WARREN, Vermont — The National Ski Areas Association announced on Tuesday that Sugarbush Resort has won the Association’s top honor for guest service. The Best Overall Guest Service Program award is given to the resort with, you guessed it, the best guest service program in the country. Resorts are categorized by visitation numbers. The prize is in recognition of Sugarbush’s SugarTube initiative, an interactive video sharing function that it unveiled on sugarbush.com this past season.

Said Andy Hawk, the marketing director of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and a judge for this year’s competition, “The ???SugarTube’ program not only allows for guests to share their experiences with friends and family, but it also provides a natural extension of on-mountain programs such as ski and snowboard lessons. SugarTube also gives parents the chance to see first-hand the experience their kids had on the hill. SugarTube is guest centered all the way!”

Leveraging two of the dominant trends in today’s Internet: 1) the expanding use of video and 2) the proliferation of social/sharing networks, SugarTube was designed not only to help guests prepare for their vacation with informative on-line shows (sugarbush.com/sugartube), but also allow them to extend, share and relive their Sugarbush experience. Using the latest technology, guests were able to create video postcards and e-mail them from a kiosk in the Gate House Lodge, and create personal SugarTube accounts within sugarbush.com where they could upload and assemble personal video playlists, and subsequently share those playlists with friends and family.

“It’s a great honor,” remarked Sugarbush president Win Smith on learning of the national recognition. “We have really focused on elevating the guest’s experience while they’re here (at the resort) and have seen those efforts already have an impact.”

SKI Magazine’s annual Reader’s Survey ranked Sugarbush #2 in the East for overall guest satisfaction this season.

“Allowing people to relive and share their favorite Sugarbush memories with friends and family on-line, after they had returned home, was the next logical step. And to receive another national accolade for the efforts of our staff showcases the resort’s on-going commitment to our guests,” continued Smith.

The National Ski Areas Association, located in Lakewood, CO, is the industry’s chief trade association and represents over 300 alpine resorts nationwide. The NSAA presents two prizes annually, Best Overall Guest Service Program as well as an award for marketing, in four resort categories based on skier/rider visitation: up to 100,000 visits; 100,000 to 250,000 visits; 250,000 to 500,000 visits; and 500,000 and more visits. Sugarbush won the top prize in the 250,000-500,000 visits category. Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado won for 500,000 and more visits. The awards are in recognition of programs that ultimately help grow the sports of skiing and snowboarding and have had a positive impact on guests’ level of satisfaction. Winning programs will be formally recognized next month during an award reception at NSAA’s National Convention and Tradeshow to be held at the Marriott Marco Island Resort, FL.