Summer Ops Camp 2025 Recap
The 14th annual Summer Ops Camp hosted by SAM convened at Whistler Blackcomb, offering three days of immersive learning, networking, and hands-on exploration related to the evolution of multi-season operations within the ski industry.
Claire Humber, Director of Resort Planning, and Carolyn McShea, Associate Resort Planner, were a large presence at the show, with Claire leading discussions covering topics such as strategic business planning, trends and emerging opportunities, and scalable solutions for all sized operations.
“Whistler is the best classroom for summer ops” noted Humber. “It’s the ultimate "best-in-class" example of a year-round mountain destination, executed by a well-established collaboration between the resort, the community, and local/regional tourism organizations. It offers great examples, but also an inspirational case study for what is possible in the realm of a multi-season recreational experience.”
Strategic Business Planning: Putting the Fundamentals to Work
In addition to spending time on the mountain, “product testing” many of the diverse recreational offerings that are foundational to the Whistler experience, the agenda included a series of informational sessions exploring the range of issues and opportunities that are foundational to the complexities of year-round operations: global trends in travel and tourism, stakeholder collaboration, marketing, risk management, and business and operations strategy. The Strategic Business Planning panel, led by Humber, emphasized how a foundation of data-driven analysis and disciplined decision-making can lead to the development of financially viable year-round operations. At its core, Strategic Business Planning is a process for evaluating existing operations and determining opportunities for improving its financial performance. The process is grounded in four fundamentals: collecting and using data, planning for disciplined incremental growth, budgeting for maintenance, and knowing your audience, all anchored by a passionate, committed, and engaged management team.
Humber was joined by operators from Mont Sutton QC, Loon Mountain NH, Bogus Basin ID and Yellowstone Club MT, highlighting recent successes that illustrate how this approach works in practice.
The central theme is that growth requires aligning new activities with each resort’s mission, community, and audience while using financial discipline and data to guide decisions. Examples showed how some resorts avoided mismatched attractions (like Yellowstone Club donating unused equipment) by focusing instead on activities that build member skills and create aspirational “next steps.” Bogus Basin emphasized regenerative self-funding and mission alignment, while Sutton demonstrated phased, incremental investment, growing from limited lift use into a robust, multi-season operation with ziplines, mountain biking, and vibrant event programming. Loon highlighted how simple observations paired with guest feedback can optimize scheduling and improve guest satisfaction.
The case studies underscored four big takeaways: know your audience and offer experiences that resonate with them, plan for disciplined growth that balances big capital projects with incremental programming, use data to refine operations, and focus on community impact alongside financial results. Together, these lessons paint a picture of how intentional, strategic planning can transform summer into a meaningful, profitable, and sustainable season.
Summer Ops Camp is an invaluable resource for any operator engaged in, or considering expansion into multi-season operations. SAM consistently curates a winning combination of robust and relevant educational programming, camper camaraderie, vendor interaction, and opportunities to experience and product-test “best-in-class" attractions that never disappoints. We are honored, and grateful to have been part of this event since its inception and look forward to our next collaboration with the SAM team.
The discussions and lessons learned at Summer Ops underscore the importance of creating vibrant, multi-season destinations that balance financial sustainability with unforgettable guest experiences, while staying true to the areas unique character and community. At SE Group, we combine our technical expertise with a deep passion for the outdoors to ensure resorts thrive not only in the winter, but as four-season destinations.
Photo credit: Ryan Robinson, MTNPIX & SAM
