Summer Ops Camp is a three-day, immersive program designed to help mountain resort operators grow and improve their summer business.

Rather than traditional classroom sessions, Camp is built around guided adventures, group discussion, and hands-on learning in real operating environments. Attendees experience attractions firsthand, explore how different operations approach the summer guest, and exchange ideas with peers and partners throughout.

In 2026, Camp heads to Gatlinburg, Tenn., Sept. 1–3. As the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park—the most visited national park in the United States, with 12–14 million visitors annually—Gatlinburg operates at a scale few mountain destinations can match. The market supports a dense mix of attractions designed for a wide, multigenerational audience, with major operations located just minutes apart. This creates a highly concentrated, fast-evolving summer destination where attendees can experience a range of approaches to guest engagement, attraction development, and revenue generation in a single setting.

Whether you’re looking to launch, expand, or fine-tune your summer offerings, Camp puts you in the customer’s shoes so you can experience your own a-ha moments alongside colleagues, experts, and partners. Because learning happens throughout the experience, you’ll leave with practical ideas, stronger connections, and a clearer path forward.

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"Summer Ops Camp is one of the few industry gatherings where the learning actually sticks, because you're seeing the work in context, not slides about the work. Our team has sent leaders to this camp for years and they always come back with something useful. We're proud to host the opening night at SkyPark and looking forward to welcoming everyone to Gatlinburg."

— Stephen Kircher, President & CEO, Boyne Resorts

The Destination

Camp will include a mix of guided visits to several leading Gatlinburg attractions and classroom setting educaiton. Each stop offers a different perspective on how summer operations are designed, built, and evolved. 

Anakeesta

Anakeesta is one of Gatlinburg’s most ambitious and fast-growing attractions, designed to compete in a high-traffic destination by continuously adding new reasons to visit.

Guests arrive via scenic gondola and move through a layered mountaintop environment of elevated walkways, including the 16-bridge Treetop Skywalk, gardens, and a mix of attractions integrated throughout the site. Signature features like the Anavista Climbing Tower offer 360° views, while continued investment—including a mountain coaster—keeps the experience evolving.

At night, the park shifts with Astra Lumina, an immersive light and sound experience designed to extend visits beyond daylight hours.

Anakeesta offers a clear example of how ongoing investment, thoughtful layout, and phased development can drive repeat visitation and increase dwell time in a competitive market.

"We look forward to welcoming Summer Ops Camp to Ankeesta, an award-winning mountain-top adventure park that blends spaces that feel timeless, purposeful, and alive with wonder."

— Bob Bentz, Managing Partner, Anakeesta 

Ober Mountain

Ober Mountain, Tennessee’s only ski area, offers a familiar lens for operators: a winter business working to grow its summer identity in a competitive destination market.

With significant recent investment, Ober continues to expand its summer offerings to better compete for visitor attention in Gatlinburg. This summer includes the addition of a new mountain coaster, updated summer tubing, and archery, alongside existing attractions such as the aerial tramway, mountain biking, and family-friendly experiences.

The operation also utilizes all-weather snowmaking technology, offering insight into how ski areas can extend seasons and create new revenue opportunities beyond traditional weather constraints.

Ober provides a case study in how a legacy ski area can reposition itself, diversify its offering, and compete for market share in a crowded summer destination.

"On behalf of our entire team at Ober, we look forward to welcoming you to experience all the new adventures at Ober Mountain, Tennessee’s only ski resort. As a year-round destination in Gatlinburg, we’re committed to balancing exceptional winter experiences with exciting summer offerings, all while serving the millions of guests who visit each year.”

— Todd Clarke, General Manager, Ober Gatlinburg 

Gatlinburg SkyPark

Gatlinburg SkyPark is a high-performing, attraction-driven operation that has successfully expanded from a single scenic lift into a multi-component mountaintop experience.

Anchored by the SkyLift and the SkyBridge—the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America—the park has continued to grow with added elements like the SkyTrail, observation areas, and expanded food and beverage spaces, all designed to increase dwell time and capacity.

With a strong focus on accessibility and “thrill with no skill” experiences, SkyPark attracts a broad, multi-generational audience in a highly competitive market.

