Snowmass tourism effort promotes ties to Aspen

Snowmass Village is adopting an ad campaign that capitalizes on its proximity to the more recognized Aspen, the Aspen Daily News reports.
Snowmass Village Councilman John Wilkinson often draws blank stares at other ski resorts, even in Colorado, when he tells fellow skiers where he resides. But mention Aspen and it’s instant recognition, he said.
Snowmass tourism officials know the feeling. Last week, Susan Hamley, director of the town’s Snowmass Tourism office, unveiled a new advertising campaign that will tout the variety of activities not just in the village but also in Aspen and elsewhere in the valley. One potential ad Hamley displayed to Town Council on May 21 features a photo of the Belly Up, the popular concert venue in Aspen. The advert "plays up what we have here in Snowmass, what we have with our partners in Aspen and what you can get in the valley", Hamley said. "We mention Aspen in the copy as well, saying that the combination of these two neighbors is powerful". But Hamley said in an email that the effort should not be construed as the town "abandoning our own identity".
The town’s advisory board on marketing, events and group sales voted unanimously to establish a closer tie-in with its better-known neighbor, the board’s chairman, Robert Sinko, told Town Council. Sinko is general manager of the Crestwood Condominiums.
Hugh Templeman, general manager of the Viceroy Snowmass hotel, said positioning the resort with Aspen will be a strong step forward. "The board made a big decision in recent meetings to align ourselves much more tightly with Aspen, location-wise", said Templeman, who spoke before Town Council as a representative of the lodging industry on the marketing advisory board. "So you see that [result] in the advertising ... because we felt that was the smartest way to grow our process going forward".
The goal of the new campaign "is to give guests all the options they can enjoy while staying in Snowmass, which can even include a stop at the Hot Springs pool" in Glenwood Springs, Hamley said. "So when they weigh Snowmass against other Colorado resorts in their decision-making process, we have a far bigger offering".
Councilman Jason Haber said using the synergy between the two resorts is sensible. "In a way, Snowmass exists because of that relationship to Aspen", he said. "From a branding and marketing standpoint, it makes sense to tap into that recognition".
"What we were told is that it’s a no-brainer to partner with Aspen, but Snowmass is a unique place",  Wilkinson said. "It’s a family resort, easy to get to, has ski-in, ski-out [accommodation]. Aspen has the reputation, we have the skiing". Wilkinson said he understands tying Snowmass to Aspen (the ski area’s original name, in 1964, was Snowmass-at-Aspen) to alleviate those blank stares he usually gets around the state and elsewhere. "I get that part of it", he said. "I think it could work well with both resorts. There’s a synergistic effect there that, with the resort as a whole with Buttermilk and Highlands, once people realized that they’re all connected by one lift ticket, they’d say, ‘OK, I get it’".

I think tis is a valuable lesson to be learned by many ski resorts worlwide who live in the shadow of big ones.

