CBMR takes top NSAA honors in marketing, guest services

Fly Free program, employee training a winning combination

First you have to get guests here… and then you need to “wow” them with exceptional service. Those are two crucial ingredients to operating a successful destination resort, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort recently received top accolades in both those categories from the National Ski Areas Association.

CBMR was awarded with the NSAA’s Overall Best Marketing Program and Overall Best Guest Service Program awards for 2009-2010 in the 250,000-to-500,000 skier visits category, and is one of only three resorts to ever win both overall awards in the same year.
The NSAA is the trade association for ski area owners and operators, representing 329 alpine resorts that account for more than 90 percent of ski and snowboard visits worldwide. The organization recognizes resorts annually for exceptional marketing and guest service efforts.
According to CBMR, the Marketing Awards recognize the best in ski area marketing campaigns that record impressive results, while the Guest Service Awards reward high-quality resort customer service programs that have had a positive impact on the guests’ level of satisfaction. This year marks the 11th year for the NSAA Marketing Awards and the sixth year for the NSAA Guest Service Awards.
Ken Stone, chief operating officer of CBMR, spoke to the significance of the marketing award. “Being recognized for having the best overall marketing program, compared to so many other great resorts, tells us we are on the right track with our brand message.”
Troy Hawkes is the communications manager for the NSAA. “We launched these awards about 10 years ago,” said Hawkes. Part of the motivation behind developing the awards program was to inspire innovative marketing strategies that speak to a younger and more culturally diverse population of skiers and snowboarders. “We want to attract new participants and keep them coming back season after season.”
There were about 30 resort/ski area applicants total, and the application deadline was March 1, which didn’t give the ski areas much time to gather and present their numbers to the NSAA.
“By having the resorts compete against each other, it does help to bring about new and innovative marketing strategies and a benefit to the ski industry as a whole,” Hawkes said, noting that CBMR “definitely stood out from the others.”
CBMR’s winter marketing program, “Fly Free,” which was the industry’s first true Fly Free program, earned it the NSAA Best Overall Marketing Award. The program was created to directly address the rising cost of air travel during the 2008-2009 ski season. The Fly Free concept spawned several promotions, including: Friends and Family Fly Free; One, Two, Free; Buy One Get One and Fly, Ski & Stay. According to CBMR, these programs have been the top revenue and room night generators in each of the last two years.
The program utilizes marketing funds allocated for the regional airline service Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) to “purchase” free airline tickets for destination guests when they book two or more flights into the Gunnison Crested Butte Regional Airport. In addition to the direct booking revenue earned from the concept, CBMR reported, the Fly Free program has a positive impact on the MRG program greatly reducing the financial exposure for the RTA.
The NSAA’s Overall Best Guest Service Program award resulted from CBMR’s guest services earning an increase of 13 percentage points in independent guest survey scores conducted by market research and analysis firm RRC Associates. CBMR cited several factors that contributed to the positive survey results, including: early-season training; establishing a Service Excellence Team among employees throughout different departments across the resort; providing personal responses for guest service comments; a new centrally-located Guest Service staff kiosk; and new Guest Service staff uniforms.
“The guest service award is significant in that it reflects on our employees’ focus of creating an exceptional experience for everyone who visits Crested Butte,” said Stone.
For more information on the NSAA visit www.nsaa.org/nsaa/home/.