Mark Hendrickson has moved to Colorado from Mammoth Mountain to take over the Vail Mountain Adventure Center and the overall summer guest experience. He previously ran the Mammoth summer operations.
“Mark’s experience in a variety of mountain operations roles – particularly during the summer – will be a great asset to Vail, particularly as we look to expand our summer offerings for guests of all ages and abilities,” said Paul Fillion, senior director of Vail Mountain operations.
Camelback Mountain Resort, Pa.; Mt. Bachelor, Ore.; and Mountain Creek, N.J. have been named finalist in the third annual National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Conversion Cup Challenge.
The Challenge was created as an innovative way to pique competition among ski areas and recognize those who make significant efforts to boost skier and snowboarder conversion rates.
Matt Gebo has been named Director of Marketing and Communications at Park City Mountain Resort, responsible for all brand-marketing efforts. Gebo heads west for a return trip after a stint as marketing director at Mount Snow, Vt.
“Matt’s breadth of experience within the ski industry and passion for the sport made him the perfect fit for this position,” said Jenni Smith, president and general manager. Gebo succeeds Krista Parry, who became senior vice president and innovation officer for Powdr Enterprises, a division of the resort’s parent company.
A monthly report issued by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) says the western mountain lodging industry saw an increase of 14.2 percent compared to last February. The average daily rate was up 2.6 percent. The booking pace is up a dramatic 20.4 percent for the February-July period.
“The destination winter season is pretty much ‘in the bag’ and, for the first time in several years, both the broader markets and the winter weather patterns are showing sustained momentum that have boosted the season lodging totals,” says MTRiP Director Ralf Garrison.
Tom Kelly, the long-time vice president of communications of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and the U.S. Ski Team, will take over as Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in the spring of 2014.
Kelly will succeed Bernie Weichsel and the pair will co-chair the board for the rest of 2013 and 2014 until Kelly takes over. Kelly has been a member of the board since 1998.
Ary Quiros, 36, of East Burke, Vt., has been named president and CEO of Q Burke Mountain Resort, LLC, owners of the Northeast Kingdom ski resort.
National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has announced its lineup of keynote speakers at their National Convention and Tradeshow in Palm Springs, Calif., April 30-May 3 at the Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa.
Windham Country Club in New York’s Catskill Mountains has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Windham Mountain Partners, the ownership group behind Windham Mountain, for purchase of the golf course.
Was it the snow? An improving economy? Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) reports noteworthy increases and occupancy and reservations among Western U.S. resorts in January to the tune of nine percent year-over-year.
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark dubbed the second Monday in February as Family Day holiday in the Province and ski resorts jumped on board.
“50 Years of Mountain Fun and Memories” is the theme of Skiing Heritage Week at Vail, Colo. April 8-14, 2013.
Maria Jose Norero is the new marketing director for Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort responsible for sales, marketing partnerships, advertising, social media and public relations.
Anthony Bartholomew and John Whitby have been named general managers of the Lodges of Deer Valley and the Black Diamond Lodge.
CNL Lifestyle Properties, a real estate investment trust (REIT) based in Orlando, Fla. Is reporting a 37 percent increase in paid visits over the MLK weekend and a 41 percent increase year-over-year at the sane time.
Brook Bingham has been appointed Director of Sponsorship Sales for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. He comes to USSA from the Real Salt Lake major league soccer team.
Davy Ratchford has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for Vail Mountain. Ratchford will be responsible for development and management of brand marketing and sales for the 50-year-old Colorado resort.
He was, most recently, director of marketing at Northstar, joining the company in 2011, one of three Vail Resorts properties in the Lake Tahoe, Calif. region.
Ratchford previously worked in Major League soccer with Real Salt Lake, Rio Tinto Stadium and ESPN 700 radio in Salt Lake City, Utah, where was marketing director since 2007.
Ratchford is a native of Dublin, Ireland and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from the University of Utah. He plans to relocate to the Vail Valley with his family.
Photo: Davy Ratchford (LinkedIn)
Credit the coast-to-coast snows in December that led to a partial rebound in occupancy and a boost for the remainder of the season, according to the monthly Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) report.
Powdr Enterprises is a new business effort by Powdr Corp. designed to focus on events, sponsorships and media opportunities. The idea is to leverage company brands including its resorts, Woodward Camps, and Outside Television.
Brian Head Resort near Cedar City, Utah has been sold to Brian Head Acquisition Partner, LLC according to reports in the The Spectrum and Salt Lake Tribune newspapers.
The Rutland Herald in Vermont is reporting that Thomas Durkin, an environmental judge, has issued an emergency order against the new owner of Haystack Ski Area to halt construction immediately on what is planned to be a “new luxury ski resort.”