Colorado's Echo Mountain ski area for sale

Echo Mountain announced that it would be going up for sale in August. The ski hill is located just 35 miles West from downtown Denver. Echo Mountain was founded back in 2006, and is located a short 35 miles out of Denver. In addition to serving as an extremely convenient and family-friendly mountain destination, the north-facing terrain provides skiers and snowboarders with unmatched views of the Continental Divide from elevations ranging from 9,000 to 11,000 feet. The property features a vertical drop of 660 feet that can be expanded to 1500+, 16 named trails; three lifts including a 2000 ft. fixed grip triple chair, a magic carpet surface lift for the learning center and a handle tow for the events area; tested helipad and state-of-the art snowmaking operations with 4 wells and a reservoir. Less than 33% of the 226 acres have been developed and the resort is surrounded by U.S. Forest Service managed property, making its operations expandable through trades or leases.
"We've had six years of steady growth," said owner Jerry Petitt, the Maryland hotelier who bought the 226-acre dormant Squaw Pass ski area at a 2002 auction for $700,000 and has since plowed several million dollars into developing the area. "But to reach the next level, Echo needs investment and expansion. And it's time for new ownership to take it to that next level". Echo Mountain has grown from 12,000 visits in its inaugural 2005-06 season to 32,000 last season. Just about every resort in the country limped through the 2011-12 ski season — the worst in two decades nationally for both snowfall and visitation. But Echo had decent snow and saw strong visitation, with revenue climbing 30 percent and daily ticket sales up 50 percent.The ski area holds a great deal of significance for the region and the Colorado ski industry as a whole due to the fact that it is one of the few resorts to boast being located on completely private land. Echo will be sold sold by Racebrook (a private investment firm) and its auction affiliate, Sheldon Good & Company in a sealed bid auction format, with bids due by August 2, 2012.
"To have a ski resort situated on 100% private land is unheard of in the ski industry, so Echo Mountain provides an extremely rare opportunity for a local or international buyer to purchase the property and continue its evolution into a unique winter and year-round sports destination", said John Cuticelli, CEO of Racebrook. “A savvy buyer will be able to enjoy the benefits and opportunities of owning and branding their own mountain resort while leveraging the property’s solid history.” Unlike land leased from the U.S. Forest Service, private ownership allows unrestricted year-round usage as well as advertising onsite and unique brand exposure.
There are only 26 active, permitted ski areas operating in the state of Colorado and Echo Mountain is easily the closest one to the rapidly growing recreation population along the Front Range of Colorado, making it a possible Winter Olympic event site. Its location allows visitors to minimize time on the heavily congested I-70, which takes drivers hours to reach other resorts and will likely experience massive disruptions as traffic increases as it is rebuilt in the coming years.
Bids are due by 4 PM MDT, August 2, 2012 to Sheldon Good & Company. Anyone interested in owning their very own world class mountain destination should head over to http://www.echomtnauction.com/ and make sure they don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Vermont Ski Visits Down 11%

Less snowfall and challenging weather conditions translated into nearly 11 percent fewer skier visits this season, the Vermont Ski Areas Association reported Wednesday at its annual meeting held at Jay Peak Resort.
The state’s 18 ski resorts recorded 3,903,171 skier and snowboarder visits during the 2011-12 season - down 10.5 percent from the 4,365,906 visits the previous season, which was the best season since 2004-05.
Although Vermont’s numbers were disappointing, the state fared far better than other ski states. Nationally, skier visits were off 16 percent this season.
Despite low natural snowfall during the 2011-12 ski season, state-of-the art snowmaking and grooming enabled Vermont ski areas to have significant amounts of open terrain, often unmatched in percentage by any other ski state. "The 2011-12 season stands as a testament to the resiliency of our ski areas and showcased the unrivaled prowess of our industry’s snowmaking and grooming capabilities", said VSAA president Parker Riehle. "The caliber of our 75% statewide snowmaking coverage means, for example, that we have over 1,000 acres more terrain with snowmaking alone than all of New Hampshire’s total ski area terrain".
He said the state’s 30 cross-country areas had a rougher season since only a few have the capacity to make snow and even then on limited terrain.
Based on a 10-year average, he said skier visits were down 5 percent this season.
Despite adverse weather conditions, with temperatures that climbed into the 70s in March, the VSAA said that tourism-related tax revenue during the winter were stronger than expected.
Riehle said rooms and meals, and sales tax revenue were up a combined 2.5 percent over the previous winter.
Although the downhill ski resorts struggled this season, Riehle said he knows of no resorts in dire financial trouble.
Ski Vermont is a private non-profit trade association founded in 1969 to help create a legislative, economic and social environment in which the state's ski industry can grow and prosper, addressing issues including environmental integrity, economic and social contributions to the state's welfare, and competitive positioning of the state as a destination for winter tourism. Ski Vermont serves its 19 Alpine and 30 Nordic member resorts in three major areas: Governmental Affairs, Marketing and Public Affairs.

