PSIA-AASI

2.6.2009

Viva Las Vegas

Here’s the biggest surprise in snowsports – Snoop prefers skiing to snowboarding. Really, he does.

Or so we learned at this year’s Snowsports Industries of America trade show in fabulous Las Vegas. But, that’s not all we learned during SIA’s grand finale in the City of Sin. As it turns out, people in ski towns party for a reason – they’re just in training for the big show, knowing that they will have to visit the booths of a thousand brands, followed by hours of cocktails and concerts sponsored by the biggest names in snowsports. Or so we hear . . . having never made it outside the convention center.
    But, beyond Snoop and sleeplessness, much was gained by touring the show floor of the Mandalay Bay. Lurking behind the shark reef were opportunities aplenty for PSIA-AASI to solidify relationships with sponsors and seek out new ways to bring greater benefit to our membership.
    We hit the ground running on the first day of the show, landing in Vegas early on Tuesday morning, just in time for our first appointment. What followed was four jam-packed days of meetings to check in with Official Suppliers, explore product possibilities for the Accessories Catalog, invite new sponsors, renew contracts, and get a firsthand look at what’s happening in the snowsports industry.
    Highlights of the PSIA-AASI visit to Vegas include visits with companies like Rossignol, Smith, Turtle Fur, Burton, POC, Booster Strap, Swany, Salomon, Nordica, Volkl, Patagonia, Grabber, Goode, Hestra, Dale of Norway, Tecnica, Blizzard, Dynastar, Lange, Reusch, and more.
    With each meeting we acquired new insight, discovering greater partnership possibilities and gaining an ever better understanding of how our sponsors see PSIA-AASI fitting into the overall industry – all signs point toward our value as opinion leaders with a huge amount of influence over the growth of snowsports. We also checked out new product, which in some cases meant minor upgrades and cooler graphics, while in others it meant industry-revolutionizing innovations. We even got to see some of it in action during a live, indoor jibbing contest.
    And, of course, there were all the Vegas “extras” . . . aspiring showgirls, celebrity sightings (think Gene Simmons threatening to wipe out an entire ski company for copyright infringement), recycled air. A lucky few even made it to exclusive concerts, parties, and clubs, while the rest of us slaved away in rooms far above the strip, working tirelessly as always to make PSIA-AASI membership the best thing going in snowsports.
    And, the work continues back in Denver, where we’re awaiting next year’s show, right here in the Mile High City.
    For more information, check out www.snowsports.org or read the Snowpress Show Daily.