SAM Magazine—Hancock, Mass., April 21, 2026—Packed house for older fixed grip roundtable.The 49th annual Lift Maintenance Seminar (LMS) returned to Jiminy Peak, April 13-16, drawing a sold-out crowd of roughly 415 ski area operations professionals, supplier representatives, state officials, and experts from all over North America to engage in a wide range of educational workshops, discussions, and networking.

The schedule was packed with a variety of workshops and classes that covered topics one would expect at an event attended by the people responsible for lifts and other aspects of mountain operations. Options included multi-part workshops on bolting and bolt torquing and low voltage control circuits, and other technical sessions about gears and gearboxes, lift controls, cabinet maintenance, and ski-lift math. Not to mention a variety of roundtable discussions for lift operations, small ski areas, documentation, older fixed-grip lifts, and much more. There were also sessions about mental health and burnout, safety and first aid, guest service, and signage.

Chauncy Johnson, Snow Angel Foundation, delivers keynote.Many of the sessions were led by ski area personnel—general managers, mountain operations directors, lift maintenance and lift ops managers, etc.—and others by supplier representatives, engineers, and state or insurance inspectors. 

Roundtable discussions, designed to be open talks about pertinent topics from those in the audience rather than formal presentations, were fertile ground for sharing of ideas, solutions, and even some gripes. 

The lift operations roundtable, for example, covered everything from staff training and how to communicate to guests that newer lifts can run in reverse to snowmobile travel policies and the benefits of supplying hand sanitizer for staff (a couple operators shared that since they started doing this during Covid there’s been a notable reduction in staff illness). 

There was a standing-room-only crowd for the aging fixed-grip lift roundtable, where a variety of questions were asked and insights were shared by the experts leading the discussion. The sense of collaboration was strong with offers and ISOs for spare parts and new strategies among attendees throughout.

Shanta Hoff, Mt. Abram, and Stew Wells, Dry Hill Ski Area.How to attract and retain lift mechanics and electricians was a common theme during LMS. Operators from Ontario ski areas frequently shared insights about the province’s lift maintenance technician certification program and strict lift inspection requirements for aging lifts, which drew interest from attendees and regulators alike.  

The strong desire for training and knowledge transfer was apparent; people were there to learn and share, not merely to check a box or socialize. Networking is an important aspect of the gathering, of course, and organizers offered plenty of opportunities to do so with social gatherings and fun activities like the fishing derby and cornhole tournament.  

Organic camaraderie among attendees is always an aspect of LMS that helps information flow freely. Problems are met with solutions, new members of the community find mentors, and takeaways abound because everyone there wants to provide a safe and reliable experience for their guests and staff.