2024 Learning Tracks

We are working with our presenters on getting class descriptions and other information you may need and will update the website as we get them.

We have 5 tracks for this year’s convention classes:

  • Mountain Operations Core

    1. Industry Report Card – Litigation, Risk and Operations Session. Closed Session – Ski Area Personnel Only.

      ISAA’s Annual Legal and risk management update highlights the latest in 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. In addition to the update on litigation and legal challenges we will dive in the roll of risk management and patrol in the ever changing ski industry. We will also roundtable lessons learned with examples of advanced risk management at ski area facilities.

      • Ian McIntosh - ASDA Attorney - Crowley Fleck

      • Tim Hendrickson - MountainGuard Senior Vice President

      • Jason Kartchner - MountainGuard Claims and Loss Control Specialist

      • Ryan Lavoie - MountainGuard Director of Risk and Education

      • Dave Byrd - NSAA Director of Risk and Regulatory Affairs

      • Tim Yates - Safehold Special Risk Claims Specialist

    2. Lift Operations, everything but the maintenance. Ryan Woolsey, Snowbasin Director of Mountain Operations

      • The lifts have been cleared by the mechanics, now what? Moving people up the mountain safely and efficiently is the key to our success and the importance of what our Lift Operations department does on a daily basis cannot be understated.

      • In this session we will discuss everything that goes into operating a lift effectively and without incident including personnel, training, guest service, operational procedures, logs, mazes, ramps, clearances, signage, unseated passengers, down lift/evac plans, and more.

    3. Productive Bystander Intervention - Chauncey Johnson Snow Angels Foundation (Ride Another Day).

      • A practical communication approach with proven tools to de-escalate tensions with reckless guests and help them change their behavior.

    4. Building Effective Teams to Enhance Your Culture of Safety - Chauncey Johnson, Snow Angels Foundation.

      • Optimize safety through problem solving on your mountain by leveraging each team member and their strengths.

    5. Team Effectiveness: Six Conditions that Predict a Team’s Future - Ed Frauenheim

      • Why do some teams thrive and flourish while other teams - made up of equally capable people - flounder and get stuck? This question haunts leaders daily and makes leadership feel arbitrary. Leaders sometimes blame themselves, blame the team, look for a scapegoat, or scrap the team's project altogether in order to make the difficulty stop. Ineffective teams can cause frustration, turnover, burnout, and can even put guests and other employees in harm’s way.

      • Harvard researchers Richard Heckman and Ruth Wageman pondered the same question about teams and found the six conditions that predict up to 80% of a team's effectiveness. Leaders can use this framework to set their teams up for success - or re-launch existing teams.

      • Getting the six conditions established is a valuable investment to ensure focused team performance especially during periods of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In this interactive session, we’ll learn how to evaluate the six conditions of effectiveness on your team (or teams) and what you can do to get them back on track.

  • Revenue Centers

    • How to choose software for your resort

      • There are so many software companies out there, how do you choose which one is right for your ski area? We will present a list of questions to consider when choosing, as well as have representatives from a small/medium, large, and extra-large ski area to discuss which types of software they use for their revenue departments and the pros/cons.

    • How to maximize profits - Roundtable

    • Small Resort Roundtable - Closed Session--Ski Area Personnel Only: Two consecutive sessions on Tuesday afternoon. Roundtable session for small ski areas to collaborate on best practices.

  • Resort Management & Administration

    • General Session/Role Call

    • How does Marketing stay relevant? - Hiram Towle, Bridger Bowl

    • F*ck the Tough Guy Show: Creating a Healthier Workplace in the Ski Industry - Ed Frauenheim

      • The tough guy show. It’s the macho culture of invincibility, of superhuman hours, of stoic silence that pervades the ski industry. It affects men especially, but women too. And it’s time to put this outdated attitude to rest.

      • By looking down on vulnerability and on emotions other than being stoked or angry, this hyper-masculinity has hurt team performance and harmed individuals. Would we have as many suicides in our industry if men and women felt more comfortable sharing problems and seeking help?

      • So f*ck the tough guy show. Let’s create a healthier workplace for everyone. Come to this interactive keynote, where we’ll uncover attitudes that damage us as individuals and as organizations. And we’ll explore positive alternatives to the tough guy show that allow men and everyone around them to thrive.

  • Lifts (Maintenance & Ops)

    • Detached Chairlift - Jeff Schmidt, GM, Red Lodge Mountain

      • Jeff will discuss their recent installation of The Stache Express, a detachable triple chair relocated from Alta in 2023. This track will take place at Red Lodge Mtn.

    • ANSI - Seth Wallace, Forest Service, Utah.

      • ANSI B.77 discussion and Forest Service lift approval process.

    • Vibration Analysis, Laser Alignment - Brad Thorpe, IVC Services

      • Presentation on vibration testing and analysis as a predictive maintenance tool for ski resorts. Advantages of route based and online equipment condition monitoring.

    • Fuses and Breakers - Justin Thomson, Intermountain Fuse.

      • Motor and drive protection.

    • Rigging - Jason Zakotnik, Above & Beyond.

      • Haul Rope Rigging, splicing, inspections.

    • Bearings and More - Schaeffler Bearings

      • Bearings and grease.

  • BAVO (Base Area Village Ops)

    • Ski Day Process: start, park, ticket - Garrett Loyd, Interstate Parking

    • Creating a Green Culture - Bonnie Hickey, Bridger Bowl

      • · Building a framework to support your sustainability journey, including elements of waste management and composting, renewable energy, and supply chain greening".

    • Emergency Communications/Dispatch, Guest Communication - Tarra McDonald, Park City

      • Overview of opening and closing procedures, duties of centralized dispatch. A deep dive into the avenues of guest and employee commutation during impactful operational events. Planning and execution of operations during emergencies involving multiple agencies.

The Intermountain Ski Areas Association (ISAA) is a trade organization focused on providing our membership of resorts, suppliers and regulatory authorities opportunities for training, exchange of ideas and to foster relationships in order to enhance the guest skiing experience.  Resort membership is made up of ski areas located in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.  Supplier members are local, national and international.

The Intermountain Ski Area Association does not permit or allow harassment, sexual abuse or molestation to occur within its membership or at any conference or activity sponsored by or related to it.  ISAA requires all members act with integrity and be respectful of each other and our membership. ISAA is committed to maintaining a positive learning environment free of harassment and is sensitive to the diversity of its members. ISAA prohibits and will not tolerate harassment because of age, race, sex, gender, color, religion, creed, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, uniform service or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.  Members have a right to learn, socialize and work in an environment free of harassment, whether racial, sexual, or on any other basis described above. 

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