SAM Coverage
Business
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It’s Good to Be Big
This year’s Economic Analysis doesn’t hold many surprises, except if you are in the middle of the pack. I swear I have to be…
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Disappearing Act
The “Gini Index” suggests that a shrinking middle class has limited U.S. resort visits. With what may be the first-ever 60-million visit total this…
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Tamarack in Turmoil
How finances for a northern resort went south. They still talk about the time President George Bush came to Tamarack, the up-and-coming Idaho resort…
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Weather Bet
Derivatives can soften the blow of a poor season. In theory, weather derivatives can help smooth out the annual ups and downs of resort…
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Blue Pages :: May 2008
WILL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN CRIMP VISITS?… RESORT TOWNS NEED NEW “SOCIAL CONTRACT”… NOT YOUR AVERAGE MOM AND POP AREA… MT. HOLLY CLUB HAS PAYMENT ISSUES,…
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Keeping Up With the Joneses
Here’s a look at how small ski areas around the country successfully compete for their share of the pie. In a country that seems…
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Better Snow, Less Cost
As energy prices skyrocket, ski areas and manufacturers are looking at ways to cut costs. In snowmaking, variable frequency drives will help. When ski…
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Speak Out :: Snowsports Schools and Remembering Darcy Brown
Rick Kahl asks Is a Snowsports School a Profit Center or a Recruiting Center? Ann Rowan remembers Darcy Brown. Is a Snowsports School a…
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Playing the Value Card
What, us worry? The price of gas doesn’t faze ski areas. In China the character for “crisis” can mean either chaos or opportunity. In…
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Driving Business
Ski Maine launches a statewide pilot ride-share program this season, just in time to combat high gas prices. Can ski areas drive business by…
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Business Forecast: Mixed
Fly-to destinations report soft early bookings, while drive-to areas saw increases. The conventional wisdom in the ski industry is that snow trumps all other…
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Blue Pages :: November 2008
JAY TAPS VISA PROGRAM TO FUND HOTEL… ALTERNATE ENERGY PICKS UP STEAM… CHINA: OWER TO THE (RICH) PEOPLE… SHOWDOWN OFFERS FREE LEARN-TO PROGRAM… WE…
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Rentals on the Rise
The economic slowdown could fuel an uptick in rentals. When the airlines first announced last spring that they would charge extra for each checked…
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Kitchen Aid
A little creativity with some basic ingredients can boost your f&b profits. With food costs rising and customers reeling from the economic downturn, it’s…
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Blue Pages:: January 2009
CNL TEES UP ANOTHER ONE… BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE $300 MILLION?… ROUGH TIMES AT INTRAWEST, VAIL RESORTS… JUST WHAT DETROIT NEEDS… OKEMO MAKES LEARNING…
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A Green Retrofit
Updating an existing building with energy-efficient measures is not as hard, or as costly, as you might think. The building that houses administrative functions…
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Speak Out :: Security Alert, and What’s Next For Troubled Resorts
What’s Next for Our Troubled Resorts? As with all other ski areas, we struggle with the problem of snowboard theft. It’s one of those…
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So Far, So Good
Does snow really trump all? It did through January. A combination of mostly good snow and weather, big promos and value-added packages fueled a…