SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 6, 2026—
New sessions and activities have been added to SAM's 14th annual Summer Ops Camp, a three-day program of site visits, seminars, on-hill workshops, demonstrations, and networking events exploring the latest trends in mountain resort summer operations. The event takes place Sept. 1-3 in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Space is limited, and the deadline to reserve a lodging package is Aug. 12.
"If you or your team are looking for fresh ideas to increase summer revenue and visitation, join us for three days of experiential learning alongside industry colleagues and experts," said SAM publisher Olivia Rowan. "The limited size of this event is by design, so every camper has plenty of 'a-ha!' moments and leaves with actionable takeaways and new contacts. We're going to learn and see a lot in the mountaintop playgrounds of Gatlinburg while experiencing some first-in-the-world attractions."
Set in one of the country's leading mountain tourism markets, Summer Ops Camp will combine classroom sessions with hands-on learning at Gatlinburg SkyPark, Anakeesta, and Ober Gatlinburg. Campers will explore the planning, design, operations, and guest experiences that have made each destination a leader in summer mountain tourism.
Camp opens with an evening at Gatlinburg SkyPark, where attendees will tour the SkyTrail, Tulip Tower, the new Clayton's Landing, and the iconic SkyBridge while experiencing the park from a guest's perspective. The evening concludes with bluegrass music and Southern barbecue atop the mountain, sponsored by Experiential Resources.
The next morning begins with a ride on North America's first all-glass gondola to Anakeesta for breakfast and a behind-the-scenes look at the park's $100 million "Make More Magic" capital expansion. From there, campers head to Ober Gatlinburg for on-hill workshops and demonstrations covering mountain biking, zip lining, all-weather snowmaking, summer tubing, risk management, guided experiences, and master planning. The day concludes back at Anakeesta with open-air dining in the Lumina Pavilion, sponsored by Leitner-Poma, followed by an opportunity to experience the park's nighttime attractions, including the new Firefly Experience and Astra Lumina.
Throughout these experiences, experts will conduct the event’s signature “pop-up talks” to discuss important details and operational nuances along the way. The learning never stops.
Complementing the field experiences are educational sessions exploring some of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing mountain resorts:
- "Designing for Delight: The Science Behind Great Guest Experiences.” How design elements such as scale, rhythm, sightlines, transitions, and gathering spaces influence guest behavior, emotions, and memory.
- "Selling Summer: The Discoverability Problem Ski Resorts Can't Ignore." AI is changing destination discovery, so we’ll explore what mountain resorts can do to improve their visibility as travelers increasingly rely on AI-powered planning.
- "Creating Experiences That Build Culture." Learn how authentic events and experiences can strengthen community connections, inspire travel, and encourage repeat visitation.
- "The Future Is Bright—and Full of Bike Parks." A detailed look at successful bike park operations, from lift-, shuttle-, and e-bike-served models to community trail systems, phased development, and right-sized investment. Prepare for surprising revelations that may shift your perspective on bike parks.
- "Summer Bummers." An examination of summer-specific operational risks through real-world case studies, emerging trends, and an in-field workshop on risk management for scenic chairlift operations.
- An operator panel, featuring mountain resort leaders sharing lessons learned from their own summer operations.
Optional Excursions Expand the Experience
Several optional tours are also planned. Among them is a Wiegand-hosted tour of two mountain coasters in nearby Pigeon Forge, offering ideas for operators considering new coaster installations or expanded coaster programming. Attendees can also explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a guided excursion with Smoky Mountain Guides, head to ClimbWORKS to hit the zips, or experience WildSide's MegaZip—the longest zip line in North America—during a tour sponsored by ZipRider.
The deadline to reserve a lodging package is Aug. 12. It includes accommodations, meals, educational sessions, activities, an Arc'teryx welcome bag, and networking throughout the three-day program. View the full agenda and register at saminfo.com/summer-ops-camp. Email Karolyn Towle at karolyn@saminfo.com with questions.
