• Snowmaking
• Miscellaneous

Special report by Katie Brinton. SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, April 20, 2021—SIA’s Snowbound Festival, a reimagined version of the former BEWI Expos, is set to launch this fall. Show details and exhibitor pricing for the multi-day Boston and Denver events dropped back in March, and buzz has been positive, said festival director Brian Stephe...

Virtual and In-Person for Summer and Fall 2021 From the cancellation of events in early 2020 to the move to virtual over the past year, we’ve changed the way we conference. However, with vaccination rates rising, the return of in-person events is hopefully in the not-too-distant future.  To help navigate this still uncertain landscape, SAM p...

• Snowmaking

SAM Magazine—Bradenton, Fla.., April 20, 2021—Western mountain resorts capitalized on short-term bookings—those made less than 30 days prior to arrival—in March and April to boost lodging occupancy and revenue at resorts in 18 mountain destinations spread across seven western states, according to the most recent Mountain Market Briefing dis...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—East Rutherford, N.J., April 14, 2021—Big SNOW American Dream named Mark Dobrowolski as its new general manager. Dobrowolski has been serving as interim GM since former general manager Jim Haas died in March.  Dobrowolski joined Big SNOW, a year-round, indoor snowsports venue, as the guest experience manager in October 2019, prio...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Huntsville, Utah, April 13, 2021—Snowbasin Resort and Salomon are partnering in a program in which Salomon will provide Snowbasin with equipment for rentals and lessons. The partnership between the two northern Utah-based companies will add a community access point for Snowbasin guests and bolster offerings of Snowbasin's “Learn ...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 13, 2021—Vail Resorts (VR) is undergoing a leadership shuffle at its headquarters in Broomfield, with some top executives moving to different positions, and some leaving or stepping down. Mountain division president Patricia Campbell is stepping down from her position to assume a new role as senior advisor...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—DENVER, April 12, 2021 —Alterra Mountain Company plans to invest $207 million in capital improvements, including $111 million in resort projects at Steamboat, Deer Valley, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, and Mammoth Mountain; $31 million in enterprise technology systems; and $65 million in resort maintenance and planning.  “This ...

• Miscellaneous
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Ludlow, Vt., April 9, 2021—The Trump administration ban on J-1 and H2-B visas has officially expired, opening up the possibility once again for operators to hire nonimmigrant, temporary workers. As borders begin to open and embassies start to return to normal operations, foreign worker programs will come back to life. Whether they ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 7, 2021—The 2021 SAMMY Leadership Awards honor four individuals for their positive impact on their resorts, local communities and industry at large. This year’s class includes: Katie Brown, an involved mentor, promoter, and champion for female leaders; Robert McClendon, a coach and jack-of-all-trades; Jon Sch...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 5, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company has promoted Mark Brownlie from regional chief operating officer (RCOO) for the company’s Western Region to chief operating officer of resorts. Working with the COO of hospitality to drive profitability and growth, Brownlie will oversee all of the company’s 15 destination op...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Kelowna, B.C., April 1, 2021—Canadian resorts Revelstoke and Big White are both closing ahead of schedule, just as British Columbia enters a three-week lockdown amid surging Covid cases. Both closures appear to be a result of virus-related concerns, though they are not a direct result of the latest lockdown. Whistler Blackcomb, whi...

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., April 1, 2021—A special report from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) found that new, more diverse outdoor participants sought new recreation opportunities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. While these new participants stayed close to home during the pandemic, opportunities exist to entice these newcomers to expand t...

• Lifts
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., March 29, 2021—British Columbia is implementing a three-week "circuit breaker"-style lockdown, imposing widespread restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants, group fitness, and worship services—and closing Whistler Blackcomb resort. All other winter resorts remain open. Affected businesses must close by midnigh...

• Environment

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 29, 2021—With vaccinations accelerating in many locations across the U.S., resort travel planning has begun returning to normal, according to the latest analysis from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. The pace and timing of rebookings, and longer lead times for bookings, indicate growing co...

• Miscellaneous
• Lifts

Resorts Maggie Murray and Jesse True, Arapahoe Basin, Colo.  Arapahoe Basin welcomed Maggie Murray as its new finance director and Jesse True as its new marketing director.  Murray began her career at Morgan Stanley in Boston before realizing that office towers were not her natural habitat. Her background includes top finance roles in local n...