Policy A01 - Selection of Event Site

Purpose

To establish the criteria that are important and necessary in the selection of an event site, and to specify the process for making the event site decision.

Policy

The ideal site for a Ski for Light week will meet five basic requirements:

• Will be located in a geographical area that has a history and probability of sufficient snow for good skiing during the planned time of the event.
• Is located within three hours of a significant airport.
• Has a hotel (or adjacent hotels within an easy and safe walking distance) sufficient to meet the needs of a Ski for Light event, as detailed in the separate policy on Selection of Event Hotel(s).
• Has a cross-country ski area, located within 45 minutes of the host hotel, that satisfies the requirements of the separate policy on trail design. If located somewhere other than adjacent to the host hotel, the area must also contain a lodge or other structure large enough to accommodate 250 people with a two-hour window for lunch and warming during the day, and have ADA wheelchair accessible restrooms.
• Is affordable, without a significant increase in the fees charged to participants.

The pool of sites suitable to host a future Ski for Light week will include, at any point in time, those sites which have hosted successful weeks in the recent past, plus any new sites that have been identified by the Site Selection committee.

The generalized timeline and process for the identification and selection of a site for a future event are:

• At least 24 months in advance, the Site Selection Committee will work to develop a minimum of two prospective sites and submit requests for proposals to potential host hotels and ski areas.
• Approximately 18 months in advance, the President or his/her designee will submit a Request for Proposal to the potential host hotel and ski area associated with both sites, if needed. (See below for links to the most recent version of each RFP document.) If the site is a new one, or if changes may have occurred since the last SFL visit, a site visit will be scheduled and take place. The site visit team shall include an experienced blind skier and an experienced guide.
• At least 18 months in advance, the Executive Committee will decide which of the two sites under consideration should be selected and recommended to the Board.
• At least 12 months in advance, The President will present to the Board the recommendation of the Executive Committee and seek Board approval of the selection. The recommendation must include a detailed list of all deviations from existing policy. The Board must also approve any alteration to the traditional Sunday to Sunday seven-day event week configuration.

• Request for Proposal from Hotel (MS Word format) revised 2024
• Request for Proposal from ski area (MS Word format) revised 2024

October 8, 2024