The Future of the Canadian Ski Council Delta Toronto West October 12, 2011

Background

 A change of direction was requested at the last annual meeting  Input was solicited from all member organizations  A sub-committee of the Board worked with this input  The Board has approved the new direction recommended by the sub-committee  We are now seeking approval from the membership

 All possibilities were examined during the review process  It became apparent during the review the following areas were of major importance  Advocacy  Research  Communications  Marketing and Promotion  Governance and Staffing Background (continued)

Advocacy

 We must become more active on two fronts:  Representing the industry on issues of a national scope  Becoming aware of public funding  Advocacy is:  Ongoing  Built overtime  Resource intensive  Not implement when issues arise but is always there Advocacy

 There are many tasks, both short and long term, to be undertaken if we are to become successful:  Consolidate the research data on the economic impact and statistical information from across the country  Develop relationships with politicians and their staff  Discuss with other organizations how they undertake their relationship building  Explore which organizations are key for us to join to have a higher profile concerning tourism and recreation Advocacy (continued)

 The following are our recommendations:  Develop and collect research and statistical material on the economic impact of the industry. This must be undertaken immediately  Develop the strategic plan of what the CSC wishes to achieve concerning advocacy  Develop the operational plan to support the strategic plan  Develop the budget to support the operational plan Advocacy (continued)

Research

 Research is the fuel and energy that will drive all of our efforts  We must become:  The facilitator  The repository and the go to organization for information on the ski industry in Canada  We must begin working on the following tasks:  Review our research and seek input to ensure our research meets the needs of all of our members Research

 Review research being undertaken by the ski industry both in North America and in Europe to ensure we are not overlooking important pieces of data in our surveys  Ensure we are utilizing all the latest technology to gather and compile our research  Work with the two ski area management programs to ensure there is a research component built into their ski area management program  Develop a user guide to assist our members in the use of our research Research (continued)

 The following are the recommendations regarding research:  Develop and collect research and statistical material on the economic impact of the industry. This must be undertaken immediately  Develop the strategic plan of what is required by our members from research activities and how best they can utilize this information  Develop the operational plan to meet the goals of the strategic plan that will ensure we meet the needs of all of our members  Explore how the CSC can become the repository for all ski industry research in the Canadian market Research (continued)

Communications

 The CSC must be:  The voice of the ski industry in Canada  The organization that individuals and business turn to for information on national issues affecting the ski industry  More communicative on its activities and programs with its members  The following are tasks which must be undertaken:  Develop a newsletter that effectively reports on the projects of the CSC Communications

 Create an area on the CSC website that allows our members to link to all of members’ newsletters  Develop the communication messages for our industry so we are prepared to communicate effectively  Create a visitation schedule for the CSC President to meet with all member organizations annually  Report on issues to our members  Hold our Annual Meeting in conjunction with other ski related events where possible  Hold a symposium when there are issues which affect all of our members Communications (continued)

 The following are the recommendations regarding communications:  Develop the strategic plan to meet the goals and objectives regarding communications  Develop the operational plan to meet the objectives of the strategic plan  Ensure we have the messages in place to meet possible scenarios affecting our industry nationally Communications (continued)

Marketing and Promotions

 The goal of marketing and promotions within the CSC is to:  Promote and grow the number of skiers and boarders in Canada  To develop broad strategies, including a national brand  Our members will do the work at the local and regional level to deliver these products and the programs Marketing and Promotions

 The following are a number of tasks required to achieve these objectives:  Determine the best approach in managing the Making Winter Winners program. MWW should become much more of a sponsorship arrangement with elite athletes and their associations  Review our ski and snowboard programs to ensure they meet our objectives  Develop a Go Skiing program that will assist the industry in rebranding itself and be the source for information on all things skiing and boarding Marketing and Promotions (continued)

 The following are the recommendations:  Ensure all of our marketing and promotional programs meet the objectives outlined for the marketing and promotional activities within the CSC  Begin to build the CSC Go Skiing program that will assist in the rebranding of our industry Marketing and Promotions (continued)

Governance and Staffing

 As we move forward we must:  Update our bylaws to reflect the new CSC  Have the staff in place to operate under this new structure  As we move forward the following must be recognized:  That Board members must be willing to actively participate in the operation of the CSC. Governance and Staffing

 That member organizations have the right to appoint who they wish to represent them on the Board  That the Board be structured to recognize the funding structure which sees 95% of the funding coming from the ski area operators  That the Chairperson of the Board may only be a paid individual (staff) from a member association with the unanimous consent of the Board  That the contribution of a dollar amount will not provide a seat on the Board Governance and Staffing (continued)

 Our recommendations are:  That the services of a governance consultant be contracted to assist the Board in developing the by-laws to: Reflect the new CSC Move the Board from an operational prospective to a policy prospective Ensure we meet the new guidelines established by the Federal Government for non-profit organizations  Undertake a staffing review, with outside professional assistance if necessary, once the future direction has been established to determine the staff required to undertake the newly revised mandate of the CSC Governance and Staffing (continued)

Funding

 We have to ensure we have sufficient funds for the CSC to move forward in the new direction we are proposing  To continue as a viable business entity the two main funding sources must remain in place  If these programs are eliminated or the revenues decreased dramatically then the CSC will be severely limited in its’ activities and could even cease to exist Funding

 To ensure we have the source of funding to operate the CSC we are making the following recommendations:  Examine alternate sources of funding to ensure the CSC is funded by both internal and external revenue streams  Conduct in-depth examination of the Grade4/5 Passport program to determine: How the program can be enhanced from a participant, ski area, and CSC prospective The best method of distribution The best method to communicate the importance of the program inside and outside the industry Funding (continued)

 Conduct an in-depth review of the Corporate Lift Pass program to determine: How the program can be made to work for all ski areas in all regions of the country while continuing to provide a solid revenue stream for the CSC Funding (continued)

Next Steps

 Move forward on the recommendations  Begin to compile the economic data for the industry  Commence work on the re-branding project  Commence work on the by-laws  Move forward with the search for a CEO and President with Colin’s retirement in April 2012 Next Steps

The Future of the Canadian Ski Council Delta Toronto West October 12, 2011