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May 2014

Home Grown

Resorts and communities team up successfully.

Written by Catherine Doucette | 0 comment

How do resorts partner with the local community to successfully promote the mountain, the nearby businesses, and support the surrounding area? Having lived in ski towns for years now, the best experiences that I have had are with ski areas that are well connected to the community. Only then do you get that feel-good stoke in the entire mountain town.

Starting at Home
Perhaps Talia Freeman of Beech Mountain, N.C., said it most aptly, “You can’t effectively market elsewhere until you capture your own market. I think we continually strive to work with other local organizations in order to strengthen our reach locally, regionally, and nationally.”


One partnership that worked well in terms of landing Beech Mountain Resort some promotions was a partnership between the town, the resort, and the Tourism Development Authority. Together, they created a commercial that promoted the active, outdoor lifestyle available in North Carolina while celebrating North Carolina’s Olympic athletes, and Olympians in general. Check out one of the commercials on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/8DC-NYgQ3WU. These TV spots illustrate how three organizations can team up to fuel the promotion of an entire community.


Some resorts, like Gunstock Mountain Resort, N.H., do an exceptional job of partnering with the community to bring added revenue to the entire area, including a slew of retail shops, restaurants, and hotels. The benefits are vast, and more so for places like Gunstock because the resort does not have lodging options—this means that tourists are staying and eating in the local community. According to SkiNH, the revenue breakdown for Gunstock is that 11 percent of the incoming money is spent at the resort while the other 89 percent falls to the local communities.


Bill Quigley, head of marketing for Gunstock, seems to be playing it right. Gunstock has hundreds of local partners including 33 ski (play) and stay partners. His buzz words are “listen, connect, engage,” and he approaches community connection in myriad ways. One is to offer ski shop employees a free day of skiing. This works hand in hand with demo days that include not only Gunstock retailers, but local ski shops as well.


Gunstock also works with three different Chambers of Commerce plus the Lakes Region Tourist Department, and with its neighbor, Pats Peak resort. Add a bunch of local businesses and retailers, and the word gets out.


Gunstock’s main goal is to increase business through its partners. And it has succeeded. “Our business has grown exponentially because we are reaching out,” Quigley says.


And, what do the partners get? They get exposure and promotion on the Gunstock website, which sees 2.1 million page views. This exposure leads directly to increased revenue. The entire community works together to create an environment that is inviting and comfortable for the sliding vacationer (or adventure park participants in the summer), and everyone comes out a winner.


One of the most successful programs is Gunstock’s “Thursday Theme Nights,” where the first 100 people through the door get discounts to local businesses. The businesses provide the discount, and Gunstock promotes that business on its website and offers exposure through the theme nights. Everyone benefits. On top of that, there are 4,500 “flash your pass” products that give special benefits to Gunstock passholders.

No Lodging, No Problem
Similarly, Mt. Bachelor, Ore., also lacks on-location housing or services that extend beyond the ski day. Bachelor, too, actively engages the local community to help serve the guests that spend their days on Bachelor’s slopes. Andy Goggins, director of marketing and communication, says, “Because Mt. Bachelor does not have a true base village or on-site lodging, we are truly ‘joined at the hip’ with our base communities of Bend and Sunriver, working collaboratively to promote Central Oregon as a unique winter (and summer) destination vacation domestically and internationally.”


Much like Gunstock, Bachelor pairs with local lodging businesses to offer packages and promotions for visitors. Through its Community Perks program, Mt. Bachelor partners with these businesses, allowing them to offer deals to lift ticket purchasers and passholders to drive business during slow months. Mt. Bachelor promotes the offers through monthly e-mails to its local passholder lists and on its website.


In addition to deals and discounts, passholders and visitors alike enjoy a slew of events and fundraisers organized between Bachelor and local businesses and nonprofits in the area. One of Bachelor’s most successful programs focuses on converting local never-evers into life-long participants. “Mt. Bachelor is focused on growing snow­sports in Central Oregon,” says Coggins, “and has been recognized by the NSAA as having the best beginner program in the U.S. with the ‘SKI OR RIDE IN 5’ program, which has seen results in creating and converting new skiers and snowboarders in the local community.” This program includes five days of rentals, lessons from hand-picked instructors, and lift tickets. That helps get beginners up on the hill. Added perks to the package include reserved parking close to the lodge, and discounts after “graduation” to encourage their continued participation in snowsports.

Helping Out Locally
Now, let’s turn to Sugar Bowl Resort, Calif. Disclaimer here, this is the mountain where I have chosen to buy a pass for the last five years. Their connection to the community and the loyal locals is part of the reason I love the resort.


John Monson, director of marketing at Sugar Bowl Resort, says that Sugar Bowl relies heavily on its local base. “While we do see plenty of destination visitors at Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge, we’re predominantly a day-skier mountain, and as such we are heavily involved in our local communities.” The main way that they interact with the surrounding community is by partnering with non-profits in the area to organize events that are mutually beneficial. Sugar Bowl donates thousands of tickets annually to help support everything from inner city ski trips to fine dining evenings that promote charitable programs where a portion of the proceeds go to that organization. “While the vast majority of these visits are comps, we’re confident that our overall experience at the resort is one that will produce another visit at a later date,” says Monson.


One of the most successful partnerships happens around the idea of fine dining evenings in the summer months. “Perhaps our most successful program is the Lake Mary Cabin Dinner Series, in which numerous local non-profits get the opportunity to promote and educate attendees, and receive a portion of the evening’s proceeds as a show of support,” says Monson. “Now in its fourth summer, the non-profits are lined up to get on the calendar, and evenings sell out quickly.” Monson says that not only is it a good way to stay connected to the community, the staff at Sugar Bowl feels good about what they are doing.


Getting More Bang for the Buck
Depending on the community, the scope of the events can be much bigger. Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe, for example, partners with the local casinos to pull off large events and television shows. In addition, they team up with organizations like Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority, and the Tourism Improvement District. “Heavenly does not have the resources required to produce large-scale televised events and promotions on its own,” says John Wagnon, senior director of marketing for Heavenly and Kirkwood. “But, the community needs large-scale events and promotions to build awareness. By partnering with the local community, we can achieve the goals of both.” When events align with the goals of both the community and resort, it’s easy to get people on board.


Clearly, there is a range of community involvement—from a dollar off the first pint at the local pub with a lift ticket to vacation packages and events. Perhaps people will come for the skiing, but stay for the beer, the dining, the unique lodging, or the local film fest. When they do, everybody wins.