Wildcat Attitash A Question

[zyk]

So my wife is applying for the field and marketing position at for Wildcat / Attitash ...
Ideas?
She's a lifetime manager and we've been working events / concerts for 12 years.
Every year at this time I look across the street from the other side of the notch and wonder why there is not a party over there.
Sad really.
First weekend event this year my goal is 250k in beer sales.
Does Vail not see the forest through the trees?
Any input appreciated. I would like to move to NH.

 

[kickstand]

So, just stream of consciousness here. I haven't been a true regular at Attitash since we sold our place in 2015, so I'm sure some of what I'm going to say is outdated.

Ptarmigans seemed to be the more happening bar. I always thought it was because of the size. I don't think they ever really did much that was must-attend. I do remember outdoor spring parties at the Attitash base that were really fun. Overall, I don't like apres on the Attitash side just because of having to lug your gear across the street after having already started coming down from the day. Once I stop and have a couple, I start losing energy.

As for Bear Peak, I've always thought that a better area for apres, mostly because of the cement patio and proximity to the parking lot. That said, the bar over there is tiny. How it made some recent list of best apres bars is beyond me. The spot has potential, but I think an addition to the building would be needed to have a legit apres bar. For outdoor stuff, this is where they used to do the Blueberry Festival and Oktoberfest.

I do think the place has potential to up the apres game, but it would need some work. When I was a regular, I really wished they had a better scene. My kids were young and my wife is not a huge skier. It would have been nice for her and the kids (if they weren't with me already) to want to hang out for an hour or so after skiing, but the place, in general, is very non-descript. We enjoyed going home and sitting by the fire more than any entertainment they could provide. Maybe it would be different now that my kids are teenagers and might enjoy the entertainment. But there was never a good reason to hang out.

I've been less of a regular at Wildcat, but some of my most memorable days have been there. Between the BBQs on the deck, various radio stations hosting events, a particular Corona promo comes to mind, I've had some truly great days there. I don't know where they're at now (or at least pre-Vail), but the bar upstairs was always busy. Always. I wish the couches were still there, but that's a big ask. I do think Wildcat, especially come mid-March, has much more potential than Attitash.

I hope whoever gets the job gives people a reason to want to go there, and that Vail is truly supportive in that effort. Best of luck to your wife in the process.

EDIT:
almost forgot about the Golf on Snow tournament they used to do every year. Not sure if that is still going on. If it is, haven't seen it on their IG or FB.

 

[ss20]

Marketing degree here....8 years unrelated work in the ski industry....

I wouldn't take this gig. She'd probably be working under the corporate direction and at the black sheep resort(s) to boot. Your request for "input" would be valid for a resort where your wife could make decisions on her own.... from what I've heard/we've heard about Vail she will be executing decisions not making them. Wildcat and Attitash really don't have big events, and if she's done this for 12 years she's over qualified. Also, the ski industry is generally an entry level field (hence I never got into marketing within the ski industry) because there's no money in it.

Personally, as someone who's done lower-level management within the industry, I'd NEVER go into a management role totally blind to a resort and its workplace culture.

I hate to Debbie Down on this but I really don't see this working for someone who's as qualified as herself.

 

[drjeff]

If she is interested, tell her to go for it. She will likely find areas of constraints from levels of management above.

Vail Resorts though as a company does have a fair amount of opportunity for advancing ones management skills and developing it from their employees who show interest, and especially women and minorities these days, so that may be something of interest that may offset some of the immediate limitations that Attitash may be operationally contained to at this time

 

[Smellytele]

If she is interested, tell her to go for it. She will likely find areas of constraints from levels of management above.

Vail Resorts though as a company does have a fair amount of opportunity for advancing ones management skills and developing it from their employees who show interest, and especially women and minorities these days, so that may be something of interest that may offset some of the immediate limitations that Attitash may be operationally contained to at this time

Before too long she’ll be a gm. Oh wait she needs to be in food and beverage for that.

 

[deadheadskier]

Did Wildcat do $250k in beer sales all year this season? They certainly tried their damnedest not to with the bar being closed midweek and a sterile service bar on the weekend.


Vail don't want parties in NH would be my view on things. But hey, maybe it's fun to work in marketing for Vail and tell people all your attractions are closed for summer. They seem like an incredibly boring company to do marketing for in the East.

 

[djd66]

$250,000 / $8.00 = 31,000 cups of beer at 1 event? Seems a bit ambitious- am I missing something?

 

[zyk]

$250,000 / $8.00 = 31,000 cups of beer at 1 event? Seems a bit ambitious- am I missing something?

You're spot on. First event 288 half barrels 150 beers at $8 each. Two nights.. This is not a Vail event just my other work. Much smaller scale but ideas that might work up there.

