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May 30, 2008
Forget Mariachis And Sombreros; Focus On What Matters, Says Garcia

San Francisco, Calif. -- "Skateboarding and surfing have embraced and promoted the multicultural aspects of their sports," NSAA headliner Guy Garcia told The Industry Report's Paul Doherty. "That's where I would be throwing my money." Garcia went well beyond his remarks from the platform - a presentation that elicited no questions or real buzz because it was essentially a summary of his new book, The New Mainstream: How the Multicultural Consumer is Transforming American Business. Still, Garcia had plenty to say to the ski industry, but it took an exclusive interview with the IR after his speech to get it out. Garcia is a journalist, novelist, and multimedia entrepreneur and founder of Mentametrix, a multicultural research and marketing firm. He's consulted with a number of major companies and trade groups, including Colorado Ski Country, USA. He was the AOL executive who launched the first iteration of AOL Latino. ...continue reading »

Mountain High Recognized By SAM For Diversity Leadership

Southern California's Mountain High could well host the most ethnically diverse customer and employee base in the U.S. ski industry. The resort picked up the 2008 Diversity Leadership Award from Ski Area Management during the NSAA event this week. "We are so proud to receive this award," Mountain High Director of Marketing John McColly said. "Minorities will become the majority in the next 25 years and reaching out to them is crucial to the growth of our industry." Don't look for the stereotypical "white male" in Wrightwood. More than half of the area's visits are made up of minorities. Signage, food, amenities, and events reflect that diversity. Upper level managers come from Germany, China, the Philippines, Peru, and El Salvador. "The resort is a shining example of where mountain sports should, and will be, heading as the demographic landscape of our population changes," SAM Publisher Jennifer Rowan said. ...continue reading »

May 28, 2008
Vail Resorts Bolts Colorado Ski Country, USA; It's A Budget Hit, But CSC Will Soldier On

News broke just in time to create a buzz as cocktails started flowing at the National Ski Areas Association convention tonight (5/28) in San Francisco. The Industry Report has learned that Vail Resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone) has pulled the plug on its membership in Colorado Ski Country, USA, the 26-member trade association that has been plugging the Centennial State as a snow sports mecca for 45 years. Reason for the pullout: "philosophical differences with other members over the future direction of the association." CSC spokesman Nick Bohnenkamp said Vail Resorts is the trade association's largest member and the reduction to 22 members will call for "some real creativity by the staff team and board." He said the association does not expect any more defections. The budget hit is reportedly $1.2 million (estimated for the IR by knowledgeable sources). It is an amount Vail Resorts apparently felt could be better spent elsewhere. ...continue reading »

May 20, 2008
'Snow Trumps Everything' Says NSAA's Berry On Convention Eve

Timing, for a change, was pretty good. The media's trumpeting of America's economic woes didn't roll out in earnest until the 2007-08 ski season was largely cast in history - potentially even a record. "Snow trumps most issues at the end of the day," National Ski Areas Association President Michael Berry told The Industry Report on the eve of the 2008 NSAA convention, Wednesday through Saturday (May 28-31) in San Francisco. Berry took a look at the state of the industry at convention time and previewed what conventioneers will sink their teeth into this week beyond sea food and chocolate. NSAA is a trade association representing 332 ski areas of all sizes. ...continue reading »

Russia Prepares New Cold War Waiting For Western Invasion

The ski world's eyes may be about to focus on Whistler and Vancouver as the 2010 Winter Olympics draw nigh, so we suggested The Industry Report's European correspondent Patrick Thorne pop north from his Inverness, Scotland, home to see how Mother Russia is parlaying its long fascination with winter sports and its nouveau riche ability to spread its wealth over the Alps into a successful Olympiad come 2014. Those Winter Games were awarded to the Black Sea resort city of Sochi where then-Russian President Vladimir Putin declared at the awarding, "On the seashore you can enjoy a fine spring day, but up in the mountains, it's winter ... real snow is guaranteed." The planet's leading ski resort planners are well beyond the largely complete Canadian development and are now firmly ensconced in Russia. Thorne notes that "although China has made the headlines more than its geographically giant neighbor in terms of the growth of winter sports over the past decade, it is the nouveau riche Russians that have the serious cash right now. They are exercising the ability to travel to the Alps to spend it, and have the desire to buy world class quality experiences both on the mountain and in the resort. ...continue reading »

International Visits Up 11 Percent - Did You Get A Piece Of It?

