The Resort Price Collusion Suit Just Got a Data-Sharing Twist — Here's What That Changes
A new lawsuit claims four ski resort giants shared proprietary pricing data to inflate costs. Here's what the allegation means for independent resorts.
Category
Industry Intel
Pass wars, consolidation, leadership moves — and what they mean for you.
Crystal Mountain Just Ended Ikon Reservations — Here's What the Friction Kill Means for Every Pass Resort
Crystal Mountain just ended Ikon Pass reservations for 2026-27. Here's the retention math behind the move and the friction audit every resort needs now.
Project Odysseus: What Colorado's $3.9M Play to Keep Alterra in Denver Means for Every Ikon Resort
Colorado approved $3.9M in incentives to keep Alterra's HQ from moving to SLC. Here's what 'Project Odysseus' reveals about every Ikon resort's leverage.
NOAA Just Dropped Its 2026-27 Winter Outlook. Here's the Marketing Brief You Actually Need.
NOAA's 2026-27 winter forecast just dropped, and resort marketers have a rare summer window to get ahead of snow messaging. Here's the regional breakdown.
Austria Just Wired a Glacier With 800 Solar Crosses — Here's the Marketing Lesson for Every Resort
Austria's glacier resort is installing 800 wind-powered solar crosses at 9,350 ft. The lesson: place-specific infrastructure builds brand identity.
Vail's CEO Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud: What 'Beyond Epic' Means for Your Resort
Vail's CEO called for a comeback 'beyond Epic.' Here's what that strategic pivot actually signals for independent resort marketing in 2026-27.
The House Just Passed Permanent Daylight Saving Time — Here's the Ski Resort Operations Briefing Nobody Wrote
The Sunshine Protection Act passed 308–117 on July 14. Permanent DST changes avalanche windows, early lift ops, and guest arrival timing. What ops teams need now.
Vail Just Bet $175 Million on Guest Experience — Here's What the New Bar Means for Your Resort
Vail's 'Epic Experience' initiative drops $175M into wages, dining, rentals, and lessons. When Vail raises the hospitality floor, all of skiing adjusts.
Cherry Peak Is for Sale at $22.5M. What That Price Tag Reveals About Small Resort Economics.
Northern Utah's Cherry Peak Resort just listed at $22.5M. Here's what that number tells operators about valuation, capital, and community-resort survival.
El Niño Confirmed for 2026-27: The Marketing Play Every Resort Should Run Right Now
NOAA confirms El Niño at 96% probability for winter 2026-27. Colorado wins, PNW loses. Here's how smart resort marketing teams respond before snow flies.
Monarch Mountain's New Master Plan Is the Marketing Playbook Every Independent Resort Needs to Read
Monarch Mountain published their entire 108-page USFS master plan publicly. Here's why that radical transparency is the playbook independent resorts need.
Aspen Mountain Is Auctioning Its Old Chairlifts — Here's the Capital Storytelling Playbook Every Resort Should Steal
Aspen is auctioning legacy chairlifts to clear the way for the new Nell Bell gondola. Here's how any resort can turn capital projects into marketing gold.
Deer Valley Just Added 850 Acres and a New Lift. Here's What That Capital Play Teaches Independent Resorts.
Deer Valley's Hail Peak Express expands the resort to 4,500+ skiable acres. What does a $100M+ lift project signal to the rest of the industry?
Epic and Ikon Pass Antitrust Lawsuit: What It Actually Means for Independent Ski Resorts
A federal antitrust suit targets Vail and Alterra over Epic and Ikon Pass pricing. Here's what the case means for independent ski resort strategy in 2026.
Epic Pass Sales Are Down 10%. Vail's Skier Days Fell 12.5%. Here's What That Actually Means for Your Resort.
Epic Pass sales fell 10% and Vail logged 12.5% fewer skier days in 2025-26. Here's what the data really means for independent resort marketing strategy.
US Ski Visits Dropped Sharply This Season. Here’s How Smart Resorts Are Protecting Their Pass Renewals Right Now.
US skier visits dropped sharply in 2025-26. Here's the exact marketing playbook smart resorts run right now to protect pass renewals after a bad snow year.
Snow Partners Is Building a Third Pass Network. That’s Good News for Independent Resorts.
Snow Partners is expanding its multi-mountain pass network. Here's what the growing independent pass ecosystem means for mid-tier resort marketing teams.
SAM Magazine's Annual Marketing Report Is Out. Here's How I'd Grade This Season.
