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College Subscriptions
The next generation of leaders are SAM readers. SAM offers discounted magazine subscriptions for college students and professors teaching industry-related courses. Explore the options below or reach out to karolyn@saminfo.com if your program has different needs. 50% Off Individual Subscriptions College students interested in subscribing to SAM magazine receive 50% off an annual subscription. This includes: 6 print issues, delivered in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Unlimited access to the digital archives, and early access to magazine content. Discounts on SAM programs and events. Shipping Location Price with Discount United States $32....
"I just wanted to thank you for all that you have done to foster such vibrant and helpful collaboration between industry leaders. It is truly inspiring to be on a call knowing that our smallest mountains and largest resorts are wrestling with the same issues and working together to solve them." – Tom Butler, Sugarloaf Previous Huddles, most...
SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Dec. 22, 2017—Josh Bremer’s “Junkyard Dog” feature at Whitecap Mountain, Wis., and the Scott Delforte Park Jam at Bristol Mountain, N.Y., are the winners of the 13th annual SAM 2017 Terrain Park Contest. The contest drew nearly 30 entries from around the world.
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 28, 2024—The 2024 Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, highlighted up-and-coming lift mechanics and their lift maintenance teams from six ski areas across North America: Berkshire East, Mass.; Crystal Mountain, Wash.; Mount Sunapee, N.H.; Palisades Tahoe, Calif.; Purgatory, Colo.; and Sno...
The I AM a Snowmaker contest—sponsored by HKD Snowmakers—highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes their critical contributions to the alpine, Nordic, snowboard, and winter tubing industry. I AM a Snowmaker was launched in 2013, and has highlighted the expertise and character of a wide variety of sno...
Cutter's Camp 2023 Recap
The 19th annual Cutter’s Camp at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore., May 15-19, 2023, was a sold-out event. Freestyle terrain professionals from resorts of all sizes and regions in North America and worldwide descended on Timberline for the five-day event. Attendees engaged in seminars, workshops, roundtables, networking activities, and one-one-on-hill operator coaching, and discussed topics ranging from risk management and feature design and construction to events, progression and snow management, and much more. Check out the full slideshow below and the link to the 2023 program.
Cheers,
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 28, 2023—The 2023 Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, highlighted up-and-coming lift mechanics and their lift maintenance teams from six ski areas across North America: Arapahoe Basin, Colo.; Deer Valley, Utah; Killington Resort, Vt.; Mansfield Ski Club, Ont.; Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore.; and Pow...
SPONSORED CONTENT The Snowball Effect Group Launches t...
May 2025 Adopting Automation How two ski areas took the leap into automated snowmaking, and what the results have shown. In response to increasingly fickle snowmaking windows and rising energy and labor costs, Mountain Creek, N....
The I AM a Snowmaker contest—sponsored by HKD Snowmakers—highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM a Snowmaker was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission. Seven ...
Congratulation Nick Gilbertson from AZ Snowbowl SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 23, 2022—In a tight race, the lift maintenance team from Arizona Snowbowl and its featured lift mechanic Nick Gilbertson have won the 2022 Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America. Gilbertson and the Snowbowl team will be awarded a $3,500 education...
10 Under 30 Nominations Open! ...
May 2025 Mastering Your Mindset Mindset is a leadership tool that sets the tone for your whole team. Mindset is a powerful thing. It influences our behavior, decision-making, communication, and confidence. It can be the key to o...
EJH Distribution Ltd. Great Glamping Giveaway 2023 – OFFICIAL RULES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. 1. PROMOTION DESCRIPTION: The Great Glamping Giveaway ("Contest") begins on July 10, 2023 12:00pm and end...
Summer Ops Camp and EJH Distribution Ltd., a premium supplier of creative structures, are excited to offer a great glamping giveaway to camp attendees.* One lucky resort will win a starter glamping set up that includes two De Waard tents—the Big Oak and the Round Holly. Enter the contest between July 10 and Sept. 1 to be considered. Details: ...
Capture and sell quality photos and videos of your adventure experience! Action Photo Systems provides a fully automated image capture and a sales platform that is simple for guests to use and requires no staff involvement. We have over a decade of experience partnering with adventure tour experiences across America - specializing in tho...
The 2022 SAMMY Leadership Award honorees symbolize actions, approaches, and operations that have grown in importance during the past two tumultuous years—small, family-owned ski areas; diversity, equity, and inclusion on our mountains; and transparent marketing communications and technology. This year’s honorees are: Constance Beverley, champio...
Meet the 2022-2023 Summit Series mentee class hailing from resorts across North America, large, mid-size, and small, independent, and corporate, and represent departments ranging from mountain ops to marketing. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of our fourth mentee class.
