program philosophy of individual mountains as well as dedicated terrain (i.e. terrain parks, moguls, etc.). With the exception of certain “destination resorts,” up to 85% of attendance occurs on weekends and holidays. This includes program participation. Invariably, weekends and holidays are viewed by customers as “overcrowded.” To relieve this situation, adding or enhancing a nighttime schedule for controlled attendance (i.e. programs and events) can reduce the need for dedicated terrain while lowering daytime congestion. From the revenue side, some ski areas rent terrain (lanes) to schools, colleges, and ski clubs for training. Rental fees can be substantial, ranging from $150/hr during mid-winter at a small ski area, to $2,000/hr for early or pre-season periods at a large resort. Obviously, the venue and demand dictate the value proposition. Providing nighttime access increases revenue potential while reducing the population burden. Events and training at areas that might be restricted during the day can be reallocated to nighttime hours. Adding skiing from 4:00pm (16:00) to 8:00pm (20:00) increases access by 40%. Unfortunately, many mountains do not realize commensurate revenues because they do not allocate resources specifically to the evening schedule. Certainly, 100% of program participation cannot be directed to the evening schedule. Further, the most successful nighttime operations are “additive.” This means that there is purposeful overlap between daytime and evening program schedules. The “lunchtime lull” is an example. There is a propensity toward setting up training or event courses in the morning and running through the heaviest portion of the attendance schedule; between 9:00am and 12:00pm. By approximately 10:30am, there is competition between the general customer base and programs to use terrain. By midday, general customers and program participants head to the lodge to eat. Mountain utilization precipitously declines for 45 minutes to more than an hour. Some program directors stagger lunch to maximize practice area utilization. This may relieve afternoon congestion, but does little to avoid the conflict of terrain interest during the morning. Managers know that race events can increase top line revenue, but there is a cost. Race participants often arrange for meals to save money at the expense of the mountain’s food concession. Human resources and infrastructure resources (parking, security, common area space, snow-making, and terrain) can significantly diminish bottom line results. Questions to consider are: How much will it cost to keep lifts open to service evening operations? How much will it cost to keep food service open during evening hours? What is the revenue expectation (tickets, area (lane) rentals, entrance fees)? What are the additional gross management costs? Insurance?
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