what do your guests really think of your ski area? Learn from the - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

General Operations – Hospitality/Guest Experience – You’ve got the grooming and rental thing covered, but what do your guests really think of your ski area? Learn from the experts on how to improve the guest experience

Overview • Who am I? • Adirondack Welcome & Context • What is the VIC? Paul Smith’s College? Their Connection? • How do we aim to achieve quality Hospitality and Guest Experiences? • What should we avoid? What should we engage? • Know thy neighbor, thy visitor, thy self. • Collaboration, distinction, unilateral themes in the industry. • How do you know your achieving it? – Feedback/ Evaluations

The Adirondacks – Unique or Repeat?

16 Adirondack Cross-Country Ski Areas Lapland Lake Gore Mountain Nordic Center Dewey Mountain Recreation Center Kunjamuk Loop Garnet Hill Lodge Mount Van Hovenberg Lake George Recreation Park McCauley Mountain Ski Area Cascade Cross-Country Ski Center Hackensack Mountain Park Fern Park Recreation Area New Land Trust Dynamite Hill Recreation Area Tupper Lake Cross-Country Center Adirondack Interpretive Center Paul Smith’s College VIC

The VIC By the numbers By any other name • 3,000 acre property • Biologically diverse landscape • 25 miles of trails • 40 km of groomed winter trails • 20,000 visitors annually • Year round venue • 30 years old • Snow belt winter recreation • 25,000 square foot building • Adirondack Great Camp • 1,500 day passes annually • Nice tourists and locals • 100 paying season pass holders • Year round local supporters • 100 free College student passes • Future affinity base • 1/16 th of the Nordic Venues • Ample competition -keep our visitors happy • Town of Brighton Pop. 500 • Super rural, stand alone destination facility Franklin County 51,000

Hospitality & Guest Experiences

Visitor Experiences • Pre- Trip and planning • During • Post

Who are your guests? Local/ Tourist? Families- younger/ older kids School Groups Tour Groups Are you adapting/ adaptable to visitor trends? Are you dog friendly, kid friendly, what about my fat bike?

What is everyone looking for? • Comfortable experience • Safe environment • Friendly knowledgeable staff • Quality services • Clean facility • Organized • Fun & relaxing

How do you achieve it? • Accountability • Equity • Skin in the game

On-Site • Parking • Walkways • Restrooms • Front Desk/ Visitor Services • Retail – affinity builder for venue • Unifying theme - consistency

Identify and Maintain your Assets • How versatile is a space? • How much effort does it take to make useable daily, to transition? • What are beneficial upgrades?

Inviting?

Inclusion in Regional Efforts

Print Media

Online and On-Trail Accessibility

Informative Roadside Signage

Where do I go from here?

On-Trail Experiences • Junction and trail signage • Difficulty ratings • Caution & other indicators • Trailhead kiosks • Numbered Junctions • Benches • Vistas

Accessible Information • Is your information accessible to people in many ways? • Online pre-trip planning • Over the phone / e-mail/ in-person contact

Value Added Experiences • More than just skiing • Food & beverage • Educational opportunities • Fire side time • On-site activities & lodging • Other extensions

What can you do after 4PM? • What can you do mornings? • Mid- Day • Afternoon

Post Trip • Positive ways for people to engage, share, feedback, & promote • Active social media, trip advisor, etc. pages • Encourage people to take home materials, and promote year-round activities

Group Discussion • Find at least 2 people you don’t know in this presentation • Spend a few minutes together • Share 3 positive experiences about your organization/ institution worth sharing • Share 2 flops you’ve seen. If the flops could’ve been changed to a positive experience, what needed to be changed? • I’ll ask your groups to share a + and a – with the group.

Hanging up our boots (The storage wax portion) • Better feel for what your current and prospective visitors are looking for • Things you can work towards • How you might get there • Contact – Andy Testo Paul Smith’s College VIC (Visitor Interpretive Center) atesto@paulsmiths.edu (518) 774-9806