CBMR teams with Chamber to provide business ski passes

Business passes go on sale in September

The Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce and Crested Butte Mountain Resort will partner this winter to provide the annual business pass program.

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Every winter season, the resort offers local businesses the opportunity to purchase discounted season passes for employees. This winter that program will be offered only to Chamber of Commerce member businesses.
Chamber operations manager Kristen Van Hoesen says, “We’re working with the resort to provide members a benefit and we’re also providing a greater discount. There are some other differences. In the past, businesses have had to buy at least three passes. Now they’re only required to buy two.”
In the past CBMR has also asked participating businesses to have their employees take customer service classes, but those won’t be required this year.
Unlike regular season passes, business passes can be transferred to another person for a $50 processing fee, allowing businesses to deal with changes in employees.
This year, business passes will feature a 10 percent discount off of the June 1 rate for a standard season pass. The discount applies to bronze, gold, and platinum passes as well as EZ cards. So for example, a gold pass will cost about $809 before tax instead of the retail rate of $899.
 And even later this winter when the price for regular passes jumps a tier, business passes will still be offered for the same discount off the June rate. Business passes will be available between September 15 and December 4.
This year the Chamber of Commerce will process the business pass reservations, authorizations and payments. Employees will still need to go to the pass office at CBMR to get their pass.
Chamber members will receive business pass program information when their annual renewal notices are sent out in September.
Businesses wishing to become Chamber members will have the opportunity to reserve business passes through the Chamber’s application packet. Van Hoesen notes, “The savingson just two gold passes will equal 75 percent of the basic Chamber membership fee.”
Van Hoesen says the majority of businesses that participated in CBMR’s previous business pass programs have been Chamber members.
CBMR vice president of sales and marketing Daren Cole says, “This is an exciting collaboration with the Chamber in being able to provide a great benefit to the community business partners.”
Cole says year over year sales on season passes are up about $200,000 since last July. “The volume of sales is doing well to where we were at last year,” he says
Cole says the summer lift pass and adventure park passes have also been selling very well.
He says the financing option on season passes has been very popular this year—a deal allowing pass purchasers to make four monthly payments—and CBMR expects more people to sign onto the financing deal this week. The deadline to enroll in the pass financing program ends on July 31.
If you’re not looking for a financing deal, Cole also notes that the deadline before the price increase isn’t until September 7.
For more information on the Business Ski Pass Program contact Kristen Van Hoesen at (970) 349-6438.