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Selling Snow: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Andrew Zwicker
Welcome to Selling Snow, the podcast for ski industry pros, marketers or anyone who wants to learn more about marketing in the ski business. I’m your host, Andrew Zwicker, with 25 years in and around marketing skiing, and this show is all about learning from the best in the business, so you can up your marketing game,or just get a peek behind how ski resort marketing works.Our first episodes include hilarious and candid conversations with Michael J Ballingall of Big White, Lonie Gleiberman of Mount Bohemia, Marin Kejvel of Ski Cape Smokey, Jeff Penseiro of Baldface Lodge and Jason Levinthal of J Skis. Every episode tells the backstory on the guest, their ski area or ski business. Then it does a deep dive into how they market and sell their product from spectacular failures to keen wisdom and insights that you can use tod
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- 1 weeks ago56 min
Ep. 28 - Paul Anderson, CEO of NZSki - The Art of Running Multiple Ski Areas
Imagine waking up in Queenstown, looking out at the Mountains, knowing you’ve got three ski areas to run, a massive expansion project in the works, Australians pouring across the Tasman, and climate change quietly asking you to rethink what the next 20 years of skiing is going to look like. Oh, and you just came into the ski industry from finance. Today’s guest is Paul Anderson, CEO of NZSki which owns Mt. Hutt, The Remarkables and Coronet Peak in New Zealand In this episode, we talk about how NZSki manages three very different mountain personalities under one company, and why sometimes the smartest marketing move is to let the individual mountain brands do the talking. We also dig into the massive expansion planned for The Remarkables, the importance of getting people hooked on skiing when they’re young, how they’re using everything from CRM to reality TV to reach different audiences, and why climate adaptation is becoming part of the long-term business plan whether we like it or not. So grab a flat white, chuck on your jandals, and let’s head over to Queenstown for a chat with Paul Anderson, CEO of NZSki. We pulled 10 Actionable Insights from this episode. You can find Here
- Aug 10, 20261h 0m
Ep.27 - Lachlan Blyton-Gray of Selwyn Snow Resort on Finding and owning their niche
It’s perhaps not well known, and potentially contentious, but just outside of Selwyn Australia is home to the first ski club, potentially on earth. The Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club was formed in 1861. By 1957, they had the first t-bar, and in the 60s and 70s, they moved up the road to the current site at Selwyn Snow Resort. 50 years later, it burned to the ground, and they got a unique opportunity to start fresh General Manager Lachlan Blyton-Gray shares how they rebuilt a better guest experience, own their niche that the bigger destination resorts simply can't compete in, and turned one of the darkest moments in the resort's history into a long-term competitive advantage. So grab a meat pie and a hot choccy while we head to Selwyn for a chat with General Manager, Lachlan Blyton-Gray.
- Jul 28, 202645 min
Ep.26 - Part 2 - James Urquhart of Mt. Hutt
Ok, where we left off in Part 1, James was just giving us the rundown on Mt Hutt and his career leading up to it, and getting into the family ownership and family vibe of the mountain, where most of the staff have been there 3 years or more, if not decades. Now let’s dive right back in for Part two as we get into a chat on marketing, sales, operations and all of the inside skiing candid stories, advice and tips. Here’s Part 2 with James Urquhart of Mt Hutt in New Zealand. Get all 10 Actionable Insights from this episode at www.sellingsnow.com
- Jul 28, 202634 min
Ep.26 - James Urquhart of Mt. Hutt - Part 1
Imagine a ski area built by its community. Picture the locals of the small farming town of Methven, New Zealand, looking up at the mountain above them when one of their mates says, "I've got a bulldozer... let's push a road up into those alpine bowls. That would be an incredible place to ski." Fast forward more than 50 years, and the grandchildren of that original road builder are still maintaining the same 12 kilometre gravel access road that climbs 1,200 vertical metres to the ski area. That's the kind of community spirit and family culture that launched Mt Hutt, a mountain that's still part of a family-owned ski business today. This week, we're heading to New Zealand to chat with James Urquhart, General Manager of Operations at Mt Hutt. With more than three decades on the mountain, James shares the leadership philosophy and operational decisions that have transformed Mt Hutt into one of the Southern Hemisphere's premier ski destinations. In this episode, you'll discover why lowering food prices can actually increase revenue, how investing in infrastructure dramatically reduced weather closures, why beginners and intermediates are the biggest opportunity for sustainable growth, and how a family-first culture has created remarkable staff loyalty and long-term success. So grab a Speight's, and let's chat with James Urquhart of Mt Hutt. Get all 10 Actionable Insights from this episode at www.sellingsnow.com
- Jul 21, 202652 min
Ep.25 - Idar Aaboen and Nina Lensebakken of Stryn Sommerski, Norway - Build it rock by rock.
