About MTS

What is the Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS)?

Ask any experienced marketing professional in just about any major ski resort community in the U.S. and western Canada about Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) and the answer will be sure and swift. Quite simply, MTS is the single largest and longest-running annual gathering of mountain travel professionals in North America.  For more than 32 years, representatives from mountain resort businesses have gathered each spring to establish relationships, initiate and complete contracts, and take the first steps toward making the upcoming season an even greater success.

The week-long event includes three major components: trade shows, a Forum, and social events to foster networking opportunities. There are two separate and distinct trade shows--one that is specifically geared for Tour Operators (the Trade Exchange) and another one for Ski Club/Council organizers (the Group Exchange). The Forum includes two full days of professional development and education featuring presentations from nationally-known speakers as well as individual breakout sessions on practical and topical issues. Finally, a variety of receptions, parties, and activities are scheduled throughout the week to maximize networking and relationship building.  MTS attracts more than 1,000 participants each year from ski resorts, lodging properties, resort associations, domestic and international tour operators, airlines, ground transportation companies, travel insurance companies, and related service providers. The event is firmly established as the single most productive business venue for mountain travel suppliers and buyers. A primary reason for the Symposium’s longevity and success is that it continually evolves and adapts to meet the changing needs of mountain travel marketing professionals and their many partners.

The three main components that comprise Symposium Week:
The Trade Exchange - April 7 & 8, 2008
A contracting trade show held over two days where ski product buyers meet one-on-one with ski service suppliers in a pre-scheduled appointment format. The Trade Exchange is the mountain travel industry’s largest vacation planning trade show.

The Symposium Forum - April 9 & 10, 2008
The Forum is an intense series of general sessions and interactive workshops that examine current trends and review past season results. The Symposium Forum has become “the place” to analyze the past season’s performance and to start developing the strategy for next season.

The Group Exchange - April 10 & 11, 2008
The Group Exchange provides ski service suppliers and tour wholesalers with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with ski club and ski council decision-makers from across the country. The Group Exchange gives key ski clubs and ski council leaders, from across the nation, the opportunity to meet with suppliers and tour operators in a trade show format consisting of pre-scheduled one-on-one appointments.