The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Chamber, CBMR partner for second year
Early-bird season ski pass prices for Crested Butte Mountain Resort expire April 4, but it’s not the last chance for locals to score early-season rates. For those looking to secure passes through their businesses and places of employment, discounted business passes will be available from September 1 through December 10.
After December 10, the prices will be raised to an undetermined amount. A minimum purchase of two passes is required to qualify for business passes
Pricing for the 2010/2011 business passes is set for Platinum ($905), Gold ($855), and Bronze ($719) passes, with the pricing of the E-Z Cards yet to be determined.
Platinum passes are valid winter of 2010/2011 and summer 2011. Bronze blackout dates are December 26, 2010 to January 2, 2011; February 19 and 20, 2011; and March 12-26, 2011. The pricing does not include the 4 percent Mt. Crested Butte Admissions Tax. The Family Value program doesn’t apply to business passes.
Businesses need to be members of the Chamber of Commerce to be eligible for the Business Pass Program. Pass authorization forms will be mailed to businesses by November 12, 2010.
Kristen Van Hoesen, operations and member relations manager for the Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that the Chamber doesn’t receive any share whatsoever from the program, other than Chamber memberships.
“The reason you need to be a Chamber member” to purchase business passes, says Van Hoesen, “is that in the past, before the Chamber took on the administration and implementation of the program, the discount on business passes was only 3 percent. Because CBMR is no longer doing the administration and implementation we were able to negotiate a 10 percent discount.”
CBMR’s vice president for sales and marketing Daren Cole said of the program, “The Chamber’s execution of the business pass program has been a great success, and is an example of collaborative efforts that we hope to grow in the community.”
According to Van Hoesen, 2010-2011 business pass pricing reflects a 10 percent discount off the June 1 general public pricing. “Price changes in the business pass program reflect the changes to general public pricing” of approximately $50 per pass, she said. “As in general public passes, business Gold Passes now provide two half-price buddy passes and Platinum passes provide four buddy passes.”
New this year, the Chamber will have direct access to CBMR’s E-Commerce to process pass applications, which will help speed up the process and turnaround time.
Van Hoesen reflected on the first year of the program and looked to the future. “The Chamber’s first season administering the business ski pass program in partnership with CBMR was extremely successful,” she said. “We had many new business participants compared with years past. The additional discount was particularly beneficial to our business owners and their employees, as well as contributing to a positive program for both the Chamber and CBMR.”
Questions about the program can be directed to Kristen Van Hoesen at the Chamber.