Valle Nevado and Mammoth Mountain Announce Partnership

Valle Nevado (Chile) and Mammoth Mountain (USA, California) announced a new sister resort partnership effective May 2012. Valle Nevado, located 90 minutes from Santiago, and Mammoth Mountain, located in Central California, are two of the largest and most popular resorts in their respective countries, and an alliance between the two will provide customers and season pass holders with unique cross-promotional benefits and greater awareness of each resort, opening an opportunity for skiers and snowboarders to live the legend of the endless winter.
To celebrate Valle Nevado and Mammoth Mountain’s new partnership, season pass holders at each resort will receive 7-Day free lift tickets at the sister resort. Valle Nevado and Mammoth Mountain expect to see many future benefits for customers that will include lodging discounts and other added-value services. Free days can be issued per day, one at a time, and don’t need to be consecutive. There are no blackout dates to use the free days in Valle Nevado. Free days can be redeemed anytime during the 2012 Chilean ski season.
"Valle Nevado sees the partnership with Mammoth Mountain as a perfect fit", says Valle Nevado Sales & Marketing Director Ricardo Almeida. "Both resorts adhere to a visionary philosophy that siezes opportunities to modernize on-mountain and base facilities, provide outstanding customer service, and offer a tremendous amount of world-class terrain. But most importantly, it gives skiers on both hemispheres a chance to enjoy the unparalled experience of summer skiing".
Valle Nevado is also working with closely with Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park to put together unique cross activities such as training camps, team photo shoots, and the Unbound South America Session that will be announced in the near future.

US Resorts extend closing dates

Weather-challenged resorts in the East and West are declaring their commitment to guests by making snow, extending their seasons, or offering free skiing and riding.
As most Eastern ski resorts are closing for the season in the wake of last week’s unprecedented heat, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain—all managed by Michigan-based Boyne Resorts—are making more snow to carry the season into April. Saddleback, Maine, is doing the same. All turned on the snowguns this morning as temperatures fell into the 20s. This marks the latest snowmaking in history for all four resorts, and for the Boyne resorts, coincides with the spring sale of their 2012–13 New England Pass ($359 and up). Saddleback is making snow on five trails, with tickets priced at $39 today. Passholders from other areas pay $29 if they bring their passes. And on Maine Day, Apr. 1, tickets are $29. Waterville Valley, N.H., didn’t turn on the guns again, but it is offering free skiing and riding Mar. 26-Apr. 1 on the snow it already has. "We've been stockpiling a few feet of snow on our Exhibition trail, so unless it rains boiling water for a week, there will be plenty of free spring skiing and riding to go around", said Bob Fries, president of mountain operations.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows announced on Monday they will extend daily operations through the month of April, with Alpine scheduled to remain open Friday through Sunday through May 13. Squaw and Alpine's 2012-13 season passes will offer free skiing and riding at both resorts starting April 1 through the close of the season. Passes are slated to go on sale on March 27.
Diamond Peak Ski Resort in Incline Village will stay open through Easter Sunday, and possibly the weekend after, conditions permitting, a resort official said Tuesday.
Vail Resorts' Heavenly and Kirkwood are extending their respective winter seasons in the wake of big late-season storms. Heavenly was slated to close April 15. Instead, the resort will shut down during the week, and re-open Friday through Sunday Apr. 20-22 and 27–29, weather and conditions permitting. Kirkwood will follow the same three-day weekend-only schedule, and operate for as long as conditions permit. "We wanted to reward all the pass holders who stood by us this season", said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. New 2012-13 passholders also gain access to the extended portion of the season.
The 16th Annual Spring Loaded festival is underway at Heavenly, with concerts including the Gunbarrel 25 hosted by Glen Plake on April 7, Lake Tahoe Pond Skimming World Championship April 14-15 and the Heavenly Angels Helly Hansen Fashion Show as well as the Ski Patrol Fundraiser on April 14.

Resorts and Digital Communications

As published in Ski Area Management Magazine (January, 2012)
By Peter Duchessi and Rick Kahl

In fall 2011, executives and managers from almost 100 ski resorts in the U.S. and Canada responded to a survey about their use of several important technologies/services, including social media networks, microblogging services, and resort apps, which their ski resorts employ for promotional and communications purposes. The survey was conducted by GenAura and SAM Magazine, to provide insight into current practices and explore the sales-generating potential for these digital tools.