Meet the 2023-24 Summit Series mentee class hailing from resorts across the United States, large, mid-size, and small, independent, and corporate, and represent departments ranging from mountain ops to marketing. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of our fourth mentee class.
The 2022-23 Summit Series leadership development program brings together mentors from across the U.S. and Canada, from resorts large and small, independent and corporate, and drive and destination, to share their experiences and stories with a group of peer- and self-nominated mentees. We are incredibly for...
The 2023-24 Summit Series leadership development program brings together mentors from across the U.S., from resorts large and small, independent and corporate, and drive and destination, to share their experiences and stories with a group of peer- and self-nominated mentees. We are incredibly fortunate to h...
Congratulation Leah Parkes from Craigleith, winner of the 2021 Rise Up Challenge SAM Magazine—Barrie, Ont., Aug. 10, 2021—The lift maintenance team from Ontario’s Craigleith Ski Club and its featured up-and-coming lift mechanic Leah Parkes won the inaugural Rise Up Challenge sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, garnering nearly 1,...
Packages are all-inclusive of two nights of lodging at the Steamboat Grand, all meals, sessions, workshops, outdoor demos, drink tickets, activities, a welcome bag, and a complimentary year-long subscription to our sister magazine, Adventure Park Insider. All package prices are per person. Double occupancy packages will need two registrants to comp...
Last week at Cutter's Camp at Timberline Lodge, Ore., pro skier Drew Petersen spoke about mental health. Drew has been a vocal advocate in raising awareness of mental health issues in mountain communities, using his own very powerful story of battling suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression to put the crisis into perspective. When we watch...
Through the success of Lumina Night Walks, mountain resort and outdoor activity operators have successfully created multimedia experiences that appeal to a larger demographic, thereby increasing and diversifying attendance. These magical, immersive attractions also allow them to leverage existing infrastructure to create an entertainment offering t...
For businesses that earn the bulk of their revenue from snow and cold weather, is it possible to remain profitable without either of the two? While mountain resorts are bustling during the winter months, summer tourism can also be a lucrative venture. To fully capitalize on warm-season business, multi-use facilities in key locations are a vital par...
SAMMY Leadership Award 2021 honorees embody many of the mountain resort industry’s hallmarks: creativity, work ethic, entrepreneurship, selflessness, and involvement. The class of 2021 includes: Katie Brown, an involved mentor, promoter, and champion for female leaders; Robert McClendon, a coach and jack-of-all-trades; Jon Schaefer, an innovator ...
Running a ski area is like operating 20 different businesses in one. It takes an amazing variety of highly skilled passionate people to run a ski area. From snowmakers to patrollers, instructors to guest services, marketing, accounting, lift ops, maintenance—the list goes on. Aspenware CEO Rob Clark always says that running a ski area is like op...
CUTTER'S CAMP REGISTRATION Since 2003, Cutter’s Camp has fostered an open dialogue between terrain park managers, staff, industry experts, and suppliers from around the world. The week-long spring program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, with a continued focus on the business of terrain parks, risk mana...
March 2025 2025 Groomer Report New technology plays an increasingly large role in modern snowcat development and operation. When we break it all down, a groom-ing machine serves two primary purposes: pushing piles of snow and l...
Lift Operations Articles January 2025 Cooling Off Despite fewer lifts being built, it was still a busy ...
A deep dive into big tourism’s marketing and sales strategies and how to apply them to the ski industry. By Casey Parliament, Intouch It’s no secret that Disney, Marriott Hotels, Sundance Resort, The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and every other brand name attraction or experience uses its good name to attract visitors. But how do the...
accesso sponsored content How to improve guest experiences, increase revenue, and stress less in 2022 By Phil Schwartz As ski areas grapple with an ever-changing business landscape, it’s important to keep a close eye on consumer trends. In a world of Instacart and Amazon, guests have become accustomed to seamless online transactions that...
The 2021-2022 Summit Series mentee class hail from resorts across North America, large, mid-size, and small, independent, and corporate, and represent departments ranging from mountain ops to marketing. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of our fourth mentee class.
Businesses have spent much of the past 18 months adapting to extraordinary circumstances. Now, amid continued uncertainty, one thing is certain: 2021-22 will be the time to reimagine, reinvent, and reset. With strong leadership guiding the way, our company cultures, productivity, guest experience, green growth, technology, labor, and resiliency...
Summit Series Bootcamps These online learning experiences include: Five pre-recorded sessions with the 2021-22 Summit Series mentors and mentees. Lessons organized into bite-sized conversations so you can proceed at your own pace, day or night, as your schedule permits––a progress checker keeps you on pace and holds your spot when ...
