The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Fraternity coming in May; large groups booked for next year
Next ski season starts right now for Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) as it seeks to lock in groups for next year. Or, in the case of CBMR group sales manager Nina Weyl, the big kickoff was last weekend when she won the bid for a Texas Ski Council trip that will bring at least 250 people from 17 ski clubs to Crested Butte for the week of February 5-12.
“We just won that bid last weekend,” Weyl said. “I was down in Houston [with director of sales Jon Walters] and we bid against Telluride, Sugarloaf, Wolf Creek, Utah [includes Snowbasin and Powder Mountain], and La Posada de Santa Fe.” Weyl said she felt CBMR brought a lot of value to the table when bidding against the other resorts.
Texas Ski Council (TSC) is a non-profit, all volunteer organization consisting of 17 clubs throughout Texas. The purpose of the TSC is to promote individual and group interest in skiing and snowboarding.
“The Texas Ski Council is one of the largest ski councils in the country and the Winter Shootout is their premier event,” said Daren Cole, CBMR’s vice president of sales and marketing. “I have worked with the TSC for over 18 years and I have never been more excited in winning a trip. This event puts Crested Butte and CBMR back on the map with such iconic events.”
Cole continued, “Nina put together an exceptional bid that truly showcases our entire resort community and went above and beyond to bring it home.”
Weyl said they went to Houston to present to the Texas Ski Council delegates. Each bidder gives a 20-minute presentation that combines area highlights interspersed with humor. Weyl and Walters wore tuxedo shirts for their presentation, and near the finale they ripped the shirts off to reveal “I Y TX.” Apparently their presentation was a hit, as CBMR will host the TSC for its Winter Shootout week. Attendees are expected to stay primarily at the Grand Lodge and Plaza.
CBMR is also hosting the International Airlines Ski Federation next March. “We’d like to see at least 300 international and 150 North American attendees,” Weyl said. Representatives from airlines around the world will converge on Crested Butte for what Weyl calls a “full-on race week.”
“They do GS, Slalom, alpine ski and snowboard, as well as Nordic racing and we’re working with Keith Bauer from the Nordic Center on that,” Weyl said. The event runs March 6-11, 2011.
“They take their racing really seriously,” Weyl added, “and they typically have an opening ceremony that includes a parade.”
In the near future, the Alpha Pi Zeta Fraternity from Denver University has chosen Mt. Crested Butte as the site for its Spring Formal—they’re coming to town the weekend of May 15. Weyl expects around 100 people in town for the event.
Overall, “Leisure group bookings are strong for next year,” Weyl concluded.
