AGENDA

TUESDAY, January 22

NSAA Registration
7:30am – 5:30pm

Sessions
9:45am – 11:15am

Power Up Green
Moderator: Geraldine Link, NSAA Public Policy Director
As global warming continues to capture the headlines, this panel discussion will address the merits of buying green power for resort operations versus generating green power onsite from renewable sources. Industry leaders will provide insights on their decisions to invest in green power. With the recent launch of NSAA’s Green Power program, attendees will get a timely assessment of the pros and cons of buying versus generating green energy and recommendations on the art of communicating on these investments to the public.

Snow Surfaces Workshop (Part 1): Managing Customer-Focused Snow Surfaces During Difficult Times
Moderator: Marvin Collins, Sunday River Ski Resort VP of Operations
Now in its third year, the snow surface management workshop brings together grooming and snowmaking personnel to discuss and test the best techniques available to provide a high quality, and consistent snow surface for the guest. In a year when Eastern resorts have been plagued by unseasonably warm weather with little snowmaking opportunity, this program focuses on how resorts can make snow efficienty and manage and conserve it effectively in otherwise trying weather conditions.

The Immigration Situation: What Ski Resort Operators Should Know
Sponsored by Acordia Resort & Recreation
Moderator: Crystal Stokarski, Okemo Mountain Resort Human Resources Director
The national debate over immigration policy is in the news on a daily basis. What does this mean for ski resorts that employ foreign nationals? This session provides a legislative update, shares strategies for navigating the processes and offers tips for recruiting international hires. This program will also address strategies for addressing the impacts of the season’s unfavorable weather patterns on foreign hires.

Winter Adaptive Sports Forum: Learning, Adapting, Growing
Moderator: Cherisse Young, Executive Director, Adaptive Sports Foundation
This multi-part program provides a forum for dialogue between the adaptive equipment suppliers, instructors, area management and standards setting organizations. Session One provides an overview of how adaptive sports programs are growing and what resorts can do to tap into this important market opportunity. Whether your resort is just starting an adaptive program or already has one in place, this program is sure to be of benefit.
(On-Snow Adaptive Equipment Clinic, 11:15am - 12:15pm - Beaver Hill)

Tradeshow Open
11:30am – 1:30pm
Somerset Grand Ballroom

Lunch in Tradeshow Hall
Sponsored by Kissling & TRM North America, Inc.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Somerset Grand Ballroom

Sessions
1:15pm – 2:45pm

Addressing Global Warming With the Media and Your Guests
Moderator, Geraldine Link, NSAA Public Policy Director
We all know that seasonal weather fluctuations trigger instant press inquiries about global warming and the future of skiing and snowboarding. This session, led by Geraldine Link, will address how resorts can address global warming with the press and the public in an informative and positive fashion. In addition, the panel will provide advice on “solution-oriented” versus “sky is falling” messaging, examples of successful and not-so successful resort communications on global warming, and strategies for connecting with resort guests on this important topic.

Snow Surfaces Workshop (Part 2): Managing Customer-Focused Snow Surfaces during Difficult Times
Moderator: Marvin Collins, Sunday River Ski Resort VP of Operations
This session will focus on how to create the best possible snow surfaces for beginner and intermediate skiers and riders. Join ski school instructors and experienced operations personnel and learn to better understand what beginner, intermediates want and how to improve snowmaking and cat operator skill sets to create, sculpt and lay down the best snow surfaces for these guests.

Struggling with the Rising Cost of Employee Health Care and Demoralizing Weather Patterns? Join the Crowd
Sponsored by Acordia Resort & Recreation
Moderator, Diane Davis, Killington Resort
Members of the NSAA Human Resources committee, benefit specialists and wellness experts lead a discussion on the challenging issue of employee health care including the impacts of demoralizing weather patterns on employee morale and health. Topics will include health care coverage options, wellness programs and best practice solutions to creating a healthier workplace culture.

Winter Adaptive Sports Forum (Cont.)
Moderator: Sue Tatum, Program Director, AbilityPLUS, Mount Snow Resort
This valuable session will provide proven tips and techniques to improve the disability education and sensitivity training of resort staff members and departments that interface with disabled guests such as ski patrol, lifts, building and grounds maintenance, and general staff.

Snowmaking/Grooming Demonstrations
1:30pm – 4:30pm
Beaver Hill & Sundance Trail

Sessions
3:00pm – 4:30pm

Manager’s Round Table: Challenges of Weathering a Bad Season
Sponsored by Acordia Resort & Recreation
Moderator: Julie Frailey, Stowe Mountain Resort, Human Resources Manager
Join seasoned HR personnel and area managers as they discuss the challenges of maintaining operations, juggling schedules and holding onto employees during a season that doesn’t want to kick into gear. Topics will cover a range of issues from techniques to bolster employee morale, internal communications, cross training, to preventing job burnout of year round employees.

Putting Lipstick on the Pig: Innovative Ways to Create Revenue in a Season Like This
Moderator, Jon Rollins, Regional Manager, Boston Culinary Group
In this session you will have the opportunity to tap into the creative mindset of profit center department heads who have been working overtime to find ways to raise incremental revenue during this very challenging season. From après ski entertainment, to creative lesson plans, to retail specials, you’ll take home many ideas to improve the guest experience and increase revenue at the same time.

