Sessions - National Ski Areas Association

Sessions
THURSDAY, MAY 1
10 to 11:15 a.m.
Working in Partnership for Recreation
on the National Forests
Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Natural
Resources & Environment
As USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment, Robert Bonnie oversees the Forest Service and all 193 million acres that the agency manages.
In this session, Bonnie will share his vision of how the
Forest Service and ski areas together will transition to
a four-season model, and meet the natural resources
challenges posed by dramatic climate change, vegetative management crises, and shrinking federal budgets.
Bonnie has a wealth of experience in the natural resources arena, previously serving as senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for environment and climate
change, and also as vice president for land conservation
with the Environmental Defense Fund.
Net Gain: Analyzing Net Promoter Metrics
to Drive Growth
Eric Flynn, President, Liberty Mountain, PA
Chris MacInnes, COO, Crystal Mountain, MI
Tyler Fairbank, President, Fairbank Group/Jiminy Peak, MA
Brad Larsen, VP of Sales & Marketing, Telluride, CO
For more than a decade, the Net Promoter Score (NPS)
for the Likelihood to Recommend has given businesses—including ski resorts and market leaders in many
industries—a quantifiable tool to evaluate guest loyalty
and the health of their brands. While discounted by
some, NPS is increasingly becoming a common metric
for gauging customer loyalty because—in contrast to
satisfaction—loyalty is highly correlated with business
performance. Ski areas that have adopted it are using it
to enhance the guest experience and guide their operations, marketing, and capital investment. Importantly, the
revenue increases from higher repeat and referral business that accrue from NPS increases can be quantified.
Our panel of NPS devotees will explore how they are
leveraging this data into resort decision-making, as well
as the limitations inherent within the data.
Refining Your F&B Strategy: Balancing Capacity,
Capital, Brand, & Guest Experience
Claire Humber, Director of Resort Planning & Design,
SE Group, VT
Dave Riley, COO, Sunshine Village, AB
Jessica Milligan, VP of Product Sales & Services,
Jackson Hole, WY
Barb Green, GM, Blue Mountain, PA
John Ashworth, Principal, Bull Stockworth Allen, CA
The second-highest revenue generator for resorts is
food and beverage. F&B plays a critical role in delivering on your brand promise, and that requires a delicate
balance between through-put and yield, while weighing
capacity versus character. Whether you take it outside
for additional capacity, use smartly placed food trucks,
or employ other clever expansive design options, a
thoughtful F&B strategy can help define your brand and
overall guest experience. Our panel will explore a host
of creative alternatives across the industry designed to
feed the masses.
1:45 to 3 p.m.
Sizzle or Fizzle? Analyzing the Winners and Losers
of Summer Attractions
Nate Fristoe, Director of Operations, RRC Associates, CO
In a two-part examination of our four-season business model, our first session consists of a deep-dive
economic analysis of summer attractions at ski areas.
RRC Associates’ Nate Fristoe analyzes separate
survey results from resort operators and consumers regarding ski areas as summer destinations. We’ll
examine those summer attractions—zip lines, mountain biking, challenge courses, mountain coasters,
even Frisbee golf—that have the biggest bang for
your buck. In addition, we will assess some examples
of special events over the summer that pay off, and
those that don’t—and how resorts can best monetize
their off-season events.
Just Around the Corner: The Latest Guidance
on ObamaCare for the Ski Industry
Dave Byrd, Director of Risk & Regulatory Affairs, NSAA
Michelle May, Senior Account Executive, Denman
Consulting, CO
With seven months before the employer mandate kicks,
there has been a lot of movement, and delays, related
to the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare. This session
will hone in on recent guidelines and regulations from
numerous federal agencies to make the final push for
the 2014/2015 ski season, and the impending employer
mandate. There will be a particular focus on how resorts
will be treating their year-round and seasonal employees,
measurement periods, and COBRA, and we’ll look at creative alternatives for providing some level of health care
coverage (short of full coverage) for those employees
NOTICE Absolutely No Recording Allowed At NSAA Conferences
NSAA seeks to foster an open and candid exchange of ideas amongst ski area personnel with its education seminars. Accordingly, NSAA strictly prohibits any recording – including both audio
and visual recording – of any of the sessions, meetings, speakers, or attendees at NSAA meetings and conferences, notwithstanding local or state laws. It is also NSAA policy that individuals
may not attend any session or meeting without being registered for the convention. NSAA meetings and conferences are not public forums. As noted in registration materials, NSAA will seek
civil and criminal penalties, as well as damages and attorneys fees, if any person violates this policy. By registering for any NSAA event, you hereby agree to be strictly bound by these policies.
