CHECK OUT THE 2024 WORKSHOPS BELOW

Wednesday, April 17

2:00pm - 2:45pm

Applying Silicon Valley Design Thinking Principles to Customer Experience Challenges

Join us to learn more about innovation frameworks and how they can be applied to your operation. This session will include a group workshop and a discussion on how Spot leverages these frameworks.

Lisa McGee, Director of Strategy & Research, Spot

Nabil Rahman, Chief Strategy Officer, Spot

Peak Experiences: Trends Shaping Mountain Travel through the eyes of US and European Travelers

This workshop is tailored for those keen on the evolving trends of U.S. and European travelers heading to leisure destinations. Engage in an interactive dialogue with mountain destination leaders who will share invaluable insights and lead a discussion on the latest travel behaviors, preferences, and expectations. This workshop promises a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape, empowering participants with the knowledge to anticipate and meet the needs of today's resort destination travelers.

Pete Comeau, Managing Director, Phocuswright

Saundra Kahler, Senior Business Development Manager, Research, Phocuswright

Tom Foley, SVP, Business Intelligence, Inntopia

Brand Energy: The Unseen Force in Brand Building

Today's market is a battleground where countless brands vie for attention, yet amidst this noise, a silent force emerges as a true differentiator: Brand Energy. This often-ignored essence has the power to set a brand apart. It's not merely about what we sell, but how we connect, creating experiences that resonate with mountain culture and live music.

Led by Matt Peterson, VP of Marketing at Palisades Tahoe, and Tom Feiten, SVP of Business Development, this session will explore the art and science of Brand Energy. We're not here to lecture but to share our journey with you. From the significant step of changing our name to making our new mark on the global stage with The Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup. We aim to discuss why instilling your brands with an energy can be deeply impactful.

We invite you to join us as we delve into the highs and lows of brand building in the contemporary landscape, drawing from our experiences in the evolving world of marketing and development. It's about sharing insights, not just from our successes, but from the challenges we've faced along the way.

Tom Feiten, SVP Business Development, Palisades Tahoe

Matt Peterson, Vice President of Marketing, Palisades Tahoe

3:00pm - 3:45pm

Let’s Talk About Lodging

In this breakout, we’ll discuss trends, innovations, and insights as they relate to lodging in the mountains. The myriad of lodging options available to the mountain traveler makes this sector one that is constantly evolving and our panel of experts will shed some light on the ever-changing landscape.

Kris McKinnon, Vice President of Sales, East West Hospitality

Tom Foley, SVP, Business Intelligence, Inntopia

A man smiling for a photo wearing sunglasses on his head

Bert Witsil, Associate Director of Sales, Limelight Hotel Ketchum

Andy Chapman, President/CEO, Travel North Tahoe Nevada

Peak Performance in Practice: How to Leverage Data for Ongoing Optimization

Discover real world examples of how destination leaders conquered new heights through using actionable insights to create real world outcomes.

Nicole Brownell, Chief Experience Officer, Zartico

Katie Stadius, Strategic Advisor Director, State & Special Projects, Zartico

Industry Resiliency and Stress Management

Stress has a big impact on mental health, not just from resort occupations and seasonal business volume, but from everyday life. It is a big reason why ski resorts are implementing resiliency teams and stress injury awareness. Originating in the armed forces and then adapted by ski patrols, the Stress Continuum program recognizes that stress injuries are physical injuries that require attention to heal, and they've implemented tools to address stress-induced trauma in their field. By expanding the program resort-wide and now into the industry, we will be enhancing each individual employee’s willingness and ability to cope with stress. Learning stress management not only helps employees at work but can also be a lifelong tool. Join this workshop to learn how some resorts are prioritizing mental health to improve retention.

Elly Orszulak, Director of Guest Relations, Rental & Retail Operations, Eldora

4:00pm - 4:45pm

Navigating and Mastering SEO

In today's competitive digital landscape, winter sports businesses navigate through complex SEO strategies to ensure their offerings stand out online. This session offers a focused, practical approach to mastering SEO, maximizing online visibility and marketing efficiency.

Key takeaways include:

The Winter Sports Travel Purchasing Journey
Optimal SEO Techniques
Converting Interest into Bookings
Google's Search Evolution
Common SEO Mistakes & Opportunities

This presentation serves as a comprehensive guide, arming attendees with actionable insights and strategies to elevate their digital marketing. It's an essential tool for ski resorts, equipment retailers, and all businesses connected to the snow sports industry, aiming to boost their online presence through effective SEO techniques.

Brennen Bliss, Principal, Propellic

The British Skier: A Deep Dive into their Habits, Drivers and Choices

How, when and why skiers make the decisions and choices they do is critical in the strategic and tactical planning for all stakeholders in the snowsports industry. For over a decade the Mountain Trade Network and the Ski Club of Great Britain have been conducting large scale consumer surveys of the 2 million plus Brits who take an annual ski vacation. Since COVID-19 these two organizations have pooled their resources to produce twice yearly definitive studies of the UK ski market, looking at both pre-season intent and post season booking behaviors.

This workshop will provide a deep dive into these behaviors, with a focus on trends vs pre COVID-19 and some assessments of the key factors likely to drive decision making for UK skiers in the near future.