 

[zyk]

Thank you all for the advice! Would love to move up there and ski and there is so much potential. However big corporate is was it is

 

[jimmywilson69]

$250,000 / $8.00 = 31,000 cups of beer at 1 event? Seems a bit ambitious- am I missing something?

you've never been to a big concert or sporting event have you? For comparison let's just say Metallica is playing a football stadium. we'll call it 60,000 attendees. that's only half of the attendees purchasing 1 beer. that's pretty big, but lets say its a 15,000 person event that would still be 10,000 people buying 3 beers. any event with a several thousand people can rack up beer sales VERY quickly. I'd venture to say that the average NFL game nets more than a half a million in beer sales EASILY.

 

[Edd]

Before too long she’ll be a gm. Oh wait she needs to be in food and beverage for that.

I am throughly unqualified to be a ski area GM. Maybe I should apply if the Wildcat GM spot opens. I doubt I’d do a worse job.

 

[deadheadskier]

All true, but you have to look at the market for big events in the East. Large productions are VERY limited. The two big ones are probably Reggae Fest at Loaf and the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge.

I'd think if the market was there, many more Northeast ski area would historically try to pull off these events. They really haven't. Jay does a pretty good job with their summer concert series, but it's still typically only a few thousand people that show up.

It just seems that most mountains realize the target market are families and they pack it up for the day by 5 and really don't drink too much. So, just pay an acoustic guitarist $200, put them in the corner of the main bar and call it good.

There's also the liability concern of having a bunch of people wasted and skiing or in the case of Wildcat per the OPs interest, have to drive down a sketchy road after the show as they have no lodging. I could get behind a camping concert at Cat in the summer, but I wonder if the USFS would sign off on that? People hiking the presidential range and Whites probably don't want to hear a rock show in the background.

 

[RichT]

To reiterate...........VAIL SUCKS

 

[jaytrem]

Seems like Mount Snow is always having some kind of beer drinking event. They always draws good crowds. I see this year thy're have this every Friday night...

BASE AREA BLOCK PARTY
Join us in the Main Base Area Friday nights throughout the summer for music, food, and yard games.

Fireworks, Brewers Fest and Oktoberfest are also on the event schedule. Definitely more business as usual compared to NH it seems.

 

[djd66]

you've never been to a big concert or sporting event have you? For comparison let's just say Metallica is playing a football stadium. we'll call it 60,000 attendees. that's only half of the attendees purchasing 1 beer. that's pretty big, but lets say its a 15,000 person event that would still be 10,000 people buying 3 beers. any event with a several thousand people can rack up beer sales VERY quickly. I'd venture to say that the average NFL game nets more than a half a million in beer sales EASILY.

Your numbers make sense when you are talking about a big stadium close to a major metropolitan area. If you are going to sell 30,000 beers say and average of 4 pp you would need to get 7,500 people up to wildcat in the summer. Not going to happen.

 

[Newpylong]

I would steer clear of either of those places (sadly)until they figure out what they want to do with them.

 

[thebigo]

Posted yesterday by a company that is not actively sabotaging their resorts and may even give a shit about their employees:

​

Overview​

Sunday River's Director of Marketing is responsible for leading the marketing process for the resort, driving revenue growth, and managing the Sunday River brand.

This is a full-time, year-round position with benefits, reporting to the Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

Responsibilities​

• Lead the resort marketing team including development of structure, hiring, managing, and mentoring.
• Oversee a team of subject matter experts responsible for the execution of marketing operations and functions including CRM and email marketing, communications, media and public relations, social media, content marketing, and other areas.
• Manage resort advertising across all channels including strategic planning, media buying and creative development.
• Serve as brand managers for the Sunday River brand across all resort functions and operations, and oversee development of sub-brands.
• Serve as art director for resort visual materials and oversee graphic design from internal and external resources.
• Develop and oversee in-market promotions and programs.
• Contribute to ideation and planning of events and guest activations to positively affect the guest experience.
• Work collaboratively with Boyne Resorts corporate marketing teams, and manage outside agencies and vendors for support as needed.
• Work jointly with resort VP Marketing & Sales on strategic planning and product development.
• Management of annual marketing expense budget and on-going monitoring of spend.

Qualifications​

• Five years’ experience leading marketing efforts and managing a team in the resort or hospitality fields, with ski industry experience preferred.
• Demonstrable experience in generating sales growth though marketing programs.
• Intermediate to advanced skier or snowboarder.

https://careers-boyneresorts.icims.com/jobs/12632/director-of-marketing/job

 

[tumbler]

Are you familiar with the Vail Sucks thread?

 

[thetrailboss]

Posted yesterday by a company that is not actively sabotaging their resorts and may even give a shit about their employees:

​

https://careers-boyneresorts.icims.com/jobs/12632/director-of-marketing/job

Boyne is not perfect but it is the best of the resort groups IMHO.

 

[bigbob]

Good luck trying to find a place to live in the Mt Washington Valley...