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SAM Taps Whistler Blackcomb to Host 2025 Summer Ops Camp
SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, March 18, 2025—SAM’s Summer Ops Camp will be held at Whistler Blackcomb, Sept. 2-4, 2025, offering three days of education, networking, and hands-on learning focused on the future of summer operations at mountain resorts. This year’s camp will also feature a partnership with the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), bringing together a dynamic mix of resort professionals from across North America. Whistler Blackcomb has been at the forefront of year-round recreation development, balancing business innovation with environmental sustainability. With a robust lineup of summer attractions—including the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Peak...
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The weekly virus tracking report from the Insights Collective shows a mixed performance for Western resorts and major metro markets across the U.S. Cases are at elevated levels, based on the 7-day average for new cases per 100,000 population, in Miami, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, N.M., and Jackson, Wyo., though the trend in the latter two is decre...

With vaccines on the way, some travel companies are planning for future growth, according to the Weekly Briefing compiled by the Insights Collective. At present, though, employees at companies across the U.S. have become increasingly hesitant to travel for business, Zoom remains the go-to meeting site, vacation rentals—both globally and in the U....

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, Calif., Dec. 4, 2020—Liftopia Inc. entered an “assignment for the benefit of creditors,” or ABC, to liquidate its assets, through which Norwegian-Spanish holding company Skitude has acquired the assets of Liftopia Inc., according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The proceeds from the sale will be use...

SAM Magazine—Paris, France, Dec. 2, 2020—The debate about restrictions on opening ski resorts, especially for the holidays, in European nations is evolving as government leaders begin to announce decisions about what can be open, when, and who can’t go where. Over 300 ski area workers attended a protest to open the resort at Les 2 Alpes ...

SAM Magazine—Ludlow, Vt., Dec. 2, 2020—While holiday openings were still plentiful this Thanksgiving, the model for opening seems to have shifted in parts of the country, with many resorts opting to slow roll their winter operations with post-holiday, midweek first-day targets. A handful of resorts had record setting holiday periods though, and...

RESORTS Sarah Sherman, Snowbird Sarah Sherman has been appointed communications manager at Snowbird, working within the marketing team to oversee the resort’s public and media relations and communications. Originally from Los Angeles, Sherman began her career as a snow reporter at Mammoth Mountain after graduating from the University of Souther...

SAM Magazine—Paris, France, Nov. 30, 2020—With the pandemic spiking across many regions in the European Union, France has declared that ski lifts won't run this December, while fellow EU members Germany and Italy are threatening to keep ski areas from operating through the month as well. But with other nations vowing to keep resorts open, it re...

The latest news and observations from the Insights Collective regarding how Congress, states, and municipalities are trying to aid business even as they try to stem the spread of COVID-19. From tax holidays and increased safety messaging to online sales assistance and a liability waiver for businesses, you can read the details here....

It will be several months before vaccination levels dent the spread of the pandemic. That should make us thankful for the financial benefits of outdoor dining, wearing masks, and COVID information apps, all of which are chronicled in the latest Weekly Briefing from the Insights Collective. Get the details here....

SAM Magazine—Newry, Maine, Nov. 20, 2020—Resorts have had to get creative with their formerly indoor, packed-room staff orientations. Sunday River, Maine, has gone the drive-in route. The evening of Nov. 17 saw the first of at least five drive-in staff orientations at the resort. Each will have about 50 cars, and staff members who live in the ...

While COVID-19 infection levels remain high—and climbing, in many locations—this week’s Virus Tracker from the Insights Collective shows a bending of the curve. If that continues, this fall’s wave could hit a lull ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. See the full report, with data on both major markets and local resort communities, here....

SAM Magazine—Bradenton, Fla., Nov. 18, 2020—Western mountain resorts enjoyed a slight 1.3 percent bump up in year-over-year occupancy in October compared to October 2019, and a rise in average daily rate (ADR) of 20.1 percent pushed total revenues up a healthy 21.7 percent for the month, according to the DestiMetrics Market Briefing from Inntop...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Nov. 17, 2020—The Indy Pass now includes access to Snow Ridge Ski Resort in upstate New York and Antelope Butte in northern Wyoming, bringing the total number of independent ski areas on the pass to 59. Snow Ridge is the fourth New York ski area on the pass, and Antelope Butte is the third in Wyoming. Passholders ge...

SAM Magazine—Santa Fe, N.M., Nov. 14, 2020—New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state health officials temporarily re-imposed a statewide order Friday that closes in-person services for all non-essential activities, including skiing and snowboarding, in an attempt to blunt the spike of COVID-19 illnesses and the escalating strain on hospi...

SAM Magazine—Ludlow, Vt., Nov. 12, 2020—The 2020-21 ski season has begun, with more resorts confirming opening dates even as COVID-19 cases surge across the U.S. SAM has been tracking the virus. This week, we spoke to several operators, and all are confident in the operating plans they've developed in accordance with local, state, and fede...