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who do not meet the definition of full-time status. We will
also analyze the status and impact of the individual mandate under the ACA, where premiums are likely to go in the
next few years, and what other seasonal businesses outside
the ski world plan to do with their seasonal employees.
Revenue Management: How Dynamic Pricing is
Re-Shaping the Travel and Resort Industry
Evan Reece, Co-Founder, Liftopia, CA
Revenue management can take on many forms, including reducing operational costs, shortening billing cycles,
improving cash flows, or providing creative promotional
opportunities. Collecting and analyzing the data is critical
for revenue optimization—analyzing the different pricepoints, yields, and options for how you sell your products
and services. For the ski industry, this means understanding how revenue management can affect how you sell lift
tickets, hotel rooms, ski lessons, etc.—and who you are
selling these products to. Dynamic pricing is becoming
embraced by more businesses outside of the airline and
hotel industry, and resorts have the opportunity to implement dynamic pricing into their business models. Evan
Reece, co-founder of Liftopia, will talk about why the ski
industry needs to move more quickly toward a revenue
optimization model.
The Future of Snowsports Injuries
Jake Shealy, PhD, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY
Irving Scher, PhD, Guidance Engineering, WA
The ski industry has come a long way in minimizing injuries from skiing and snowboarding, with some tremendous
successes that have saved the sport—and the skiing and
riding public—billions from injuries and claims. Two of the
best engineers in the field of snowsports epidemiology,
Jake Shealy and Irv Scher, will analyze the remarkable
strides in safety made by manufacturers and resorts. They
will also compare new data and conclusions from the most
recent NSAA 10-year injury study, as well as other peerreviewed studies, including contrasting relative injury risks
between skiing and snowboarding. Our engineers will also
address potential equipment advances on the horizon that
will continue to improve safety.
3:15 to 4:30 p.m.
Cracking the “Never Evers” Code: Inspired Ideas
to Bring New People to Snowsports
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Dave Rathbun, President, Mt. Bachelor, OR
Raelene Davis, VP & Marketing Director, Ski Utah
Ron Shepherd, Snowsports Manager, Crystal Mountain, MI
Anne Reimer, Marketing Director, Ski Liberty, PA
Jeffra Clough, Marketing Director, Eaglecrest Ski Area, AK
In the never-ending effort to bring new people into snowsports—those who have “never ever” tried skiing or riding—
we have assembled some of the most passionate industry
leaders that are leading the charge. Our panelists will
cover some of the most clever and successful programs
for getting new people through the door—everything from
inspired ideas appealing to retirees, inventive “learn to ski”
programs and Bring a Friend initiatives, and partnerships with
local retailers and national hard goods manufacturers. Emphasizing the “trial” component of our broader trial and conversion efforts at growing the sport, this session will highlight the
best trial initiatives from across the industry. After all, a rising
tide of new skiers and riders lifts all resort boats.
Go Figure: Final Season Numbers from the Kottke Report
Dave Belin, Director of Consulting Services, RRC Associates, CO
How will this season’s numbers turn out, given the unusual
weather variability across the country? Will the great year
in the Rocky Mountain region offset the effects of the polar
vortex and the California drought? Our annual State of the
Industry assessment will candidly examine the highs and lows
from the 2013/14 season, including business volume, ticket
yields, capital expenditures, season pass sales, ski lessons,
and summer visits. We’ll also scrutinize reciprocal pass partnerships, and how well the industry is doing—or not doing—
at growing the sport.
