2026 Conference
Learning Tracks & Sessions
Resort Management & Administration
1 General Roll Call
Member roll call meeting Tuesday morning. Updates are given by each resort, vendor and associate along with ISAA updates.
2 Industry Report Card - Closed Session/Ski Area Personnel Only
Closed Session – Ski Area Personnel Only. Join ISAA’s annual legal and risk management update for an in-depth, two-part briefing on the most pressing operational, risk management and legal issues impacting ski areas today. Led by industry attorneys and insurance and risk management professionals. This session will examine current injury statistics and claims trends, key litigation and liability developments, and the operational decisions they inform.
We will discuss a wide variety of topics, including the importance of resort manuals and policies, new HR recommendations, collisions, vehicle policies, signage, growing concerns about class action lawsuits, and the effective use of releases and waivers. There will be dedicated time for continued conversation and Q&A to help resorts understand the practical implications.
3 Reimagining Workforce Management: A Process-Driven Approach to Staffing Ski Resorts
Explore how ski areas can rethink workforce management through a process-driven lens, aligning staffing with real guest demand, improving efficiency, and enhancing both the employee and guest experience.
Draw on SNOW Operating’s Workforce Management (WFM) program and real-world resort applications
Walk through a practical framework for building a more flexible, scalable, and effective staffing model
4 Small Resort Round Table
Closed Session - Ski Area Personnel Only Join fellow leaders from small ski areas for an open, collaborative round table discussion. We’ll dive into the unique challenges and opportunities facing small ski areas, from staffing and marketing to guest experience and sustainability. Bring your questions & your ideas—this session is always full of meaningful discussion.
5 AI/ChatGPT
Using AI in operations. From snowmaking to weather predictions. Where can it help and can it help you be more efficient?
6 PR & Critical Incidents
Critical incidents can happen at any ski area, and how they’re handled matters. Poor communication can increase legal exposure, erode public trust, and drive higher insurance and regulatory scrutiny. This session will share practical tips for responding and communicating effectively when incidents occur.
7 Women in the Ski Industry
Historically, women have made up a smaller portion of the ski industry workforce, particularly in leadership and operations roles. This session explores why increasing representation matters — not just for equity, but for the long-term strength of ski areas.
Panelists will share how diverse perspectives improve communication, retention, safety, and decision-making, and why creating more inclusive pathways benefits employees, guests, and the future of the industry.
Revenue Centers
1 Budgeting - Austin Schuerg, Bridger Bowl
Ski area budgets must balance weather uncertainty, seasonal labor, and major capital investments. This session will cover practical approaches to forecasting revenue, managing costs, and adjusting budgets as the season unfolds.
2 Sponsorships & Creative Funding -
Explore practical ways ski areas can generate new revenue through sponsorships, partnerships, and creative funding strategies. This session will share real examples of how to identify sponsorship opportunities, package assets, and build relationships that support events, infrastructure & guest experiences.
3 Financial Lessons from a Low Snow Year
Low snow years force ski areas to make difficult operational and financial decisions. This session will explore questions many resorts faced this past winter: When do you stop making snow? How much loss can a resort absorb? And how do resorts navigate staffing challenges, including shortened seasons and visa workers?
4 Software Use
CLOSED SESSION: No vendors. What software is your ski area using? This roundtable discussion will focus on the various platforms ski areas use for sales, guest communications, operations, and more.
BAVO
Base Area Village Ops
1 Security & Surveillance - Brian Minton, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Eyes on the Mountain: Security Cameras in Ski Area Operations — Capabilities, Limitations, and Real-World Use
2 Parking
Parking operations and experiences from various resorts.
3 Rental Shop - Dave Grewe, Alta
The rental shop is a key ingredient to creating and retaining new skiers and snowboarders. Learn best practices for optimizing the experience for the guest, as well as which systems and processes streamline efficiency and maximize profits.
4 Building and Maintaining a Medical Program in the Ski Industry - Laura Sells, MD, Wasatch Ranch Medical Director
After attending this session, participants should:
Identify considerations related to having a patrol consisting only of EMTs, OEC Technicians or a combination of both.
Describe the variability of a “Doc on the Hill” program, and how these professionals are best utilized
Consider the availability of local medical facility resources (including fire departments, hospitals, air ambulance companies, etc.) and how to enhance relationships with these groups.
Discuss options for administering advanced medications “on-hill” and the best practices related to medications.
Describe unique features of building a medical program at a private club, including the need for concierge services.
Identify ways in which a well-constructed medical program can flow into summer operations.
Mountain Operations
1 - Fire on the Mountain - Kara Finley, Tamarack Resort
Case Study: Tamarack Resort’s preventive measures and response to the August 2025 Rock Fire illustrates the operational challenges ski areas face when wildfire directly impacts developed terrain.
As the lightning-caused fire grew rapidly and reached areas of the resort, Tamarack suspended operations, reduced staffing, and worked closely with fire agencies to prioritize life safety and protect critical infrastructure.
Fire crews actively defended ski runs and lift corridors as spot fires emerged within resort boundaries. While the incident caused short-term closures and disruption, the resort avoided major structural loss and moved quickly into recovery, using post-fire conditions to restore and even expand skiable terrain—highlighting both the vulnerability and resilience of ski area operations in wildfire-prone environments.