How a Norweigan Summer Ski Area Survives with Lean Operations, Loyal Guests & Zero Marketing Budget. Skiing in the summer is awesome. There is no doubt about that. But at the same time, the combination of convincing people beyond the diehards to come skiing in the summer and being operationally efficient enough to eek out a profit, isn’t an easy task. This week we’re headed North to the Stryn Summer Ski center in Norway. Open for only a short season starting in late May when their access road gets plowed out and usually running into July, sometimes all summer, but increasingly less in recent years. It's off the grid, powered by generators, battling unpredictable weather, and operating with a tiny team. Yet every summer, skiers and snowboarders travel from around the world to ride there. So what's their secret? It isn't a massive marketing budget. In fact, they don't really have one. It isn't fancy infrastructure or endless staff. Instead, it's all about running lean, building loyal customers, leading from the front, and making smart business decisions one step at a time. In this episode, I sit down with the owner of Strynn Sommerski, Idar Aaboen and his partner in life and business, general manager Nina Lensebakken, to talk about what it really takes to keep a small ski area alive in a non-traditional ski season. Along the way, we dive into authentic marketing, operational efficiency, customer loyalty, leadership, and why sometimes the best growth strategy is simply building your business... rock by rock. Find all 10 Actionable Insights at www.sellingsnow.com
- Jul 14, 202641 min
Ep.24 - Part 2 Lexi Dowdall and Brandon Ott of Alta, Utah. - Stewarding a Skiing Legend
In Part 1 , Brandon Ott and Lexi Dowdall from Alta Ski Area shared how one of the most respected brands in skiing has spent nearly nine decades protecting its culture, its skiing experience, and its identity. Today, we're picking up right where we left off—and now the conversation gets into some of the topics Alta is probably best known for. We're talking about the skiers-only policy, what it's like operating beside Snowbird while offering a completely different experience, how they think about destination visitors and the Ikon Pass, and why sometimes the best way to stand out in a crowded industry isn't by adding more... it's by staying true to who you are. There are some fascinating business lessons in this half of the conversation that go well beyond skiing, so let's jump back into Part Two of my conversation with Brandon Ott and Lexi Dowdall from Alta Ski Area. Get all 10 Actionable Insights from this episode at www.sellingsnow.com
- Jul 14, 202635 min
Ep. 24 - Lexi Dowdall and Brandon Ott of Alta, Utah Part 1 - Don't Mess It Up. Alta's Formula for Protecting an Iconic Ski Experience
What do you think of when you hear the word Alta? Big mountains, deep snow, laid-back chill vibe. Whatever it is, you definitely have an image. Whether you’ve been there or just dreamt about it, Alta has built a mythical legend, and for many is a powder mecca on their bucket list. Today we're heading to one of the most iconic mountains in North America: Alta Ski Area in Utah. A place famous for legendary powder, deep skiing traditions, and a business philosophy that basically says, "Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean we should." In this episode, I'm joined by Marketing Director Brandon Ott and PR & Communications Manager Lexi Dowdall as we dig into how Alta has protected its brand for nearly 90 years, why they deliberately don't chase growth at all costs, how they use storytelling instead of constant marketing, and why sometimes saying "no" is the smartest business decision you can make. Whether you manage a destination resort, a community ski hill, or you're just passionate about the business of skiing, there are a ton of ideas in this conversation that you can take back to your own mountain. Let's head to Utah and find out why sometimes the best strategy... is simply not messing it up. Get all 10 Actionable Insights from this episode at www.sellingsnow.com
- Jun 30, 202625 min
Ep.23 - Practical Lessons in Marketing Skiing - Best of the First 20
Ok we had a great response last week to our compilation episode pulling together the best thoughts on building the ski area/community relationship as one of the most important pieces in running a successful ski area. This week, we’re looking at marketing and some of the more practical things ski areas have done to grow their business. It’s not just about bigger ad budgets. Its not about chasing viral videos. It’s not even really about social media. Instead, It’s all about following the same progression. First, build a product that people genuinely want to talk about. Then understand exactly who you're building it for. Create experiences those people can't help but share. Remove friction from the buying process. And only then start thinking about campaigns and promotions. So in this special episode, we've pulled together some of the very best marketing lessons from our first twenty episodes—practical, sometimes simple ideas you can apply at any ski area, whether you're a small local hill or a destination resort. There are so many, but to keep the episode manageable, we pulled out a few of our favourites.
About Selling Snow
Welcome to Selling Snow, the podcast for ski industry pros, marketers or anyone who wants to learn more about marketing in the ski business. I’m your host, Andrew Zwicker, with 25 years in and around marketing skiing, and this show is all about learning from the best in the business, so you can up your marketing game,or just get a peek behind how ski resort marketing works.Our first episodes include hilarious and candid conversations with Michael J Ballingall of Big White, Lonie Gleiberman of Mount Bohemia, Marin Kejvel of Ski Cape Smokey, Jeff Penseiro of Baldface Lodge and Jason Levinthal of J Skis. Every episode tells the backstory on the guest, their ski area or ski business. Then it does a deep dive into how they market and sell their product from spectacular failures to keen wisdom and insights that you can use tod
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