2026 FES Agenda
8:00-8:30 a.m.: Registration Open and Continental Breakfast
8:30-12:00 p.m.: Educational Sessions
Re-visiting Terrain Parks: Safety, Risk, and the Latest Industry Considerations
Terrain parks remain an important staple of ski area offerings, and like most departments, there is an ongoing progression and evolution in park operations. We will discuss fresh strategies in park safety, including signage, daily operations, guest education, entrances and exits, investigations and video surveillance, and unique features. As park events and competitions grow in popularity, event risk management also remains critical. From workers compensation and freestyle lessons to impactful safety messaging with social media and the value of NSAA’s Terrain Park Resource Guide, we’ll discuss effective strategies to mitigate risk and exposures, and improve park safety.
State of the Slopes: Important Industry Updates Arising from a Shifting Regulatory Landscape
The regulatory terrain in the ski industry is rapidly evolving, and these need-to-know updates will improve operations and mitigate liability. From upcoming ANSI B77 key changes and ASTM updates on rentals, padding, and tubing, to unique issues with aerial evacuation, night lighting, restraint bars, video surveillance, and the importance of manufacturers’ recommendations, this session will help your ski area comply and stay current about important shifts across industry operations—punctuated by new data from NSAA’s injury study and recent claims. NSAA will also roll out its new Lift Safety Toolkit and our new Lift Incident Database for monitoring trends and challenges with uphill transportation and guest safety—stay in the know with what is changing, what’s pending, and what’s on the regulatory horizon.
12:00-1:00 p.m.: Lunch (included)
1:00-4:30 p.m.: Educational Sessions
Regional and National Claims, Trials, and Trends: Operational Take-Aways
There have been a number of key rulings in ski lawsuits recently across the country, thankfully many with positive outcomes. As with most claims, there are important take-aways and lessons learned that will improve your operations and mitigate potential exposures. Working closely with our great ASDA counsel, we will provide updates on unique claims and recent court decisions, including key rulings on releases and waivers, and the growing threat facing all ski areas from class action lawsuits. From lifts incidents and collisions with man-made objects, to skier-skier collisions and tubing claims, we’ll break down common themes about improving investigations, on-mountain risk management, and the critical significance of well-written internal manuals and policies.
Employee Safety and OSHA: A Critical Priority for the Industry
At each of the 10 stops of NSAA’s fall education seminars, we will have a local panel of respected industry leaders who have successfully elevated—and invested resources in—employee safety at their ski areas. We will analyze what programs are most effective at mitigating employee incidents, and the role management plays in accountability and leadership. This is now especially critical, as both state and federal OSHA specifically target ski areas given their comparatively high injury rates with other industries, and the significant exposures that creates for ski areas and the broader industry.