THE STATE OF
SUMMER OPS
of respondents offer corporate gather- ings or business meetings and 50% host themed festivals. Skills classes, such as yoga or pottery, are offered by about 15% of respondents. Weddings. Events and program- ming can be beneficial to overall summer operations, but also have the potential to be disruptive. When hosting events on-property, staffing, logistics, and safety are all considerations. Public events are often easier to integrate with your daily activities than private events, said Hum- ber. It is important to ask if existing daily operations will complement or hinder the event, she said, particularly when it comes to hosting private events such as weddings. “Weddings tend to involve a lot of time and stress but not a lot of money, particularly if the timing causes delays for our other events or for the opening of our rental shop for seasonal rentals,” shared a Northeast operator. Said a Southwest operator, “Current summer offerings are limited to wed- dings and business meetings, which operate at a healthy profit margin. How- ever, there is limited capacity for these types of events. There are only so many available weekends for weddings, and we can only do 1-2 per day.” “If profit potential rules the future, we should do events, festivals, weddings, and run one lift for sightseeing and downhill mountain biking,” said a third
Top 10 Activities To Be Added Over the Next Two Years
Respondents were asked to check all that apply.
Lift-Served Mountain Biking Playground
18%
16%
14%
Disc Golf
13%
Alpine Coaster
11%
Climbing Wall
11%
Camping
Cross-Country Mountain Biking
11%
10%
Scenic Lift Rides
10%
Canopy Walk
8%
Summer Tubing
0
5
10
15
20
In Percent
ity mix will be identifying ways to accommodate that desire for low-bar- rier-to-entry offerings. “One example,” said Humber, “would be to create a hik- ing experience for all abilities. Not just ‘head uphill until you get to the top,’ but smaller loops that offer a great nature- based experience without a lot of phys- ical exertion. “The complexion of activities, pro-
grams, and events you offer has to respond to market depth and demand,” she continued. “You have to do your homework to identify the needs and wants of your summer audience.” PROGRAMS & EVENTS Seventy-three percent of respondents offer weddings, and 57% offer a race series or race event. Fifty-two percent
Programs & Events To Be Added In the Next Two Years
Programs & Events Currently Offered
Respondents were asked to check all that apply.
Respondents were asked to check all that apply.
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
25
25%
73%
20
57%
15
52% 50%
16%
42% 40%
10
11%
8% 8% 8% 8%
5
15%
0
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