The rapidly changing business landscape and the impact it is having on the snow sports industry will be addressed from distinct perspectives by four of the top retailer and supplier executives during the Snow Industry Summit, April 1-4 at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado. The Summit is presented by SnowSports Industries America (SIA), Mountain Sports Media and Transworld Media. Sponsors include Gore-Tex, Copper Mountain, Colorado Ski Country, USA and Coors.
Art Hagen, senior vice president of winter sports for Sports Authority and Wayne Merck, Chief Operating Officer for K2 will offer keynotes explaining why bigger is better in the snow sports world. Countering those presentations, Todd Chrisman, owner of independent glove manufacturer, Strategic Distribution, and Roy Turner, founder of the Board Retailers Association, will argue that the industry is all about doing what you love and should remain that way. David Ingemie, president of SIA will moderate the forum.
The point/counterpoint forum culminates with roundtable discussions where Summit attendees can interact with forum presenters on targeted subjects relevant to their businesses. Frank Prince, president and founder of Unleash Your Mind, will facilitate the discussions and help attendees focus on important points that are key elements to business trends.
The rental business has skyrocketed in recent years and now constitutes more than 30 percent of hard good sales. “Turning Beginners into Lifelong Customers with Rental Equipment” will address the delicate balance in the rental market between suppliers, the mountain resort and
the rental shop or operation. Jennifer Rowan, publisher of Ski Area Management magazine moderates the session that also will feature Christophe Deszecker, director of Rental Systems for Head, Tim Koh of YoLo Sports, Dee Byrne, director at Vail Ski and Snowboard School and Mark Dorsey, assistant executive director and CEO of PSIA/NSP/AASI.
Running concurrently with the SAM presentation, two additional seminars will specifically target unique issues facing retailers. George Washington University 's Sports Management Department presents a provocative session entitled “Retail Business: The Secrets to Successful Financial Management”. The program will examine the simple, yet often neglected, basics that help ensure success in business. Patricia M. Johnson and Richard F. Outcalt of Retail Owners Institute will present on behalf of GWU.
John Stouffer, editor of Snowboarding Business, will moderate a panel of owners and managers from successful youth-focused specialty shops in a session entitled “The Specialty Shop: Youth Market Snowboarding and Skiing at the Retail Level. Panelists will address how the consumer is changing, how to leverage a shop's status as the focal point for the local core community and what new trends are on the horizon.
The overall tone for this business-oriented series of seminars will be set by J. Jason Mylar of Advest Investment Banking. He will offer a breakfast keynote on the increasingly competitive environment in the snow sports industry where Mylar predicts that smartly-run companies will continue to prosper while less efficient companies will struggle.
Capping a day chock full of information is Steve Wilhite, vice president of marketing for Nissan North America. Wilhite is responsible for all aspects of brand development for Nissan and Infiniti.
The Summit is not all work and no play. All sessions are scheduled in the morning and the late afternoon/evening so participants will have plenty of mountain time during the day. On Saturday, April 3, Transworld Media hosts its annual Tranny awards. All Summit participants are invited to attend.