The Summit Series Bootcamps are so pleased to be working with these fabulous speakers who will be sharing their thoughts and insights throughout the Bootcamp program.
The 2021-22 Summit Series program brings together mentors from across the U.S. and Canada, from large and small resorts, independent and corporate, day visit and destination markets, to share their experiences and stories with our mentees. We are incredibly fortunate to have this accomplished group of individuals leverage their knowledge and expertise to help guide, mentor, and advise participants throughout the Summit Series as we look toward the future of the mountain resort industry.
Thank you to our premiere sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program.
May 2025 The Wisdom of Whistler Blackcomb How the largest resort in North America mastered summer, and how you can, too. The simple secret of Whistler Blackcomb’s summer ops success: maximize the experience of your physical en...
May 2025 Dig Deep on Data Use AI to mine your data cache and unlock operational insights. Resort operators accumulate vast amounts of data across operations like F&B outlets, ski school, ticketing, season passes, and CRM s...
accesso sponsored content There’s a lot of preparation involved when planning an upcoming snow adventure, from browsing different options and purchasing tickets to choosing whether to overpack or under pack (who knows, maybe you will end up needing five extra pairs of socks). For an excited guest, minor inconveniences—like long lines to...
This year’s SAMMY Leadership Award honorees embody many of the mountain resort industry’s hallmarks: creativity, work ethic, entrepreneurship, selflessness, and involvement. The class of 2020 includes Danielle Kristmanson and MJ Legault, the guiding lights of some of our most successful brands, Ken Gaitor, a respected and influential operations...
With more than 250 installations, the Wiegand Alpine Coaster is the world’s leader in the mountain coaster industry. The brand creates outstanding revenue for customers worldwide and sets the standard for future resort installations. The Wiegand Alpine Coaster is the only mountain coaster that is designed and engineered to meet DIN, AST...
Choosing your next summer attraction or service is made easier with company and product descriptions, videos, testimonials, and contact information. Click on a logo to learn more. Defining De...
Choosing a technology supplier is made easier with company and product descriptions, videos, testimonials, and contact information. Click on a logo to learn more or view our full Tech Supplier overview from the November issue. ...
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Rise Up Challenge ...
The Risk of Not Investing in Tech A look at the costs of investing—or not investing—in the latest the latest software and what the future may bring. ...
Check out the 2025 Groomer Report along with all our grooming articles—in one place! ...
Snowmaking Articles ...
Explore key themes and insights discovered by Metric Centric during the customer listening sessions they held over the past year. ...
A good lift mechanic is hard to find. Leitner-Poma of America wants to help the industry rise up to the challenge of supporting the next generation of lift mechanics, with the fifth annual Rise Up Challenge. To enter, nominate an up-and-comer in your lift department who exemplifies a passion for a career in lift maintenance. Six resorts will b...
Welcome to our spotlight on tech products and services to help operators continue to enhance their guests' experience, collect important information digitally, and streamline commerce. We will continually add to this list, so check back often. If you have a product or service you’d like SAM to profile, email cole@saminfo.com for details. MODER...
SAM has joined forces with Senan Gorman of North Pole Design and the Tiki Task Force for a live event at the 2021 virtual NSAA Winter Show. Join us on Wednesday, February 3 at 4 p.m. EST for a live chainsawing of a ski tiki of YOUR choice. Check out the designs, fill out the poll below, and join us on Wednesday to watch the winning design be u...
By Paul Thallner, High Peaks Group “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” - Winston Churchill Many of us ...
Welcome to the Capacity Management Video Series brought to you in partnership with SNOW Operating. In this 4-Part video series, we will share some insights on how resorts can manage capacity. Using real data collected at Big SNOW American Dream, SNOW Operating will illustrate how to use basic Lean Six Sigma concepts in helping to plan your physical...
Welcome to our spotlight on products and services to help operators navigate this winter season during the pandemic. We will continually add to this list, so check back often. If you have a product or service you’d like SAM to profile, email cole@saminfo.com for details. COVID-19 STAFF TRAINING AND PROTOCOLS PuroClean of South R...
The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission. CONGRATULATION BRISTOL MOUNTAI...
The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission.This season the I AM is celebrating the legacy of Herman...
The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM a Snowmaker was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission.In 2022 the I AM a Snowmaker contest celebra...
As different as this winter will likely be, it also presents opportunities. Improving processes, leveraging technology, and making genuine connections with new guests are just some of the efforts resorts have been focusing on. Resorts are also exploring alternative, revenue-driving activities to offer those new guests, because many will be seeking ...
