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#$%$%^$ "Q" Bukre....what do I do?

oldtimer

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Can Q2 generate as many posts here at AZ in a week as Magic did in it's worst month?
 

MVinME

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Dumbest, most self serving name in the history of the uniburse...
 

billski

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I skied Burke today (I will always call it Burke). Indeed, all the logos, names, merchandise is being re-branded to "Q Burke". I've seen them all. Pretty much all the old signage and gear has been cast off. No more teddy bears. I'm OK with change, but I don't see any any advantage to this new name. In the interest of preserving the old but bringing in the new, I would have voted for BurQe if they must have their name attached. An obvious alternative, shot down early I suspect.

Oh and the new nasty looking bear, we'll that's going to take some time to warm up to.

I'll write more on the lodge and changes tomorrow (including the leather couch and fake fireplace). Right now I have to go post travel/weather conditions.
 

thetrailboss

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I skied Burke today (I will always call it Burke). Indeed, all the logos, names, merchandise is being re-branded to "Q Burke". I've seen them all. Pretty much all the old signage and gear has been cast off. No more teddy bears. I'm OK with change, but I don't see any any advantage to this new name. In the interest of preserving the old but bringing in the new, I would have voted for BurQe if they must have their name attached. An obvious alternative, shot down early I suspect.

Oh and the new nasty looking bear, we'll that's going to take some time to warm up to.

I'll write more on the lodge and changes tomorrow (including the leather couch and fake fireplace). Right now I have to go post travel/weather conditions.

Did you drive up to Mid-Burke to find that there are no more ticket sales there? That is another "change" that will probably not be liked. They had a good compromise with one cashier selling sundries, coffee, and tickets at Bear Den. But then again this is progress or is it regression?
 

skiNEwhere

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From a business perspective, I can see his view on how there needs to be change. 5 owners in 20 years? Something isn't working here, and something needs to be changed to make a profit.

I don't think transforming Burke from a ski area to a ski resort will work though, it's just not big enough, unless a massive expansion is part of a 5 year plan

Right now he seems to be pissing so many people off that I wouldn't be surprised if some of his long time employees either quit or were fired for refusing to call it "Q Burke."

I would hate to see Burke being added to NELSAP in a few years because of an over-aggressive expansion that didn't bring in new customers and drove away the old ones.
 

billski

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Did you drive up to Mid-Burke to find that there are no more ticket sales there? That is another "change" that will probably not be liked. They had a good compromise with one cashier selling sundries, coffee, and tickets at Bear Den. But then again this is progress or is it regression?

I knew that going into this. It won't surprise me to see that building removed or replaced. They are trying to drive business down to the main lodge - that's where all the services (read: money) is.
 

billski

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From a business perspective, I can see his view on how there needs to be change. 5 owners in 20 years? Something isn't working here, and something needs to be changed to make a profit.

I don't think transforming Burke from a ski area to a ski resort will work though, it's just not big enough, unless a massive expansion is part of a 5 year plan

Right now he seems to be pissing so many people off that I wouldn't be surprised if some of his long time employees either quit or were fired for refusing to call it "Q Burke."

I would hate to see Burke being added to NELSAP in a few years because of an over-aggressive expansion that didn't bring in new customers and drove away the old ones.

The thing I worry the most about is the friendly, casual vibe the place always had. :( I'm absolutely with them that this is a business, not a non-profit institution. There have to be changes. And of course people are resistant to change.

Having been through cultural transformations, more than once at my own place of employment, we have to recognize that if we don't please the customers, and give them a reason to come, well, there goes the business. So while employees may be bothered, (that's part of the loss process: grief, anger, resignation, etc., the essential issue is, what's the long-term strategy? To build a strategy, you have to define who your customer base is. What people do you want to attract? And then, can you get them to come? What's the compelling reason for me to go to Burke?

Everything I've heard from the JPR industry reps in this thread is very near-term, tactical. I'd like to see the strategic plan; the vision.
 

thetrailboss

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The thing I worry the most about is the friendly, casual vibe the place always had. :( I'm absolutely with them that this is a business, not a non-profit institution. There have to be changes. And of course people are resistant to change.

Having been through cultural transformations, more than once at my own place of employment, we have to recognize that if we don't please the customers, and give them a reason to come, well, there goes the business. So while employees may be bothered, (that's part of the loss process: grief, anger, resignation, etc., the essential issue is, what's the long-term strategy? To build a strategy, you have to define who your customer base is. What people do you want to attract? And then, can you get them to come? What's the compelling reason for me to go to Burke?

Everything I've heard from the JPR industry reps in this thread is very near-term, tactical. I'd like to see the strategic plan; the vision.

See my post in the other thread. To say that people are upset about change is a gross oversimplification. The real issue is the community-mountain relationship.
 

snoseek

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from FB today: Dear Kingdom Trails Supporters,
We would like to thank everybody who has voiced their support, concern, and willingness to help out over the past few days. Few organizations enjoy such a demonstrative, loyal membership. For that we feel truly thankful and humbled.
In regards to some of the comments that we’ve seen online in the past few days, we want to put a plug in for our community, many of who...m include our friends who work at the mountain. The employees and management of QBurke Mountain Resort are a big part of our community here. We have, in most cases, worked with these folks for years. They’re our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family members. While we respect your decisions in terms of voting with your wallet, we want you to know that everyone in this community, including Kingdom Trails, would feel the impact if you choose to enjoy your outdoor recreation- including skiing and snowboarding- elsewhere. Please don’t let the events of the past few days change your plans for the winter. We ski at and ride Burke, and plan on continuing to do so.
We also want to assure our users that cooler heads will prevail. Interested parties have reached out and stated that they would like to seek a resolution to our current situation. We are encouraged by the news, and look forward to a conversation that explores any future collaborations with QBurke that would best serve our community, our users, and our organizations.
We wish you all a happy holiday season, and hope to see you at the KT Nordic Adventure Center on Darling Hill soon.

Sincerely,
The staff and Directors of Kingdom
 

thetrailboss

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New article on VTDigger. And the cooler head was Bill Stenger whom I'm sure pulled Q2 aside on Friday and had a few words.
 

tmcc71

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I'm a former Burke/jay skiier and still a kingdom trails biker. I moved on to Sunday river/sugarloaf pass after the dinsneyfication of jay and them acquiring Burke. The writing was on the wall. Now they sever ties with the organization that put Burke on the map (kingdom trails) and further confirm my suspicions that they do not care about the community. I'm not against them making money but I don't like what they stand for now. I'm happy to have found a new community in loaf and Sunday river and have no regrets. I know dozens of families who have jumped ship from jay/Burke and moved on to other communities. Its a real shame. I will still support kingdom trails but never q Burke (gag) or. Q Burke bike park.
 

DPhelan

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why even have departments if you're going to unilaterally make stupid decisions that impact everyone in your qompany? :puke:
 
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