VTKilarney
Well-known member
Any word on how summer revenues were?
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Big Burke announcement
- Thread starter the original trailboss
- Start date
The only anecdote I heard was that the Tiki Bar was a smashing success. In fact, during the Burketoberfest (I believe), Q had 3 people in attendance at his event while there were hundreds down at the Tiki Bar. Apparently Burke nudged the folks at the Tiki Bar to close up when advertised so that folks "might" migrate to Q's event.
This weekend they had a dance party at the mountain. Pictures on Facebook show like 10 people in attendance. So, anecdotally at least, locals just don't feel welcome up at the Mountain.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
I have heard the same thing about the Tiki Bar. I have also heard that the Pub Outback might as well be on life support.
As to the latter, they have limited hours.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
This somehow slipped under the radar:
http://www.news7newslinc.net/index.php/around-the-nek/burke/975-burke-s-season-pass-deal
There are some very interesting things in the article.
It's also the first time that I have seen Mr. Cuccia publicly referred to as Burke's manager. It's nice to see Burke finally recognize him. After so much silence, it's nice to see that they have someone in place for this coming winter - and that the management situation has stabilized. Even if I have taken issue with his lack of experience, at this point they need someone to take the reigns. The snow guns are going to be blowing soon and Burke doesn't need to be dealing with a vacuum in management at that time.
http://www.news7newslinc.net/index.php/around-the-nek/burke/975-burke-s-season-pass-deal
There are some very interesting things in the article.
It's also the first time that I have seen Mr. Cuccia publicly referred to as Burke's manager. It's nice to see Burke finally recognize him. After so much silence, it's nice to see that they have someone in place for this coming winter - and that the management situation has stabilized. Even if I have taken issue with his lack of experience, at this point they need someone to take the reigns. The snow guns are going to be blowing soon and Burke doesn't need to be dealing with a vacuum in management at that time.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
One tidbit from the article is that the former ticket scanner supervisor is now the events coordinator:
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/patrick-bradley/28/790/748?trk=pub-pbmap
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/patrick-bradley/28/790/748?trk=pub-pbmap
xwhaler
Active member
Owls Head looks interesting. Never been but its close to the border and seems like a nice vibe. Thinking of the wknd before Xmas doing a Burke-Owls Head combo....not mid winter but fitting the trip in based on my availability and can use the Fox vouchers to both. Could see some cold December rains in the flatlands be snow up there.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
One of the more interesting things that is mentioned in the News 7 article that I linked to, above, is that Burke is now pricing their season passes based on how many are sold. In other words, they release X number of passes at Y price. Once those are sold out, they move up to the next pricing tier, and so on, and so on.
It appears that this idea might have come from Jay Peak. When Jay Peak sold Pump House season passes this summer, they sold them in the same manner. Wherever it came from, it appears to be taken from the pricing method that airlines use.
I haven't had much time think the wisdom of this through, but based on the little thought I have given to it, I am not convinced that this is a good idea.
There can be no doubt that this method works very well for the airlines. The airlines are sophisticated companies, and if they all employ this pricing strategy there has to be merit to it. But there are some very major differences between an airline and a ski area.
The biggest similarity is that both industries have a perishable product. If an airplane takes off with an unsold seat, that revenue is lost forever. Ski areas can't turn back the clock, so if they don't sell a ticket on any given day, that revenue has likewise vanished.
But arguably the biggest difference is that airlines have a limited number of seats to be sold. They want their plane to be full, but to have each seat filled with the person willing to pay the most for that seat. In other words, the airline is happy to turn a paying customer away if that customer was going to pay less than another customer and the plane would still be full.
Burke does not have a problem with limited capacity. So why, then, would Burke use a system that is designed to be selective rather than inclusive? They are better of selling two passes at $599 rather than one at $899.
I guess it boils down to this: Does this system result in higher overall revenues? The General Manager, in the interview, did not say that more passes have been sold this year. They promotion offering a $200 discount suggests that they are not happy with their revenues from season passes.
It appears that this idea might have come from Jay Peak. When Jay Peak sold Pump House season passes this summer, they sold them in the same manner. Wherever it came from, it appears to be taken from the pricing method that airlines use.
I haven't had much time think the wisdom of this through, but based on the little thought I have given to it, I am not convinced that this is a good idea.
There can be no doubt that this method works very well for the airlines. The airlines are sophisticated companies, and if they all employ this pricing strategy there has to be merit to it. But there are some very major differences between an airline and a ski area.
The biggest similarity is that both industries have a perishable product. If an airplane takes off with an unsold seat, that revenue is lost forever. Ski areas can't turn back the clock, so if they don't sell a ticket on any given day, that revenue has likewise vanished.
But arguably the biggest difference is that airlines have a limited number of seats to be sold. They want their plane to be full, but to have each seat filled with the person willing to pay the most for that seat. In other words, the airline is happy to turn a paying customer away if that customer was going to pay less than another customer and the plane would still be full.
Burke does not have a problem with limited capacity. So why, then, would Burke use a system that is designed to be selective rather than inclusive? They are better of selling two passes at $599 rather than one at $899.
I guess it boils down to this: Does this system result in higher overall revenues? The General Manager, in the interview, did not say that more passes have been sold this year. They promotion offering a $200 discount suggests that they are not happy with their revenues from season passes.
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Interesting idea, but I think that it is too little too late for this season. Most passes should have been bought for a while now. Your locals are going to buy early to get the best price. That (was) a big segment of their market. So I don't know how effective it is going to be. I think if they "knew" the business they'd realize that what they've sold as of now is pretty much what they are going to sell, with a few stragglers coming in late.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
It's very odd to me that there has been no announcement about their new General Manager. Nothing on Facebook, nothing in the news. (At least as far as I can tell.) He just mysteriously popped up in this article.I wonder if he had permission to do that interview....
trackbiker
Active member
I wonder if he had permission to do that interview....
I wonder who gave permission to print that article? Does an editor even look at this stuff before they put it on the web? Or does the editor not know the difference between "buy" and "by"? It had more typo's and misuse of homophones than snowflakes on the mountain in February. It was also not very clear about what the pricing differences were.
I'm not usually a stickler for a mistake here and there but that article was not even a high school level article never mind college level.
Bingo. I love LSC News, but this was a very confusing and poorly written story. I hope that student continues to improve.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
The article is not unique. Just about every article I looked at had some cringe-worthy moments. Take, for example, this quote from an earlier article about Burke:
Thanks to the technology of snowmaking, mountains across the state are opening pre-season each year.
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There probably was no announcement because then there is no need for an explanation when he is gone - which according to local rumors has already happened - I am not sure who lasted longer Steve or this guy? I hope they are going to install a revolving door on the new hotel
VTKilarney
Well-known member
What?????? Can anyone confirm is the new manager is already gone????? Masskier, you are in the know, aren't you?
There probably was no announcement because then there is no need for an explanation when he is gone - which according to local rumors has already happened - I am not sure who lasted longer Steve or this guy? I hope they are going to install a revolving door on the new hotel
My sources told me that Frank and his wife are gone. Q fired him and she quit. It just continues.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
I honestly don't know what to say.
It's just a trainwreck. Lots of locals are just frustrated. All we can do is laugh I guess. At least it can't get much worse. Hopefully they trust Bill to get someone in there with ski resort experience and then just leave him/her alone to do their job.
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