Industry Newsletter

Newsletter 2.5


SIA SEEKS SNOWSPORTS RETAILERS OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS
SIA in conjunction with Snow Press Show Daily announces the return of the annual SIA SnowSports Retailer of the Year Award.   This award recognizes those retailers who have consistently made a significant impact in the snow sports industry.  Suppliers and reps throughout the snow sports industry are solicited for nominations.  SIA reintroduced the award at last year’s SIA Show with resounding success. 

The Retailer of the Year is awarded to the outstanding shop in 7 regions –
New England (CT/ME/MA/NH/RI/VT),
Mid-Atlantic (NJ/NY/PA/DE),
South East (FL/GA/MD/NC/SC/VA/WV/DC),
Mountain (AZ/CO/ID/MT/NV/NM/UT/WY),
Pacific (CA/OR/WA),
North Central (IL/IN/MI/OH/WI/IA/KS/MN/MO/NE/ND/SD) South Central (AL/KY/MS/TN/AR/LA/OK/TX).

Key determining criteria:

  1. Have been in the business for a minimum of five years
  2. Have been devoted either exclusively or primarily to snowboarding, skiing, tele, cross-country or snowshoe.
  3. Have properly handled their financial obligations.
  4. Have made a direct and major contribution to the snow sports industry via retailing in the following way –
    --innovative/ marketing ideas - introduction of new snow sport
    --outstanding retail promotions enthusiast, expanding their
    --exemplary customer service customer base
    --other
  5. Does the shop carry an expansive product line that will introduce new customers to snow sports?

The award will be presented at the SIA.07 Trade Show at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 23rd at 8:30am.  All nominations are confidential and will remain anonymous.  The deadline for your nomination is December 30, 2006.  All winners will be contacted and the awards will be presented at the SIA.07 Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sara Hobbs at (703) 506-4204 or shobbs@snowsports.org.   Please note that retailers cannot nominate themselves. 

SIA MODEL FOR SUCCESS STUDY PROVIDES TACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO REACH SNOW SPORTS CONSUMER
The Executive Summary of the recently completed research study, The Model for Success, is now available for distribution to the snow sports industry.  The Executive Summary is a 16-page synopsis of the four phases of the study released weeks ago from SIA. The Model for Success was commissioned by SIA and conducted by Leisure Trends Group.  This extensive research project dissects the current snow sports retail environment and makes recommendations on effective business practices.

This summary provides practical information that can be transformed into marketing opportunities and actions to drive the sales of downhill conveyances…as well as other ski and snow equipment.  The Executive Summary provides detailed action steps and tactics for suppliers, retailers and others inside the industry to implement in their marketing and public relations efforts.
 
This comprehensive study is a very effective marketing tool to help suppliers and retailers speak to their core customer.  Feedback and buying behaviors are highlighted as provided straight from the customer’s mouth.
  
The study in its entirety was presented in September and October in five separate cities as part of the SIA 2006 Fall Workshop Series.  Bill Nicoll of K2 Ski attended the Seattle, WA workshop and had this to stay about the study, “The Model for Success presented an opportunity where we as an industry get to hear one common message.  Now we are all moving in the same direction, on the same path, with the same goals and objectives in mind.”  Jim Curran with Smugglers Notch echoed the sentiment after attending the Burlington, VT workshop stating, “It has been really interesting and the first presentation (Model for Success) had great practical information.”
 
To view the four phases of the study and the Executive Study, click here.

WINTER FEELS GOOD CAMPAIGN AND SNOW MONSTERS TEAM TO OFFER INTERACTIVE TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO DRESS FOR SNOW SPORTS
SIA’s Winter Feels Good campaign and Snow Monsters are partnering to teach children how to dress for snow sports activities with a new interactive tool on the www.winterfeelsgood.com website that features Snow Monsters’ Snowball the Tiger and the Snowboard Beaver. The tool will also be featured on all Snow Monsters sites provided to more than 100 resorts in the U.S. and Canada. It will be introduced at the Pennsylvania State Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (PSAHPERD) Conference at Seven Springs Resort November 30 – December 2, 2006. The Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) promotes Snow Monsters in its fourth-grade “passport” program booklet and is working with Winter Feels Good in that state to increase participation in snow sports through school-based programs.

