Communications industry leaders, their guests and members of the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team will convene in Vail for the 16th annual SkiTAM event.
Nearly 1000 will gather on the slopes of the famed skiing community from March 31 through April 3, when they will also engage in networking educational sessions and various family activities at this year's SkiTAM, the fundraising event for the U.S. Adaptive Ski team, hosted by CTAM's Rocky Mountains chapter.
Since coming out of the gate in 1995, SkiTAM has raised more than $6 million for the USAST, support that has enabled more than 75 disabled athletes to compete in more than 260 races, bring home 97 Olympic medals and 100 World Cup podium placements.
Attending this year's event are 20 current and alumni members from the Alpine Team. Fresh off the 2010-2011 World Cup are current members Stephani Victor, Alana Nichols, Tyler Walker, Ralph Green and Danelle Umstead. The Nordic team will be unable to attend as it will be racing in Sochi, Russia, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, that weekend.
"Members of the USAST are some of the best athletes in snow sports," said Steve Raymond, senior vice president of national accounts for Disney and ESPN Media Networks, and SkiTAM co-chair in a statement. "I know SkiTAM attendees look forward to seeing the athletes and hear about the accomplishments of the past season. It is then when you realize how important SkiTAM is to helping them achieve their goals. Another great benefit of this event is the almost universal support of the industry's distributors, programmers and vendors."
Among the highlights of the annual fundraiser, which provides the majority of the operating budget for the USAST, is the SkiTAM Ski Race, where amateur racers compete alongside an adaptive ski team athlete who acts as a team captain, and the youth race, where athletes and alumni provide pointers for kids on the slopes.
On March 31 the panel "Here...There...Or Nowhere" will feature Synacor founder George Chamoun, Samsung vice president of business development Stephen Goldstein, Time Warner Cable executive vice president and CMO Sam Howe, Jeremy Legg, senior vice president of business development and multiplatform distribution at Turner, and Avail-TVN chief revenue officer Jim Riley discussing the state of "TV Everywhere." The executives will assess the current model and its potential evolution.
Other activities during the weekend include parties hosted by Disney and Google, and a kids film festival, with screenings of How to Train Your Dragon and Alpha & Omega.
For more information on SkiTAM and the USAST, including athlete bios and schedules, visit www.skitam.com
Visit www.adaptivespirit.com for regular real-time updates throughout SkiTAM.