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that 3.4 million international visitors came to our shores (maybe even our mountains) in January 2008 over the previous January. That's an 11 percent leap. We welcomed a 13 percent rise in Canadian visitors with 47 percent of those arriving by air, while 17 came by land. Overseas arrivals increased by nine percent. United Kingdom visitors were up six percent, and that was on top of solid growth last year. Those crossing the southern border and heading for interior cities increased by 10 percent. Asian visitors increased almost four percent, but not from Japan. They stayed home for a drop of three percent. South Americans came in solid numbers, for a rise of 25 percent. Double-digit growth came from Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, and Columbia. Brazil accounted for 41 percent of arrivals from that region. ...continue reading »

May 05, 2008
An IR Exclusive: That Blake Family Legend Called Taos Readies For 'Urban Renewal'

Most will agree: There's no place else like Taos. It's the legacy of skiing icon Ernie Blake that began in the 1950s. Taos Ski Valley is still run by Ernie and Rhoda's children and their children - four generations. A survivor in this ever-corporate industry. It's a ski (and, finally) snowboard experience second to none. So, the burning question in the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is how do you renew a legend and still keep Taos, well, Taos? "It's time for urban renewal in the village," Chris Stagg, Vice President of Marketing, told The Industry Report in an exclusive interview. Stagg, in his 35th year at Taos, is no doubt close or has established a longevity record as a mountain resort industry marketing chief. He's part of the Blake family tradition as well, married to Ernie's daughter, Wendy. ...continue reading »

Mountain Reservations 'Stocking' Its Own Shelves - Reloads For Summer With Plans To Rule Roost

Overstock.com is back concentrating on its core business of selling overstocked merchandise, not ski trips. The twisty-turny saga that began with Overstock acquiring fast-moving Ski West in 2005, has taken a new turn. Julian B. Castelli and George M. Trevino of Castles Media bought those travel operations from Overstock and renamed it Mountain Reservations. The Industry Report caught up with Castelli and Trevino during the recent Mountain Travel Symposium at Vail and discovered the company is taking aim at ruling the entire roost - whether the snow is falling or the sun is shining. They also have acquired VRGateway and its consumer Web site (Rooster.com) - specialists in warm weather travel, with a re-launch planned this summer under the name Vacationroost.com. They're in the hunt for more acquisitions. "The new site will be a distribution channel for our current mountain suppliers, but will also merchandise vacation rentals in beach markets," Castelli told the IR. "It will become our umbrella brand for all of our vacation rentals across North America." He said the Mountain Reservations Web site and brand, as well as several of the company's other sites, will continue as they are currently. ...continue reading »

Zedeck Expands D.C. Ski Show, Returns To Plymouth Meeting

Fred Zedeck, who pioneered the concept of mall ski shows, has announced plans to expand his pre-season National Ski Expos. His Washington, D.C. show (a paid venue) now will become the Northern Virginia/D.C. Ski Expo. It will be what he calls “the largest ski and travel show in the Mid-Atlantic region." Dates are Nov. 7-9 at the Dulles Expo Center in Fairfax, Va. He is planning for 200 exhibitors in the 90,000-square-foot hall. Standard 10x10 booths will sell at $1,400. Zedeck's long-running Philadelphia show will return to the Plymouth Meeting Mall after a year's absence while the mall underwent a $100 million upgrade. The mall is fast becoming a "destination" in itself. Dates there are Oct. 31-Nov. 2 with standard booth space at $1,200. His Harrisburg show is at Capital City Mall Oct. 17-19, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is at Wyoming Valley Mall Oct. 24-26. Standard space at both of those shows is $750. ...continue reading »