Winter Adaptive Sports Forum: Program Wrap-Up
Moderator: Mary Davis, Senior Inspector, New York Department of Labor
In this wrap-up session, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in an open dialogue with the Winter Adaptive Sports forum instructors and organizers. Participants are sure to expand their network within the adaptive community and take home many ideas to improve and grow their resorts’ adaptive sports programs.

Welcome Reception in Tradeshow Hall
Sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America
5:00pm – 7:30pm
Somerset Grand Ballroom

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2007

NSAA Registration
7:30am – 5:00pm
Raponda Foyer

phaTcat Challenge
Sponsored by Mountain Uniforms & Resorts Interactive
8:00am – 3:30pm
Beaver Hill & Sundance Trail

Snowmaking/Grooming Demonstrations
8:30am – 11:30am
Beaver Hill & Sundance Trail

The Morning Showcase…Educational Slope and Facility Tours
8:30am – 11:45am
The morning showcase provides the perfect opportunity to learn firsthand about key areas of resort operations. Each showcase will include an overview and a guided tour.

• On-Snow Risk Management Clinic
  Join experienced risk managers and leading defense attorneys to benchmark your resort’s safety programs and learn how to perform better risk assessments back home. (Skis or boards required)
• Lift Operations
  Join us for an informative look at Mount Snow’s lift operations and maintenance programs, discuss timely industry issues, and share best practice ideas with your peers.
• Terrain Park Operations
  Mount Snow has redesigned its park and attendees will learn about the decision for change and the nuts and bolts of building a park from scratch. (Skis or boards required)

Sessions
10:00am – 11:45

Lessons Learned in Weathering a Bad Season
Moderator, Michael Berry, NSAA, President
The 2004/05 season was the worst on record for the Northwest and areas employed innovative strategies to address guest relations, handle the media and stay in business. In this panel session, join moderator Michael Berry and panelists John Gifford, general manager of Stevens Pass, Kevin McCarthy, president of White Pass Ski Area and David Riley, president of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, for a case study analogy of the winter-that-wasn’t in the Pacific Northwest. Attendees will gain insight on how these leading ski area operators managed the crisis, including financing options to address short and long term debt, maintaining guest and season pass holder loyalty, preventing job burnout and building momentum for next season.

Tradeshow Open
11:30am – 1:30pm Somerset Grand Ballroom

Lunch in Tradeshow Hall
Sponsored by Kissling & TRM North America, Inc. 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Somerset Grand Ballroom

Sessions
1:15pm – 2:30pm

How to Maintain Positive Media Perceptions During Challenging Weather Events
Presented by: Ski Area Management magazine
The 2006/07 season will be recorded as one of the most challenging for many ski area operators in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast regions. Like all experiences, good or bad, there are lessons to be learned, shared as an industry, and factored into our future planning and decision-making. One lesson: Careful and responsible treatment of your communications with media and stakeholders is a key part of crisis management. With a panel of experts, SAM will moderate a discussion on how to maintain positive media perceptions during challenging weather events.

Risk Management Tour Debriefing and Roundtable*

Moderator: Tom Montemagni, Corporate Staff Attorney, Mount Snow Resort
*(Attendance limited to ski resort personnel only)
This session will provide participants of the morning on-hill risk management clinic an opportunity to review, comment and share ideas on the various elements covered during the tour. In addition to the debriefing, you can join leading risk managers, defense attorneys, and insurance personnel as they discuss a variety of risk management issues that challenge resorts and the industry.

Maintaining a Positive Season-Long Guest Service Culture… No Matter What the Weather
Moderator: Jean Irvine, Gunstock Mountain Resort Human Resources Director
An idea-sharing forum, this session addresses the challenges of maintaining a positive guest service culture throughout even the most challenging season. It includes training ideas to keep guest service paramount in the minds of employees and offers fun techniques to help turnaround troubling situations with dissatisfied guests.

Sessions
2:45pm – 4:15pm

Building Revenue Through Summer Operations
Moderator: Paul Maloney, Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort VP/COO
Maintaining a positive cash flow during the summer months is important, but how do you know which summer activities are a good fit for your resort. In this session, our panel of experts explores summer activities such as freeride bike parks, mountain coasters and zip-lines. In addition, learn how water parks are bolstering summer revenues in ski resort venues.

Who’s Scamming You Now? Confronting Theft & Fraud
Scott Reeves, VP Mountain Operations, Haystack Club
Theft of services by guests and employee theft cost the industry thousands of dollars each season. This session takes an in-depth look at a variety of ways that resorts get ripped-off each season, and provides proven security measures and strategies to minimize and eliminate theft.

Building Future Markets: Lessons in Catering to Tweens and Teens
Jake Jacobsen, Gunstock Mountain Resort Alpine Activities Director
It’s an undeniable truth that tweens and teens are a tough audience to impress with marketing and programs. In this session a panel of experts will explore ideas on how to market to these age groups without turning them off and create fun and inviting programs to keep the kids coming back.

phaTcat Challenge Awards & Closing Cocktail Reception
Sponsored by Mountain Uniforms & Resorts Interactive
4:30pm – 6:30pm
Deerfield Ballroom