SAM Magazine—Boston, Mass., Nov. 8, 2023—The producers of two of the largest consumer ski shows in the nation—Snowbound Boston, and Snowvana in Portland, Ore.—reported a record number of attendees, vendors, and sales at their events this past weekend. Snowbound's pre-show reception: Mary Walsh, Snowboarder; Tim Smith, Waterville Valley; Jen Karnan, Cannon; Brian Norton, Loon; and Olivia Rowan, SAM.

Snowbound, held Nov. 3-5 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, saw a 7.5 percent increase in attendance, attracting 21,145 ski and snowboard enthusiasts compared to 19,661 last year. This year's expo also saw nearly double the number of attending brands and resorts as last year, with 190 vendors compared to 98 in 2022. This year’s event was held about two weeks earlier than in the past. 

Chloe Hyland, senior marketing manager for event producer Racoon Media Group, said   

Snowbound’s new location made it easier to access for consumers and the change in dates made it easier for resorts and brands to commit to the expo. Plus, said Hyland, the “gross space grew by 98 percent in size from 2022 to 2023.”

This year, Snowbound added the Gilson Snowbound Rail Jam where skiers and snowboarders performed their best tricks on a rail setup, and a new line-up of guest speakers including Shaun White, Lindsey Jacobellis, Brenna Huckaby, L.J. Henriquez, Dan Egan, and many more. Shaun White and other athletes attracted large crowds at Snowbound.

“I thought the show was great. There was a lot of high energy, steady turnout, and the new venue was quite impressive and added to the layers of winter hype, plus the speaker lineup was excellent and well attended,” said John Bleh, public relations and communications manager at Sugarbush Resort, Vt.

In addition, there was a new retail zone hosted by SkiEssentials that offered discounts on the latest gear and apparel and packages for the season. Interactive experiences included the Eliteam's Obstacle Course, an indoor learn-to slope, Skate to Ski, and the Cross-Country Experience. Brian Fairbank of The Fairbank Group (Jiminy Peak, Bromley, Cranmore) and Carolyn Stimpson from Wachusett at the Snowbound reception.

“We have received a lot of positive feedback surrounding this year's expo. There was a buzz in the air and visitors have told us it was the best ski show they've been to so far,” said Hyland. “We can tell the community is stoked to be back at a huge ski show before the season.” 

Hyland said 92 percent of attending ski resorts and brands have already rebooked for next year, scheduled for Nov. 15-17, 2024, at the same location. 

Snowvana. Meanwhile, about 3,000 miles to the West, Doug Fish, producer of Snowvana, held on the same weekend as Snowbound, reported that overall attendance was up 22 percent over last year and the number of attending ski areas was four-fold that of 2022. PistenBully Resort Pavilion at Snowvana.

“We had resorts that came from Alaska to California to meet with thousands of passionate skiers and riders from Portland,” Fish said.

Earlier, Fish credited the increased presence of ski areas to new sponsorship deals with the Indy Pass and Ikon Pass, that included free exhibit space for the ski resorts under those umbrellas. Groomer manufacturer PistenBully sponsored a pavilion featuring Ikon and Indy Pass ski areas.  

Also new this year was a speaker series including a panel discussion moderated by Stuart Winchester, publisher of the Storm Skiing Journal who addressed the future of skiing with Scott Turlington, general manager of Tamarack Resort, Greg Pack, general manager at Mt. Hood Meadows, Andrew Gast, general manager at Mt. Ashland, and Jeff Colburn, general manager at Silver Mountain.Future generation of skiers and snowboarders at Snowvana.

“The audience was engaged in the conversation and very interested in how some of the independent resorts were going to grow their business,” said Pack. “No two resorts are the same and have to approach their growth in different ways.”  

“Overall, it was a very busy show and the crowd was pumped up for ski season. The conversations were awesome and the vibe was very positive with most folks looking for what’s new and for great deals. For us it was great to connect and share what we have going on this winter,” he added. 

In addition to season passes, Mt. Hood Meadows sold a weekday deal offering two lift tickets for $99 and sales were more than anticipated, Pack said.  

“This year’s show was a huge success with record attendance and retail sales,” said Fish. “I’m pleased to report that live ski shows are back,” he said. 

Adirondack Sports and Northeast Ski Expo. Both reports are a positive sign for producers of the upcoming Adirondack Sports and Northeast Ski Expo this weekend, Nov. 11-12, in Albany, N.Y. The show is celebrating its 60th anniversary boasting 150 exhibitors representing alpine and cross-country ski areas as well as a variety of other winter sports vendors, plus health, fitness, and travel destinations in New York and the Northeast.Media, writers, and Northeast ski area operators mingle over a game of darts the night before the show.

Adirondack Sports and Fitness (AS&F) acquired the show in 2022 and brought it back last year from a hiatus due to Covid-19.

AS&F publishes Adirondack Sports magazine with a monthly circulation of 25,000 copies at 600 locations across upstate New York. The company also produces the Adirondack Sports Summer Expo, held annually in March at the Saratoga Springs City Center, according to Darryl Caron, publisher and editor of the magazine. 

About 10,000 attendees are expected at this weekend’s winter expo that will again offer free admission with family-friendly activities and $10,000 in prizes, Caron added.

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