WORKSHOPS

The theme for THE 2026 forum is Fortune Favors the Bold.

Thursday, April 16

3:45PM - 4:30PM

CHECK OUT THE WORKSHOPs BELOW.

Mountain Lodging Trends and Insights 

Join moderator Tom Foley of Inntopia by Outside and leading lodging executives for a data-driven look at what’s next for hotels, short-term rentals, and resort accommodations. From shifting traveler expectations to evolving distribution, pricing, and occupancy patterns, the panel will unpack the bold strategies driving occupancy and revenue. Walk away with actionable insights to stay competitive in a rapidly changing lodging landscape. 

Moderated by Tom Foley, SVP, Business Intelligence, Inntopia by Outside 
Jim Deter, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Gravity Haus
Alexandre Caron, Director of Sales, Mont Tremblant Resort

AIO, SEO, and AI Search: A Step-by-Step Playbook to Get Found (and Booked)

In this in-depth follow up session to the general session segment, Mike Lannen from Eternity goes beyond theory and shows exactly how to position your brand to be discovered by AI. You’ll see live demos of how AI tools choose which properties to recommend and learn the specific content, data, and on-site strategies that make your listing rise to the top. You’ll get an actionable game plan you can take back to your team. 

What You’ll Walk Away With: 

  • Live demos of AI platforms and how they rank products 

  • The exact types of content AI tools pull from (and how to structure it) 

  • How to optimize Google Business Profile, website pages, FAQs, reviews, and metadata for AI visibility 

  • A step-by-step checklist of quick wins + long-term strategies 

  • How to track if your efforts are actually working in AI search 

Mike Lannen, Founder, Eternity  

The Seasonal Positioning Pivot: Breaking Free from Winter’s Shadow

Summer resort marketing has historically relied heavily on winter awareness, audiences, messaging, and infrastructure, often limiting the potential to establish a distinct summer identity. How can your resort break free from these constraints and position itself as more than just a ski destination when the snow melts?

Join Jill Gaylord, Director of Marketing at Grand Targhee Resort, and John Entwistle, Director, Outdoor Strategy at MMGY Origin, as they unpack insights from "Mellowstone" - Grand Targhee Resort's new summer positioning. In this insightful session, you'll discover relatable strategies for defining and engaging summer-specific audiences, balancing operational needs with impactful marketing, and marketing approaches that highlight your unique summer experiences.

What you'll learn:

  • How to identify key differences between your winter and summer audiences

  • How to balance operational requirements with marketing and brand messaging

  • How to lean into messaging and visuals that differentiate your resort's summer offering from winter and the competition

Jill Gaylord, Director of Marketing, Grand Targhee Resort, and John Entwistle, Director, Outdoor Strategy, MMGY Origin

4:40pm - 5:25pm

The Connection Advantage: Turning Presence Into Powerful Sales Results

In an era when mountain destinations compete on scenery, amenities, and access, the real differentiator isthe courage to sell through connection rather than convention. This 45-minute workshop invites sales and marketing leaders to rethink their approach by treating every interaction as an opportunity to create emotional lift for potential guests. Through real-world hospitality examples, participants explore how presence, curiosity, and intentional personalization can unlock bolder, higher-value conversations. Together, we’ll examine practical techniques that turn human engagement into a strategic advantage—helping teams stand out, earn trust, and close business in ways that feel effortless, elevated, and unmistakably memorable. 

Erica Kaehly, President, Guest Service Solutions 

Decoding Supply and Demand: A Deep Dive with Industry Leaders 

Join Phocuswright's Pete Comeau and Inntopia's Tom Foley as they reveal key insights from year two of this ground-breaking research, Shifting Slopes: Navigating the Future of Mountain Travel. Featuring a panel of industry leaders, the session covers consumer behavior, competitive strategies, and leveraging data for marketing, guest experiences, and revenue growth. 

Moderated by Pete Comeau, Managing Director, Phocuswright and Tom Foley, SVP, Business Intelligence, Inntopia by Outside 

Creator Partnerships That Actually Work: A Playbook for Outdoor Brands

Influencer marketing is everywhere, but most outdoor brands still struggle to make it work. Too often, creator partnerships become expensive one-off posts with little long-term impact. The brands that win in today’s travel landscape are those that build lasting relationships with creators who genuinely love the places they share.

In this hands-on workshop, Madison Rifkin will walk through a practical framework for building effective creator partnerships in the outdoor, adventure, and travel industry. From identifying the right creators to structuring collaborations that generate ongoing storytelling, this session will help brands turn creators into authentic advocates for their destinations.

Attendees will leave with a clear playbook for sourcing creators, designing campaigns that resonate with travelers, and maximizing the value of creator-generated content.

Madison Rifkin, Head of Network, Popfly

CHECK OUT THE GENERAL SESSIONS

As of March 9th, 2026