The Hidden Risks of Summer Activities
Jimmy Lawrence, Senior VP of Loss Control, MountainGuard, UT
Mistica Walker, Speciality Claims Adjuster, Wells Fargo/
Safehold Special Risks, CO
Sam McNulty, Partner, Hueston McNulty, NJ
Steve Zweig, Rietz Law Firm, NY
In part two of our assessment of summer business opportunities, we examine the all too-often overlooked role of smart
risk management with summer attractions and events. While
the revenues are far less on the summer side of the business
ledger, the risks are not—and they differ considerably from
the exposures we face in winter. Our insurance and legal
experts will examine some of the obscure and unanticipated
risks from a variety of summer attractions, both from within
the realm of ski resorts and outside as well. The risk component of the summer business equation is critical, and this
deep-dive will provide tools and practices to maximize returns
and minimize exposure. (CLOSED SESSION)
FRIDAY, MAY 2
1 to 2 p.m.
The Conservative Case for Climate Action
Bob Inglis, GOP Congressman
Bob Inglis is an attorney and staunch Republican who will
discuss the conservative case for action on climate change.
Inglis—U.S. Representative for South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District (1993–1999, 2005–2011)—believes the ski industry is on the frontlines of climate change because it is among
the first to experience the consequences. He will discuss why
it’s important for everyone, regardless of political persuasion,
to get behind climate action.
Inglis asserts that conservatives should heed facts and
science, and accept that climate change is caused by human
activities and poses significant risks. In 2012 he launched the
Energy and Enterprise Initiative (E&EI), a nationwide public
engagement campaign promoting conservative and free enterprise solutions to energy and climate challenges. Based out
of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, E&EI supports energy policies that are aligned with conservative
principles of limited government, accountability, reasonable risk-avoidance, and free enterprise.
The Specialty Retailer’s Role in Growing the Sport
Michael Berry, President, NSAA
Patrick O’Winter, COO, Christy Sports, CO
Tracy Gibbons, Co-owner, Dual Sports: Sturtevant’s,
SkiMart, & SkiBonkers, WA
Parker Rice, GM, Equipe Sport Group/Mtn Riders, VT
There has been much discussion in the past several
years about how, as an industry, we can work together
to grow participation in snowsports. On the area side,
15 years of extensive research has given us the best
practices outlined in the Growth Model and subsequent
programs like LSSM and BAF. In order to drive growth,
we need to combine forces with retailers to increase the
number of participants trying snowsports. Retail shops
are a critical link in the experience and education of
new skiers and riders. This panel will discuss the issue of
growing participation with key players from the specialty retail side of the industry, what the future holds for
the specialty retailer, and the partnerships that will need
to be enhanced to support increasing new participation.
2:15 to 3:15 p.m.
Connecting with the Millennial Market:
The Future of Freestyle Terrain
Chris Gunnarson, President, SnowPark Technologies, CA
Jody Churich, COO, Woodward Camps, Utah
Joe Hession, President, Snow Operating, CO
Mark Petrozzi, President, AlpenRisk, NH
There are 80 million Millennials in the U.S., surpassing even
the Baby Boomers in overall size and market influence. As
this generation embraces adulthood, resorts will need to
cater to their unique interests and preferences to ensure the
viability and longevity of the industry. Successful resorts are
engaging this critical demographic through creative and
innovative freestyle terrain offerings, along with providing
opportunities to connect with friends, family, social networks,
and share user-generated content. This generation requires
resorts to shift their thinking in how they develop and deliver
fresh products and services, including learn-to and retention
programs, strategic branding and marketing initiatives, and
new approaches to park operations and design. In an entertaining late-night talk show format, this panel will analyze the
best resort strategies and practices to attract and retain this
unique, critical audience.
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Methods to Measure the Medium:
Analyzing the Return of Your Resort’s Social Media
Dave Amirault, Senior Interactive Marketing Manager,
Aspen/Snowmass, CO
Efforts through social media engagement should ultimately be tied back to business and revenue goals. As
social media matures, how do you justify your growing
investment in digital media? What metrics really apply
for capturing the true value of this medium? Dave Amirault, Aspen-Snowmass’ in-house digital wizard, will take
us through Aspen’s sophisticated tracking and measuring methodologies, and explain how resorts can better
evaluate the successes (and failures) of their messaging
and how they convert toward improving your bottom
line. From building guest affinity and driving promotions
to simply engaging customers, we will examine the latest cutting-edge tools and metrics to help you influence
the effectiveness of your social media initiatives.
