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

ISAA’s Annual Legal and risk management update highlights the latest in injury statistics, litigation, liability trends and operational issues in the ski industry with a focus on recent cases, legal updates, emerging issues, and lessons learned.

The panel of industry-leading insurance companies, ski defense attorneys and risk managers will lead the always well-attended and important session.

This year’s session we will dive into discussion on catastrophic lift incidents, padding and marking update, snow safety education, alcohol and drug use, employee collisions, employee housing, managing events like snowmobile hill climbs, waiver and contracts, incident investigation technology and the educational show and tell of lesson learned in the field.

3 Workforce Management

Reduce labor waste

4 Small Resort Round Table

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 EBIDTA: Lessons from a Low Snow Season (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization)

Roundtable discussion focused on how to pay employees during a season like this. How do small and large resorts deal with it (visas)? When do you stop making snow? How much loss can we take?

4 Software Use

CLOSED SESSION: No vendors. What's your ski area using? Panel discussion with small, medium and large area reps.

BAVO

Base Area Village Ops

1 Security & Surveillance - Brian Minton, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

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 Parking

Parking operations and experiences from various resorts.

3 Rental Shop - Dave Eames, Beaver Mountain & 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:

  1. Identify considerations related to having a patrol consisting only of EMTs, OEC Technicians or a combination of both.

  2. Describe the variability of a “Doc on the Hill” program, and how these professionals are best utilized

  3. Consider the availability of local medical facility resources (including fire departments, hospitals, air ambulance companies, etc.) and how to enhance relationships with these groups.

  4. Discuss options for administering advanced medications “on-hill” and the best practices related to medications.

  5. Describe unique features of building a medical program at a private club, including the need for concierge services.

  6. Identify ways in which a well-constructed medical program can flow into summer operations.

Mountain Operations

1 Wildfire - Tamarack 2025 - Kara Finley, Tamarack Resort

Tamarack staff discuss the wildfire from last summer.

2 Incident Investigation - Scott Fetters, Snowbasin & Melissa Bartlit, Snowbird

How technology is affecting the process of incident reporting. including social media and other communications.

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 Gear Box - Ahmet Celal Kupeli, Artec Machine Systems

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 Power Quality