Fall Conference 2023
Great Glen Trails, NH – November 14 & 15
The CCSAA 2023 Fall Conference will be held at Great Glen Trails in Gorham, NH. The Conference will be a 2 day event with snowmaking and grooming workshops and vendor presentations on day 1 and the presentations and breakouts on day 2.
The Fall Conference is an incredible opportunity to spend time with other owners, operators and suppliers from around North America and enjoy education sessions, grooming demos and social events. Networking is the key to the CCSAA Conferences and this conference will be no different.
Great Glen trails is an ideal location for this event as it is situated in the heart of the White Mountains with on site lodging at the Glen House.
Sponsors
Sponsored By
The primary benefit of the CCSAA conference is having time to talk with other industry professionals! The information gleaned from the presentations is fantastic, but secondary to having time to focus on detailed discussions with folks that are doing the same thing I am every day.
Social Events
For years, Conference attendees have agreed that time spent together on the trails, over lunch or at a social event is one of the most important elements of the Conferences. PistenBully will be sponsoring a series of social events at the Conference this year that will not only be great fun but will allow attendees to have that time over a drink build those critical relationships. Details to come.
Silent Auction
We will again have a silent auction as part of the NE Conference. If you have an item or service, please contact Reese for information on getting it listed.
Please remember to bid high and often as your silent auction dollars help CCSAA continue to work for you, the members.
Other Details:
| Dates | Tuesday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 15 |
| Cost | 11/14 – Workshops and Vendor Presentations – $25 |
| 11/15 – Fall Conference and Trade Show – $75 (Includes Tuesday Events) | |
| Lodging | The Glen House |
| 979 NH-16, Gorham, NH | |
| $119/night – 603/466-3420 – Reference Cross Country Ski Areas Association | |
Snowmaking & Grooming Workshop Details
Tuesday, November 14
| Morning | 1 on 1 appointments with suppliers – appointments required |
| Noon |
Snowmaking and Groomer outdoor Expo · Please bring your equipment to show off. There will be plenty of space. |
| 1pm | Welcome – Reese Brown, CCSAA Executive Director |
| 1:05pm |
Snowmaking Workshop · Short presentations on inexpensive scalable systems to get you started (HKD/SMI) · The ROI of a small snowmaking system – What you can expect first year. · Lessons learned from those that recently installed a system and what they would do differently. · Q&A and sharing of what you have and how it operates |
| 2:30pm |
Grooming Workshop · Introduction to challenges in grooming in difficult situations · Breakout sessions to share ideas on the following: o Rain event followed by a freeze – it’s 32 – 34 degree, it’s going to snow for 2 hours and then rain ½ inch. What grooming strategy would you create? o Snow Event – Forecast of 6 inches starting at 6pm, ended up with 1.5 feet by 6am. What decisions do you make as this event unfolds? o Early Season – Forecast of 6-8 inches of snow early season with no snow forecast for the next few weeks with warm weather? Do you groom? · Discussion of breakout results |
| 4:00pm |
Garage Tours – Great Glen/Mount Washington Observatory has 3 different garages on site. We will break into groups and cycle through all shops. -and/or- Snow Gun start up – Hang out with the Great Glen Staff to watch the magic happen. We’ll go from start to finish and see how they go live with artificial snow. |
| 5pm | Happy Hour at The Glen House Lobby Bar |
| 6:30pm | Dinner – Dinner on your own, Glen House is a great option |
| 8pm | Nordic Nate’s Fire Pit with PistenBully Beer |
Wednesday, November 15
| 8:00-9:30am | Registration, Continental Breakfast, Partner Expo and Silent Auction |
| 9:30am | Welcome – Reese Brown, CCSAA Executive Director |
| 9:35am | Great Glen Introduction – Nate Harvey, Winter Opps, Programs and Retail Manager |
| 9:45am | KEYNOTE – Weather Trends and Snowmaking Insights for the Upcoming Winter – Jay Broccolo, Mount Washington Observatory. Join us for an engaging presentation on addressing the weather-related trends and challenges that await us this winter. By comparing the past year and the predictions for the upcoming winter, we will gain a deeper understanding of the climatic factors affecting snowmaking, ski resorts, and outdoor enthusiasts. And of course, blow your hat off weather starts from the top of Mount Washington. |
| 10:30am | Nordic Pulse Trail Reporting Platform – Nordic Pulse was born out of a desire to make grooming reports easier to find for skiers and to help clubs share their trail conditions. They believe strongly that deciding where and when to ski should be a quick, easy, and fun experience. Whether your ski area is large or very small, they have a solution for you. |
| 11:00am | Social Break |
| 11:10am |
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Part 1 – Pack your bags for a journey into the future of ski area marketing! This session is your boarding pass to exploring the power of ChatGPT. Get ready to turbocharge your marketing efforts, all while keeping your brand’s unique voice front and center. We’ll map out how ChatGPT can be trained on your own documents to replicate your brand’s voice. Imagine a digital concierge that not only enhances your marketing but does it while perfectly channeling your brand’s personality. So, come join us and discover how to create an AI that’s ready to take your brand’s voice to the next level. Don’t worry, the only thing we’ll be summoning is your brand’s potential, not Skynet! |
| 12:00pm | Lunch, Silent Auction and Expo |
| 1pm |
AI WORKSHOP: ChatGPT: Live Training Workshop – Bring Your Laptop! Unzip your winter coat and power up those laptops, because it’s time to ski into the practical realm of AI-assisted content creation for your Cross Country Ski Area! This interactive workshop is designed for those who are ready to carve fresh trails in their marketing strategies using ChatGPT. Ever wondered how to transition from theory to practice? Here, we’ll be taking the AI-led journey further, guiding you step-by-step in harnessing ChatGPT’s prowess. Together, we’ll craft compelling brand copy documents, pen your mountain’s inaugural AI-powered blog post, and even create social media content that resonates with your unique mountain’s story. What’s on the trail map?
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| 1:40 – 2:20 | NENSA Partnership Opportunities – NENSA is far more than just a race organization. Learn what resources NENSA has for helping ski areas with recreational programing including Nordic Rocks, learn to programs, women’s days and more |
| 2:00pm | Back Shop and Retail Addons – Drew Gelinas from SWIX and Nate Harvey from Great Glen will discuss simplification to your back shop and critical add on sales every retailer should promote. |
| 2:45pm |
Final silent auction cash-out and goodbyes. Share a parting beer with PistenBully |
