Interview by Heather Hendricks

Photos by Jeremy Swanson

The eighth annual installation of the Meeting kicked off the winter

season in Aspen, Colorado last weekend on September 27th - 29th.

Filmmakers, athletes, photographers, media, and fans all converged in

picturesque setting of Colorado's famous mountain town for three days of

movie premieres, parties, and top notch panels. This year,

Aspen/Snowmass placed a heavy emphasis on the panel sessions and ramped

up the caliber of guest speakers. Over ten elite media moguls and

business entrepreneurs shared their keen insight into three panel

topics: Content Distribution, Brand Building, and Building an Audience.

The information garnered from these panels was influential and inspired a

collective buzz excitement for the future of action sports, which which

was palpable throughout the action-packed weekend.

Where the beer flows like wine, and beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano.

After The Meeting was all said and done, we caught up with Aspen local

and mountaineering extraordinaire Chris Davenport for the low-down on

why this event so damn unique. Here's what Dav had to say.

What was the most influential or inspiring idea you took away from the Meeting panels in Aspen? 

Listening to such an esteemed panel Friday afternoon was a real treat.

The thing that impressed me most was that it's not the size of your

audience that matters but the way in which they interact with your

content. Sure, Lady Gaga might have 30 million followers, but they are

mostly "hollow" and rarely engage her content in any meaningful way.

Since I'm in the business of content creation I not only want as many

people as possible to see it, I want them to interact, to react, and to

share what I have to say. The better my stories the better the

conversations I can start around them.

How many years have you hosted the NEPSA awards and what was your experience hosting the event this year?

This was my ninth year hosting the NEPSA awards. I only skipped one year

for a trip to some far corner of the globe. I thought the quality of

the submissions was higher than ever this year, and the energy in the

crowd was great. It's a local event that has a ton of traction and is

always entertaining. My co-host Travis McLain and I have done all sorts

of skits over the years, including dressing up as women, but this year

we stuck to a traditional awards hosting theme with a lot of comedy

thrown in.

What do you think of The Meeting overall, and how did this year compare to previous events?

I think The Meeting is about far more than the films themselves. The

panel discussions that take place with such amazing speakers for me are

the real highlight, and the real value of the event. It's also an easy

way for the industry to get together socially and network early in the

season. Most other industry get-togethers involve some contest like the X

Games or a trade show. So The Meeting has a viable spot in the

schedule.

What was your favorite standout moment from the Meeting 8?

Speaking of social moments I had the chance to mountain bike ride with a

group of 14 on Saturday morning. There were athletes, company

presidents, media, and a few locals. We had lots of time to discuss all

sorts of things winter sports related and everyone got to enjoy the

amazing scenery and foliage. It was really a high point for all

involved.

For a look at what went down at The Meeting, check out the recap on Powder.com by clicking here.