Indy Pass Hosts Independent Ski Area Conference
Representatives from independent ski areas gathered in Jackson, New Hampshire, last week for an event hosted by skiing's independent multi-pass, the Indy Pass. The conference saw a turnout of more than 50 resort representatives.
It sought to strengthen the position of independently owned ski areas in the industry through collaboration and innovation. The theme of the weekend centered around the biggest challenges and opportunities facing independent resorts today.
Over the course of three days, workshops and discussions on key areas of ski area business management, including technology use, marketing, operations, and resort insurance, all took place. Additional presentations, workshops, and on-snow programming were also held on Black Mountain Glacier. PistenBully also gave demonstrations of their self-drive snowcats.
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After one of their most successful seasons yet, Indy Pass leaders and partners discussed how to continue growth for the coming season, with pass sales for 2026/27 already up 30%.
There was also talk of new Indy Pass products, such as the Learn to Turn Pass, Employee Pass, and other add-ons. Guest experience improvements through Entabeni Systems-the owner of the Indy Pass and maker of tech solutions for independent ski areas-were also on the docket for the weekend's discussions. Entabeni hopes to launch its first fully mobile POS system with payment integration, introduce self-service guest kiosks, and debut an "Ask Indy" AI tool.
"Our partners showed up from all around the globe," said Erik Mogensen, director of Indy Pass. "It's the only gathering quite like it. We had operators and owners from small, remote mountains in Alaska to major European destinations. Bringing that range of perspectives together for meaningful industry conversations is something truly special."
A handful of Indy Pass partner resorts are still open for skiing, including Black Mountain, NH, Jay Peak, VT, Levi in Finland, Stubai Glacier and Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen in Austria, and Riksgränsen in Sweden.
2026/27 Indy Passes are currently sold out, but hopefuls can join the pass waitlist in case more passes go on sale before the season.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 1:01 PM.