News The 8-0-2 is Front and Center at INSIGHT

Stowe, Vermont will be buzzing with some two hundred ski industry leaders attending INSIGHT, Inntopia’s annual conference held at Topnotch Resort this May 22-25.

The annual conference focuses on bringing together key leaders and personnel from management, marketing, sales, IT, reservations, and more for three days of presentations and discussions focusing on best practices and cutting-edge trends in travel marketing, commerce and business intelligence.

This year, INSIGHT has a strong focus on Vermont. Three individual sessions will feature keynote speakers from some of the most prestigious, and well-known Vermont companies including Ben & Jerry’s, ibex, Skida and Stowe Mountain Resort.

“Brands Taking a Stand!” will run for an hour starting 11:30 am on Tuesday, May 23^rd. The presentation will focus on reviewing how increasingly, brands are using their power to create change in the world, often via environmental, social, or political activism. Regan Betts, Director of Brand at Ibex Outdoor Clothing, Mike Hayes, Senior Global Digital Marketing Manager at Ben & Jerry’s, MJ Legault, principal at Origin Design and Communications, and Jessica Jacobi, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Aspen Skiing Company will be discuss how their company is taking a stand. Lisa Gosselin, Editor and Co-publisher of Vermont Ski + Ride, and of Vermont Sports, and VP of the parent company, Addison Press will facilitate the conversation. More information about the session can be found online: http://corp.inntopia.com/brands-taking-stand/

Another most-anticipated session titled “How Big Season Passes Power the Mountain Community” will review how the influx of “Big Pass” offerings has forever changed the North American ski resort industry, and more recently made an entrance into European resorts. This session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23^rd at 2:15 pm and reviews the development of pricing strategies, the risks and opportunities for different parties, and the expected future outcomes for participating, and non-participating ski resorts. Keynote speakers are Parker Riehle, President of Vermont Ski Association, Shawn Owens, Resort Sales Director at Stowe Mountain Resort, Laurent Vaucher, General Manager at SKIDATA and Win Smith, Chairman and CEO of Summit Ventures which owns Sugarbush. Gregg Blanchard, Marketing Director at Inntopia will facilitate the session. For more information read: http://corp.inntopia.com/big-season-passes-power-mountain-community/

Last but not least is “Vermont: the Small State with the Big Brand,” an animated discussion lead by David Bradbury, President of Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET), an independent, nonprofit technology business organization based in Burlington. On deck for this session are four Vermont entrepreneurs who will share how their brands developed locally, and how they are now generating national sales and recognition. Meet Sam von Trapp, Vice President at Trapp Family Lodge, Roger Brown, co-founder of Untapped, Corinne Prevot, Founder of Skida and Rob Megnin, Killington’s Director of Marketing, Sales, and Reservation. Read more information about this session: http://corp.inntopia.com/vermont-small-state-big-brand/

INSIGHT is sold out but members of the community, and Inntopia friends and family are invited to join in the celebrations on Tuesday, May 23rd at 8 pm at the Matterhorn for an evening of live music and dancing featuring Josh Panda and Misty Mountain Hopera. A $15 suggested donation to benefit The Chill Foundation will be collected at the door. RSVP and more information here: http://corp.inntopia.com/josh-panda-misty-mountain-hopera-perform-insight-reception/

For more information about INSIGHT, contact Pascale Savard, Marketing Manager at Inntopia at psavard@inntopia.com

About Inntopia

Headquartered in Stowe, Vermont, Inntopia provides the leading suite of marketing, commerce, and business intelligence solutions in the destination travel industry. Our products decrease costs, increase revenue, and facilitate better decision making for any business selling lodging, golf, skiing, spa, and other destination activities. An evolving platform based on over 15 years of industry partnerships and measurable results, Inntopia serves more than 80 major ski and golf resorts, including Vail Resorts, Aspen, Intrawest, Camelback, Whistler, Thredbo (Australia), Boyne Resorts, and World Golf Village, as well as a host of water parks, attractions, destination marketing organizations, tour operators, hoteliers, property management companies, and activity providers.

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