Top 10 Ways to Revitalize Killington

[junior]

Unfortunately I would have to go to Sugarbush because of the Ski Seperatists at Mad River...

Mad River's model would do nothing to revitalize Killington. The single chair moves 600 skiers per hour. You can't support a resort with that kind of skier visits unless it is next to another resort (like Sugarbush) and drive-to from a somewhat large population center (like Burlington).

Then why is Mad River Glen still operating? By your own definition, it should have been out of business years ago, yet it continues to thrive, and then some. It has become the Tele Mecca of the east coast. No high speed lifts. No town to draw the people in. No fancy lodges or amenities or snowmaking or grooming. Why is Mad River still in business? Keep in mind that they won't ever sell a lift ticket to a snowboarder. Why is Mad River Glen doing well?

[throbster]

1 - 5) Take advantage of the Access Road "Brand". When you think Killington, you think big mountain and Access Road. Use the great bars and great restaurants (aka: night life) as a selling point. Use clevage shots of hot chicks dancing at the Wobbly in all your print advertisements (also on the we site). Sex sells!!!

6- 10). Make Pico a skier-only mountain. This would make Pico a huge draw for skiing purists and families. Sorry snowboarding dudes, but you still have Killington to F-up with your sport.

[junior]

1 - 5) Take advantage of the Access Road "Brand". When you think Killington, you think big mountain and Access Road. Use the great bars and great restaurants (aka: night life) as a selling point. Use clevage shots of hot chicks dancing at the Wobbly in all your print advertisements (also on the we site). Sex sells!!!

6- 10). Make Pico a skier-only mountain. This would make Pico a huge draw for skiing purists and families. Sorry snowboarding dudes, but you still have Killington to F-up with your sport.

Hmmmm....cleavage and a no snowboarding mountain. I'm in.

[SnoBrdr]

Unfortunately I would have to go to Sugarbush because of the Ski Seperatists at Mad River...

Mad River's model would do nothing to revitalize Killington. The single chair moves 600 skiers per hour. You can't support a resort with that kind of skier visits unless it is next to another resort (like Sugarbush) and drive-to from a somewhat large population center (like Burlington).

Then why is Mad River Glen still operating? By your own definition, it should have been out of business years ago, yet it continues to thrive, and then some. It has become the Tele Mecca of the east coast. No high speed lifts. No town to draw the people in. No fancy lodges or amenities or snowmaking or grooming. Why is Mad River still in business? Keep in mind that they won't ever sell a lift ticket to a snowboarder. Why is Mad River Glen doing well?

Define doing well.

Have you seen a profit/loss sheet ?

Never been there, never will because of their elitist policy towards boarders.

[TheRat]

Love K, used to go all the time, now fixture at SR with Boyne pass. We ski midweek and would go to K again much more often with midweek tickets at $39. Can't justify it at currrent prices.

[rogman]

Mad River Glen? Oh, please. They have found themselves a clever marketing niche which works for them, but wouldn't work for anyone else. And let me emphasize: their marketing is brilliant. They know who they are, and understand their clientele. It doesn't make them any different from any other successful business. Love skiing there, wouldn't want to do it every day: it is great change of pace. By the same token, I wouldn't want to live on chili peppers, either. It will be interesting to see what happens there when a few bad snow years arrive. This past season, while light on snow, did not have the warm ups and r*in/freeze cycles that are typical. When that occurs, they may find themselves going back to their shareholders and begging for them to ante up a bit more to keep them solvent. It's a precarious model.

Killington, on the other hand, doesn't know who it is, doesn't understand their clientele, and consequently, their marketing is abysmal. They've chased after a market they can't get, and thrown away the market they owned.

[Geoff]

Mad River Glen? Oh, please. They have found themselves a clever marketing niche which works for them, but wouldn't work for anyone else. And let me emphasize: their marketing is brilliant. They know who they are, and understand their clientele. It doesn't make them any different from any other successful business. Love skiing there, wouldn't want to do it every day: it is great change of pace. By the same token, I wouldn't want to live on chili peppers, either. It will be interesting to see what happens there when a few bad snow years arrive. This past season, while light on snow, did not have the warm ups and r*in/freeze cycles that are typical. When that occurs, they may find themselves going back to their shareholders and begging for them to ante up a bit more to keep them solvent. It's a precarious model.