2 Incident Investigation - Scott Fetters, Snowbasin, Brian Bird, Snowbird & Jason Kartchner, MountainGuard
This session covers building a solid IIT program including team training and development, the role of technology in post-incident follow-up, and critical, often-overlooked details.
3 From Master Development Plan to Shovel‑Ready: Navigating Ski Area–Driven NEPA in the Era of Categorical Exclusions - Carol Jackson, SE Group
Focusing on the Forest Service’s evolving proponent‑driven NEPA model and the expanding role ski areas can play in shaping purpose and need, alternatives, and technical analysis to reduce risk and timelines we will walk through the full lifecycle of ski area project delivery on National Forest System lands—from Master Development Planning through NEPA—highlighting how projects can be efficiently designed, analyzed, and implemented under a Categorical Exclusion.
Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how early planning decisions, strong agency coordination, and informed ski area leadership can accelerate approvals and move projects from concept to construction.
4 Snow Secure - Nate Shake, Bogus Basin & Jeremy Cooper, Boyne Resorts
Nate Shake, Mountain Ops Director from Bogus Basin, and Jeremy Cooper, VP of Mountain Sports Development at Boyne Resorts, give an in depth presentation on Snow Secure—an innovative snow storage system that preserves up to 70% of snow through summer. Learn how it reduces water and energy use, supports earlier openings, and hear updates on how a low snow year may impact storage capacity and future implementation.
Lifts
1 Conveyors - Dustin Flath, Star Lifts USA
We will cover the essential basics regarding Sunkid conveyors when it comes to operations and maintenance that can often be overlooked. Items of discussion will include controls & fault annunciation, simple troubleshooting for common questions, tips and tricks for typical maintenance, suggested spare parts to have on hand, and how to put the equipment away for the summer.
2 Bearings Basics / Bull Wheel Installation Tools
Bearings Basics / Bull Wheel Installation Tools (easy button) Video
Back to the bearing basics
How to properly measure
How to identify
How to store
How to handle
Tools to make your job easier with bull wheel bearing installs (video)
Bearing mate
iDuctor
Bearing Heater
3 Why and How to Write a Quality Assurance Program - Mike Lane, NSAA
A strong quality assurance (QA) program keeps lifts reliable, teams aligned, and documentation audit ready. This session explains why QA is essential to safety, uptime, and guest trust, and outlines how to build a right-sized system for any ski area. Hosted by NSAA.
3 Good, Bad and Ugly 2026 - Mike Lane, NSAA
In this rebranded little shop session, we will celebrate the really good things we’ve seen over the past few years, some things probably considered bad, and some of the really tragic things, giving all of us an opportunity to take pride in what we do, learn some things and gain an understanding of things going really wrong. Hosted by NSAA.
4 Ropeway Technician Apprenticeship and Educational Opportunities Roundtable - Mike Lane, NSAA
The Ropeway Technician Apprenticeship is taking shape, the Federal Department of Labor has officially classified the apprenticeship of a Ropeway Technician, NSAA and partners are now rigorously working on the National Standards Guideline. This process includes the details for Required Technical Instruction (RTI’s) and skill and abilities or on the job training (OJT). The class will then discuss the educational opportunities being offered regional and across the country from educational institutions and others. Bring your questions.
5 Brakes and Braking 101 ½ - Mike Lane, NSAA
This updated class will look at the different types of brakes, their physical characteristics, and what the B77.1 standard requires and why. The session then applies the different brake types used on ropeways and gives an overview to help you understand their operation and potential problems. The later portion of the class discusses rotation inertia (energy), and what can be learned from brake curves.
Why and How to Write a Quality Assurance Program for Your Lift Maintenance Program. A strong quality assurance (QA) program keeps lifts reliable, teams aligned, and documentation audit ready. This session explains why QA is essential to safety, uptime, and guest trust, and outlines how to build a right-sized system for any ski area.
Takeaways: Reference LMRG – ANSI B77.1 Quality Assurance and Documentation
• Understand the core components of QA: standards, verification steps, documentation tools, and corrective-action cycles.
• Map your maintenance workflow and identify critical controls and verification steps.
• Create simple, consistent documentation—checklists, sign-offs, variance logs, and corrective-action tracking.
• Establish a sustainable QA cycle with internal audits, supervisor ride-alongs, metrics, and structured follow-up.
• Apply manufacturer guidance and current best practices to reduce rework and standardize procedures.
• Use practical templates and processes to strengthen recordkeeping and demonstrate due diligence.
This session will be especially beneficial to lift maintenance leaders, operations managers, and teams responsible for reliability, documentation, and compliance.
Ropeway Technician Apprenticeship & Educational Opportunities. The Ropeway Technician Apprenticeship is taking shape, the Federal Department of Labor has officially classified the apprenticeship of a Ropeway Technician, NSAA and partners are now rigorously working on the National Standards Guideline. This process includes the details for Required Technical Instruction (RTI’s) and skill and abilities or on the job training (OJT). The class will then discuss the educational opportunities being offered regional and across the country from educational institutions and others. Bring your questions.