For the second time in six years, North Lake Tahoe and Palisades Tahoe will host of the 2012 Mountain Travel Symposium, one of the world’s premier ski industry wholesale conferences, to be held April 15-21 at Resort at Squaw Creek.The conference offers opportunities for local merchants and businesses to learn about mountain travel industry trends and meet and do business with wholesalers, hospitality companies and more.

“Mountain Travel Symposium is the biggest and longest running annual contracting and networking gathering in the mountain travel industry worldwide,” said Director of Tourism Andy Chapman of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, who teamed up with the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau to bring the symposium to North Tahoe. “To have our colleagues here in North Lake Tahoe to experience our product firsthand, especially with all its stellar spring snowpack, is absolutely advantageous. These ski wholesalers are going to have North Tahoe and our variety of lodging options on the brain when talking with clients from all over the world.”

According to Chapman, in attendance will be ski wholesale companies from North America, South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, as well as trip chairs (decision makers) for all United States’ ski councils and clubs, in addition to ski-related vendors and other attending mountain destinations.

The event will primarily be based in Olympic Valley, but tourism officials expect the entire region to benefit as guests will be lodging, dining and shopping all over North Lake Tahoe. Those confirmed to attend include representatives with Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, Mark Travel, HotelBeds, Crystal, Virgin Holidays, Ski.com and Mountain Reservations, to name a few.

In addition to business-to-business appointments, Mountain Travel Symposium offers professional development with national speakers, hands-on workshops, as well as multiple opportunities and social events for networking.

“North Lake Tahoe pulled out all the stops in 2006,” said Event Owner Ralf Garrison of Mountain Travel Symposium and founder of The Advisory Group. “In fact, industry professionals are still talking about it to this day. We knew North Tahoe was the right choice for 2012. We look forward to this weeklong gathering geared to educate professionals in the mountain travel industry, conduct business face to face, and of course, getting on the ski slopes and experiencing all that Tahoe snow. It’s a rare opportunity to bring the worldwide mountain travel industry to your doorstep.”

For details about Mountain Travel Symposium, registration and photos, www.mtntrvl.com.