Killington, on the other hand, doesn't know who it is, doesn't understand their clientele, and consequently, their marketing is abysmal. They've chased after a market they can't get, and thrown away the market they owned.

Mad River is a co-op. It has zero cost of capital. They replaced a lift using a big chunk of money donated by the co-op shareholders. As such, you can't look at it as a business. You have to look at it as a private non-profit club that admits non-members for the day. Any other ski area has a big cost of capital. They have to earn a real operating profit just to service their debt or issue a dividend to their owners.

I agree 100% with Rogman's assessment of Killington. When they write the next Killington history book 20 years from now, these will probably be considered to be the dark years. Eventually, E2M Ventures will have to sell to someone who will actually build a real base village. That buyer will also want control over mountain ops so POWDR will be gone. Since the real estate market is in the toilet, that ain't happening anytime soon.

[rogman]

I believe that MRG has debt they have to service. I also suspect it's not all puppies and lollypops between E2M and POWDR.

[Mister Moose]

When they write the next Killington history book 20 years from now, these will probably be considered to be the dark years. Eventually, E2M Ventures will have to sell to someone who will actually build a real base village. That buyer will also want control over mountain ops so POWDR will be gone. Since the real estate market is in the toilet, that ain't happening anytime soon.

And what if E2M/SP Land doesn't have the ability to control the dispostion of mountain ops?

[RENO]

1 - 5) Take advantage of the Access Road "Brand". When you think Killington, you think big mountain and Access Road. Use the great bars and great restaurants (aka: night life) as a selling point. Use clevage shots of hot chicks dancing at the Wobbly in all your print advertisements (also on the we site). Sex sells!!!

6- 10). Make Pico a skier-only mountain. This would make Pico a huge draw for skiing purists and families. Sorry snowboarding dudes, but you still have Killington to F-up with your sport.

[RENO]

Unfortunately I would have to go to Sugarbush because of the Ski Seperatists at Mad River...

Mad River's model would do nothing to revitalize Killington. The single chair moves 600 skiers per hour. You can't support a resort with that kind of skier visits unless it is next to another resort (like Sugarbush) and drive-to from a somewhat large population center (like Burlington).

Then why is Mad River Glen still operating? By your own definition, it should have been out of business years ago, yet it continues to thrive, and then some. It has become the Tele Mecca of the east coast. No high speed lifts. No town to draw the people in. No fancy lodges or amenities or snowmaking or grooming. Why is Mad River still in business? Keep in mind that they won't ever sell a lift ticket to a snowboarder. Why is Mad River Glen doing well?

Define doing well.

Have you seen a profit/loss sheet ?

Never been there, never will because of their elitist policy towards boarders.

+1. Even if I went up to Ski I would still rather go to Sugarbush...

[andyzee]

I find Sugarbush way over-rated. Nice terrain, but snow conditions, eh.

[Dwight]

Mad River Glen? Oh, please. They have found themselves a clever marketing niche which works for them, but wouldn't work for anyone else. And let me emphasize: their marketing is brilliant.

Did you say marketing? Not allowing snowboards is not a marketing strategy, it's a decision by the shareholders. The only marketing I have ever seen from them is a bumper sticker and well if that's your definition of brilliant marketing, I'm a little disappointed. I would love to hear what they do marketing wise that has you so excited.

[SPORE]

Mad River Glen? Oh, please. They have found themselves a clever marketing niche which works for them, but wouldn't work for anyone else. And let me emphasize: their marketing is brilliant.

Did you say marketing? Not allowing snowboards is not a marketing strategy, it's a decision by the shareholders. The only marketing I have ever seen from them is a bumper sticker and well if that's your definition of brilliant marketing, I'm a little disappointed. I would love to hear what they do marketing wise that has you so excited.

Marketing Wise, what has Killington done that got people so excited?

Oh yeah, they touted themselves as the beast all season and then fell completely flat on their face April 20th.

[Bubba]

Mad River Glen? Oh, please. They have found themselves a clever marketing niche which works for them, but wouldn't work for anyone else. And let me emphasize: their marketing is brilliant.

Did you say marketing? Not allowing snowboards is not a marketing strategy, it's a decision by the shareholders. The only marketing I have ever seen from them is a bumper sticker and well if that's your definition of brilliant marketing, I'm a little disappointed. I would love to hear what they do marketing wise that has you so excited.

How 'bout they've created a brand image so strong that they don't need to do any marketing?