The interactive learning tool, created by North Pole Design Company, enables children to understand layering and other dressing concepts through a click and drag operation that allows them to dress the Snow Monsters characters online. Each click offers a short tip as to why each item of clothing is important. The outline for this new learning tool, also available to teachers, was developed by SIA’s Education Department and Jo Garuccio, director for the Ski Utah School Program and staff training coordinator for The Canyons Ski and Snowboard School in Park City. Garuccio is an examiner and trainer for the PSIA Intermountain Division and she has a B.S. degree in Physical Education as well as an M.S. in Health and Fitness.

At the PSAHPERD Conference, SIA, Willi’s Ski Shop, PSAA and Seven Springs Resort will collaborate to present a workshop on how physical education teachers and recreation directors can include snow sports in their activities programs. Linda Klein, owner of Willi’s, will cover how to dress in detail. The conference will be attended by approximately 1,000 professionals in the fields of physical education, recreation health and dance.

“The Pennsylvania AHPERD is the perfect place to launch this new tool that will help children learn how to dress for snow sports,” said David Ingemie, president of SIA.  “We look forward to expanding this approach in the spring at the national conference for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in Baltimore. This is an ideal target audience for affecting the way children and their parents think about winter outdoors.”

SIA LOOKING FOR INDUSTRY ALUMNI
In the last several years, SIA has been reaching out to the alumni of the industry.  We have included them in our newsletter distribution, invited them to SIA events and hosted a special breakfast for them at the SIA SnowSports Trade Show.  This initiative was prompted by the celebration of SIA’s 50th anniversary years ago and the enthusiastic response from our industry alumni.
 
As a result, if you know of any alumni out there that would be interested in keeping up to date on industry news and attending the SIA Show, we would love to have their contact information.  In addition, if you know of any alumni that have moved or had a change of address or may no longer be with us, please send an email to Judy Brown in the SIA office at jbrown@snowsports.org.  We look forward to hearing from you and reconnecting with those industry veterans who helped grow the industry.

WORD ON THE STREET
K2 Sports announced the promotion of Lars Hanstad to Managing Director of Madshus AS…The implementation of new technology by Resort Sports Network (RSN) will automate information displayed on each resort cam page on www.rsn.com. This RSS feed technology will take information directly from resort partners' own websites and display it on the individual resort microsites at www.rsn.com....The Burton Global Open Series presented by Motorola announced final competition schedules for the 2007 Burton European Open, taking place from January 20-27, 2007 at Laax Resort in Switzerland. Olympic gold medalist Shaun White plans to attend his first European Open where he will be vying for top slopestyle results to count towards the $100,000 Burton Global Open Series Championship title….Copper Mountain opened the first Superpipe in North American, guests can enjoy the 450 ft Main Vein Superpipe, situated just above Burning Stones Plaza…Ortovox USA and the US Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center have joined forces to create a series of area boundary signs that remind backcountry travelers to be aware of snow conditions and even check to make sure each rider’s transceiver is transmitting…CamelBak Products LLC announced that Massimo Fregonese has joined the CamelBak team as Director of European Sales…SmartWool announced two new positions have been created which highlight their commitment to key retailers: Sales Manager ­ Outdoor Specialty, and Director of Sales ­ Socks to be filled by Carol Momoda and Amy Beck, respectively… PRIMEDIA (NYSE: PRM) announced the appointment of Al Crolius to the position of Senior Vice President and Group Publisher, Action Sports Group. 

To read more about any industry news, view Newsletters / Releases in Industry Resources.

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