Remember the Summit Series? The networking and conference group led by a group of altruistic and dreamily ambitious 20-something entrepreneurs bought Utah's Powder Mountain this past winter for a rumored $43 million as a home base for their inspirational get-togethers that have previously been held at Squaw Valley or on a Miami cruise ship. Back in July, a three-day event called Summit Outside was the first held on the new 10,000 acre property and ski area, and the vast infrastructure needed for the 900 high-profile attendees from Manhattan, Los Angeles, and San Francisco was built almost entirely from scratch. Despite the logistics burden, the list of amenities was in no way lacking.
· 542 glamping sites with no wifi but Sean Parker wedding-worthy mobile bathrooms and showers, as well as daily turndown service.
· 240 separate "sessions," covering everything from getting more women in science and tech to relationship advice by love expert Esther Perel, who gave 5 talks instead of the scheduled 2 due to an especially love-sick group of attendees.
· Six restaurants built from scratch, including one producing dishes from Salt Lake's renowned Forage.
· A quarter-mile long dinner table in an open meadow, replete with gobs of wine and picnic baskets.
· A "puppy pen" set up by a local shelter; apparently 9 of the 20 pups were adopted by attendees.
· Concerts including one from Outkast's Big Boi, who serenaded the crowd from a golden throne on stage due to an injured knee.
· A landscaped swimming pond with emerald-green water next to the concert stage.
· A Crossfit gym called "Muscle Forest."
· A stargazing station set up by a local astronomical society.
· An LED "electric forest" in the woods with a DJ stage, where dancing went down until sunrise each night.
The Standard-Examiner shot a few aerial shots of the event that show the swimming pond, stage, and glamping sites that are worth checking out, too. With winter a few months away, we can only wait and see if Summit's group of inventive event organizers can recreate Summit Outside in the snow. Luxury igloos, anyone?
· Powder Mountain's Summit Outside pampers those seeking positive change [Standard Examiner]
· Summit Outside: What Happens When 900 Entrepreneurs Go Camping Atop Powder Mountain? [Forbes]
· Powder Mountain Dreamlandia archives [Curbed Ski]