SkyPark demonstrates how targeted investment and strategic expansion can build on a simple core offering to drive volume, increase per-cap spending, and create a scalable attraction model.

What you’ll experience on-site is only part of Camp. Each visit is designed as a learning lab—where observations turn into discussion, comparison, and practical takeaways.

What Attendees Say

"My team and I gained so much from the small group setting. I took something from every conversation." 

 "The Summer Ops Camp is a fantastic, more intimate networking event that allows everyone to create relationships that help bolster opportunity for both buyers and sellers."

"It is also a great opportunity to see how different operations run—from pricing to signage all the way to the actual operation."
 

Registration

Registration for Summer Ops Camp 2026 will open in May.

Camp packages are all-inclusive and include lodging, meals, education sessions, activities, and networking events. Space is limited to maintain a small-group experience.

Schedule

While the 2026 agenda is in development, Camp will begin midday on Day 1 and conclude midday on Day 3, offering three days of immersive, on-site learning.

• Day 1: Kick off with opening sessions, time to connect with vendor partners, and an evening at Gatlinburg SkyPark, where attendees will experience the attraction firsthand while building relationships with peers and suppliers.
• Day 2: A full day of on-the-go experiences and discussions at Anakeesta and Ober Mountain, combining behind-the-scenes access with facilitated sessions and real-time operational insights.
• Day 3: Wrap-up sessions and optional excursions, with opportunities to further explore the region before departure.

Plan extra time to explore additional attractions on your own. There’s no shortage of things to see and do.

More details will be shared as the agenda develops. The schedule is subject to change.

Select activities have capacity limits or require advance sign-up or an additional fee. Registered attendees will receive details in advance.

Sessions & Pop-Up Talks

Education at Camp is not limited to scheduled sessions.

While time is set aside for classroom-based discussions, much of the learning happens in the field—developing in real time as attendees move through each operation together and experience attractions from a guest perspective.

These pop-up conversations take place as the group moves through each operation and are shaped by what attendees are seeing, questioning, and comparing in the moment—connecting on-the-ground observations to broader strategies for growing and managing summer business.

Topics typically include:

• Pricing strategies and revenue models
• Capital planning and investment decisions
• Guest experience, attraction mix, and length of stay
• Staffing and seasonal transitions
• Risk management and regulations
• Attraction development and summer park planning
• Community-driven visitation and passion-based travel trends
• Programming the natural environment and leveraging local assets
• Operational considerations such as branding, wayfinding, and food and beverage

Additional sessions and discussions will explore how operators leverage proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park—aligning programming, positioning, and guest experience with one of the most visited parks in the U.S., and using that proximity to capture seasonal demand.

Camp will also feature an in-depth look at how AI is influencing search and trip planning, including new research from Centium on AI search optimization and how resorts are showing up—and competing—when guests plan summer vacations.

The format ensures that learning isn’t confined to a classroom—it’s built into every conversation and shared experience throughout the program.

"Every time I attend Summer Ops Camp, it is well worth it. I get inspired and motivated by other resorts' operations. In return, I get to bring back meaningful ideas to help grow my operation and a couple good stories as well. Camp gives us the opportunity to connect with each other and grow our community of summer operators. These takeaways from camp are priceless."

- Tish Lopez, Director of Tram & Lifts and Summer Ops, Snowbird, Utah

Take a Look at Summer Ops Camp 2025 in Whistler, B.C.

"I never miss SAM's Summer Ops Camp. It is invaluable for looking ahead and identifying the 'what’s next,' and exploring all aspects of maintaining a sustainable summer operation. The camaraderie, hands-on format, and 'experience it like a guest' programming are great for capturing many 'aha!' moments. Anyone in the business of summer should go to Camp!”

- Claire Humber, Director of Resort Planning, SE Group

 "Learning from shared experiences with your colleagues, away from our home resort, was incredibly impactful. The program at the Tremblant Summer Ops Camp was so striking that I brought our leadership team back to the location a few months later." 

Brian Norton, President & GM, Loon Mountain, N.H.

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