The Next “Target”: Shifting Liabilities & Merchant
Compliance Under New Credit Card Rules
Chris Francis, Senior Vice President of Integration,
WorldPay
With data breaches in the headlines almost daily, nothing is more timely than data security and compliance
issues related to credit and debit cards. Preventing
hackers from getting into your system and stealing your
customers’ data is a much bigger issue than it ever has
been. With PCI compliance now part of everyday life
as a retailer, on the horizon are even more regulatory
and compliance changes for anyone accepting credit
cards. In October 2015, all merchants who accept credit
cards will be liable for fraudulent purchases, unless they
are EMV compliant. From point of payment to online
purchasing, everyone will be affected. Chris Francis of
WorldPay will discuss the shifting liabilities, changes in
merchant compliance, the timeline for these changes
to be implemented, and actions you can take to ensure
your data is safe.
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Passing Muster: Will Cooperative Reciprocal Pass
Programs Redefine Pass Sales?
Greg Ditrinco, Editor, SKI Magazine, CO
John McColly, CMO, Mountain High Resort, CA,
& Stevens Pass, WA
Christian Knapp, VP of Marketing, Aspen/Snowmass, CO
Rob Perlman, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing,
Steamboat, CO
Does this pass make my mountain look big? Season
pass alliances and reciprocal partnerships are the latest
promotional innovation in an increasingly competitive marketplace. To be effective, resorts must analyze the right partner (or partners), and identify the
strategic goals they hope to achieve. Our panelists are
the driving force behind the most recent partnerships,
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including the Mountain Collective, Powder Alliance, and
the Intrawest Passport. Led by Greg Ditrinco, editor of
SKI magazine, the panel will address how such partnerships are formed, the key demographics sought,
pricing considerations, and the challenges of minimizing cannibalization while maximizing revenue. They’ll
also explore the pros and cons of such programs and
how independent, unaligned resorts are responding to
the increased competition.
Easy Money: The Future of Mobile Payment Systems
Todd Ablowitz, President, Double Diamond, CO
How easy do we make it for our customers to give
us their money? Innovative mobile payment systems
are quickly becoming the new normal at retailers of
all types. From Starbucks to Nordstrom’s, and from
Über to your local microbrew, retailers of all stripes are
leveraging cloud-based technology, Near-Field Communications (NFC), and now-ubiquitous technology
like Square to blend mobile payment technologies
into an over-arching consumer retail experience. Todd
Ablowitz, an expert in both mobile payment systems
and skiing, will explore how smart retailers have successfully harnessed a wide variety of mobile payment
platforms to influence their customers’ spending
behavior. He’ll also discuss the pitfalls retailers should
avoid and how new technologies are evolving to make
spending easier, and less spendy.
Attacking the “Inherent Risk” Defense:
The Ski Industry’s Evolving Legal Landscape
Tom Aicher, Cleary Shahi & Aicher, VT
John Fagan, Duane Morris, CA
Patrick Kelly, Wilson Elser, CA
Sam McNulty, Hueston McNulty, NJ
Maryjo Zweig, Rietz Law Firm, CO
The “Inherent Risk” defense, a pillar within “sport
injury” laws, has provided crucial immunity for ski
areas through skier safety statutes and variations on
the assumption of the risk doctrine for decades. These
doctrines are increasingly being challenged by plaintiffs’ attorneys, and are increasingly frowned upon
by state and federal judges. Given the ski industry’s
successes using the inherent risk defense, is there now
a false sense of legal protection and security within
the industry? As the sports of skiing and riding have
evolved, plaintiffs’ legal theories are also becoming
more novel, and plaintiffs’ counsel are looking for new
ways to define what “risks” are no longer “inherent” to
the sport. Rather, plaintiffs are looking to define which
risks are “preventable” with the exercise of reasonable
care. We’ve assembled some of the best ski industry
attorneys—all long-standing members of ASDA—to
share their views on this important topic, with a review
of some of the clever, novel, and disconcerting tactics
that plaintiffs’ lawyers are now using to sue ski areas.
(CLOSED SESSION)