAA Fall Education Seminars covered different aspects of managing risk as well. 

The Midwest has a robust terrain park scene, and there were plenty of park-focused sessions as a result. SE Group hosted two sessions about strategic business planning. Technology and marketing were also discussed in various breakouts as well. 

Socially, the fun group of Midwest operators and national suppliers contributed to great energy throughout the conference. The tradeshow hall was alive Monday and Tuesday, and many suppliers brought equipment with them to display, giving the space a robust feel. 

MSAA honored a handful of leaders with awards during the event: the Industry Impact Award went to Rob Walz of Cascade Mountain, Wis.; Fred Seymour of Giants Ridge, Minn., received the Distinguished Service Award; and the MSAA Lifetime Achievement Award went to former MSAA executive director Amy Reents. 

The 2026 MSAA Summer Meeting and Tradeshow will be held at Boyne Mountain, Mich., Aug. 16-18.