As resorts expand the range of their digital communications strategies, they are finding success in a growing number of media.
Facebook and Twitter have quickly joined resort websites as major means of digital communications. But other, newer technologies and services, including resort apps, QR codes, and group sales services (e.g., Groupon), are less widespread, and may have potential for areas that adopt them.
These are the key conclusions of a survey conducted by GenAura and SAM Magazine last fall. The survey reached nearly 100 resorts and probed their use of digital communications for both promotional and marketing purposes.
Resorts across North America are effectively using resort websites, social media networks (e.g., Facebook), and microblogging services (e.g., Twitter) to enable their promotional strategies. Ninety-eight percent of the ski resorts have a resort website, 95 percent use social media networks, and 82 percent employ microblogging services for promotional purposes.
But these resorts are less likely to use other new technologies to enable promotional strategies. Just 40 percent of all ski resorts report using group coupon services (e.g., Liftopia, Groupon), and less than a third use location-based services (e.g., Foursquare). Similarly, about one-third of the ski resorts report using QR codes, while just over 20 percent report using resort apps for promotional purposes. Yet all these technologies/services can help boost sales, as a few of the resorts using them have discovered.
And digital promotions succeed, for the most part. The survey showed that conventional promotions dispensed via websites, social networks, Twitter, and text messaging regularly achieve both short- and long-term sales gains. For websites and social networks, more than 80 percent of resorts report that digital promotions increase sales, most often long-term sales. Group coupon services, Twitter and virtual communities that resorts sponsor are also effective.
Other digital communications have the potential to increase sales, although these are not as widely used by resorts. Of resorts that have their own apps, nearly half report initial and prolonged sales increases for promotions that are offered through the apps. This is also true for both on-mountain and off-mountain QR code-based promotions.
Location-based services are can also have a positive sales impact. Almost one-third of ski resorts using location-based services for check ins report a sales increase, and 39 percent using location-based services for task completion report elevated sales.
The takeaway: resorts should explore the newer digital technologies and services, and not rest on the success of the older, more established digital vehicles (websites, Facebook, and Twitter). As consumers expand the range of their digital tools, resorts that follow suit can gain a greater share of wallet.
Communications Strategies
The news here is similar to that for digital promotions: resorts have primarily used websites, social media, Twitter, online advertising, and distribution/sharing services (e.g., YouTube) to enable their communications strategies. For advertising purposes, virtually all resorts use a website and nearly all are present on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. And the majority use paid online advertising.
How effective are these for advertising? A whopping 95 percent of areas report that advertising on their websites drives both short- and long-term sales increases. Additionally, 84 percent of the resorts that advertise via social networks report initial and prolonged sales increases. Paid online advertising succeeds 75 percent of the time, and distribution/sharing and microblogging services pay off between half and two-thirds of the time.
But only a third of resorts are using text messaging and QR codes for advertising purposes. And fewer still use virtual communities and resort apps. Is this because these technologies and services are less effective than websites, social media networks, and microblogging services, or because resorts have not learned to exploit them yet? Hard to say.
Text messaging pays off about half the time. With QR codes and resort apps especially, resorts have a ways to go in using them to raise revenues. Only four in ten of those who use QR code-based ads, on- or offsite, report a sales increase. With resort apps, just 25 percent report a sales increase. Given the great potential of resort-specific apps, it’s clear that there’s a good deal of untapped potential in this avenue.
Bottom Line
What does all this mean? Resorts should continue to use websites, social media networks, microblogging services, distribution/sharing services, and paid online advertising to drive short- and long-term sales. And they should become familiar with the newer technologies, including resort apps, QR codes, and location-based services, because there are opportunities to increase sales with those technologies as well.
Additionally, the survey shows that some technologies and services, including resort apps, distribution/sharing services, and social media networks have more of a long- versus short-term impact on sales; consequently, they are especially useful for retaining customers and keeping them engaged. Not many areas have used resort apps and location-based services for check ins and task completions, but there’s no reason resorts can’t adapt these tools for that purpose. QR codes are also not widely used yet, but resorts that have employed them report increased sales about a third to half of the time, which is encouraging. As resorts become more clever in the way they use QR codes, these percentages will most likely rise.