text: Sterzing, Italy, 6 September 2024
  The 4th in-person meeting of the International Biathlon Union's (IBU) Snow Network took place in Sterzing, Italy from 4-6 September 2024 focusing on exchange of knowledge regarding grooming and related snow management topics. The IBU-led SIEPPUR Sustainable Snow Management Project joined the Snow Network meeting and presented its preliminary findings.
  From 4-6 September, snow experts and 18 IBU Organising Committees gathered in Sterzing, Italy, for the annual Snow Network Meeting. Hosted at the headquarters of Prinoth, one of the IBU SnowTech partners, the meeting provided a unique opportunity for the participants to review the previous season and strategise on the future of snow management in biathlon.
  This year’s meeting started with a comprehensive report of the past season, including an in-depth analysis of weather patterns and snow conditions at the IBU World Championships 2024 in Nove Mesto na Morave, CZE. Representatives of each IBU Organising Committee also presented, discussed, and reflected on their races in the 2023/2024 season, and outlined their strategies to face future challenges such as snow scarcity, heavy rain, and warm temperatures.
  Following this, all attendees were invited to a guided tour of the three HTI facilities on site, gaining insights into the manufacturing of Snowmaking Systems at Demaclenko, Ropeway solutions from Leitner, and Snow Groomers at Prinoth.
  The Snow Network Meeting serves as a platform for networking and collaboration among snow and course operators from IBU event organisers. The informal setting allowed for direct exchanges of ideas and experiences, fostering knowledge exchange that extends beyond the meeting.
  IBU Sport & Event Director Daniel Böhm summarised the meeting:
  The IBU Snow Network has become one of the most productive gatherings within the IBU and is likely to become increasingly important in the future. It is critical for the IBU to continue to develop data and science-based know-how in sustainable snow management to ensure the preparedness of IBU event hosts for future snow conditions.
  After the Snow Network Meeting concluded, the Erasmus+ funded SIEPPUR project group used the opportunity to hold its second in-person Steering Committee Meeting, discussing the remaining tasks and deliverables until the end of the project, May 2025.
  In 2025, the Snow Network annual gathering will be held together with the Final Conference of the SIEPPUR project on 7 May in Innsbruck, Austria. This meeting will coincide with the Interalpin industry trade fair that takes place in Innsbruck every other year and the SIEPPUR Final Conference will be open to all Interalpin attendees as well.