Business Elevated Podcast (Season 5 Episode 5)
This podcast series features business and government leaders discussing what it’s like to live and work in the great state of Utah.
The Business Elevated podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Audio
Summary
This episode features a conversation with Nathan Rafferty, president and CEO of Ski Utah, and Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity.
The phrase “The Greatest Snow on Earth” has garnered international attention, and Utah created a license plate touting the phrase. The promise of perfect powder fuels Utah’s skiing industry, with over five million skier visits per year, according to Ski Utah. The organization is a marketing company owned and operated by the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association. It focuses on advancing the Utah winter sports industry, representing resorts, lodging, transportation, retail, restaurants, and other ski or snowboard-related services.
Rafferty tells listeners of his journey from intern to president over his 17-year career at Ski Utah, how the ski resorts have reimagined year-round activities, and the not-so-well-known secrets to the state’s snowpack, such as consistency and water quality. He also discusses the decades-long issue of transit options, the possibility of a gondola the Utah Department of Transportation is considering, how the new Salt Lake City International Airport impacts skiing tourism, and the economics of the ski industry. Rafferty tells listeners how the organization is making skiing and snowboarding accessible to locals and not just visitors, shares his views on how well Utah is positioned to host another Winter Olympics, and much more.