SAM Magazine's annual Best & Worst in Marketing 2025-26 just dropped. Here's how I'd grade this ski season — and the metric nobody's actually measuring.
Aspen Snowmass Just Added a Flex Pass and a Weekday Pass. The Takeaway for Independent Resorts Is Bigger Than You Think.
Aspen Snowmass just launched a Flex Pass from $679 and Weekday Pass from $2,099. Here’s what every independent ski resort can take from Aspen’s pass flexibility strategy for 2026-27.
Epic Pass Just Hit Record Prices for Adults — And Gave Gen Z a Discount. Here’s the Strategy Worth Studying.
Epic Pass hits record prices for adults and launches a Gen Z discount for 2026-27. Here’s what Vail’s bifurcated pricing strategy teaches every ski resort marketing team.
Snow Farming Is a Real Thing Now — What Burke Mountain's Strategy Means for Resort Season Planning
Burke Mountain is trying snow farming to extend ski racing season. Here's what the technique means for resort operations, sustainability, and pass value storytelling.
Vail Resorts Just Reported Earnings at the Low End — Here's What Every Resort Marketing Team Should Take Away
Vail Resorts landed at the low end of guidance due to poor snowfall. Here's what your resort marketing team should do right now to weather-proof your guest relationship.
Park City Mountain Is Eliminating Its Last Free Parking. What's the Right Side of This Debate for Your Resort?
Park City Mountain is eliminating free parking. What this means for resort amenity strategy, guest experience, and how to handle the pricing conversation without burning goodwill.
The Ski Industry Just Hit 399 Million Visits. Here's What That Number Actually Means for Your Resort
The ski industry set a 2024-25 world record with 399 million visits. Here is what that milestone really means for your resort marketing strategy and pass sales.
Colorado's Snow-Barren Season Is Over — Here's What Smart Resorts Do Next
Colorado wrapped one of its driest ski seasons ever. Discover the offseason strategy smart resorts are deploying right now to recover revenue and build a stronger 2026-27 season.
Lee Canyon and Purgatory Are Getting New Lifts — What MCP's Expansion Means for Independent Resorts
Mountain Capital Partners just confirmed new chairlifts at Lee Canyon and Purgatory for 2026-27, plus stable Power Pass pricing. Here's what
Dirt-Cheap Season Passes: What Oregon's Aggressive Pricing Move Means for Your Resort
A major Oregon ski area is offering deeply discounted season passes for next season — and skiers are debating whether to bite. Here's what this
Extended Ski Seasons Are the New Normal — Here's How Smart Resorts Are Capitalizing Right Now
Tahoe's biggest resorts are reopening in April, Copper Mountain is extending its season despite a tough winter, and Maine resorts are wrapping up
How to Squeeze Revenue From Your Final Ski Days: Lessons From Colorado's Late-Season Leaders
Copper Mountain extended to May 3 and Breckenridge is milking its final weekend for all it's worth. Here's the late-season playbook every
NSAA's AI-Powered Growth Committee Is Targeting 13 Million Skiers — What Independent Resorts Need to Know
The NSAA Growth Committee just hit its original 60M skier visit target and has shifted focus to growing the total number of US skiers to 13 million. AI
Snowbird's New Fixed-Grip Quad: What It Means for Your Resort's Capital Planning
Snowbird is replacing its 54-year-old Chickadee double chair with a SkyTrac fixed-grip quad. Here's what the project reveals about lift capital
Vail's Epic Pass Sales Tax Controversy: A Lesson in Pricing Transparency
Vail Resorts is charging a 3.2% blended sales tax on Epic Pass purchases, and New Hampshire skiers are furious. A direct lesson in checkout pricing
What 2,000 Ski Instructors Suing Vail Resorts Means for Your Resort's Staffing Strategy
A growing class-action lawsuit against Vail Resorts is a wake-up call for every ski area operator to audit compensation, classification, and culture
What Heavenly's Late-Season Reopening Teaches Resorts About Closing Day Strategy
Heavenly Mountain just reopened after 25 inches of April snow. Here's what that means for your resort's closing day decision-making process —
Navigating Wage Lawsuits: What Ski Resort Professionals Need to Know
As ski resort professionals, we often find ourselves navigating a complex landscape of operations, guest satisfaction, and employee relations. However,
Why Dynamic Pricing Is the Future of Ski Resort Lift Ticket Strategy
Dynamic pricing is transforming how ski resorts sell lift tickets. Here's how the model works, what industry leaders do, and how independents can
