Warm Weather PR? Ask the Ski Resorts

(NYC Weather, from weather.com)

We were feeling a bit better about global warming a week ago, when things were really cold on the east coast. But now all of a sudden it’s almost 70 degrees here in NYC in January again and this makes us feel funny.

Naturally, PRNewser reached out to several communications directors of east coast ski resorts this morning to get their take on the warm weather from a PR perspective. Tom Horrocks, Communications Manager for Killington Resort in Vermont was the first to get back to us. Read his take on “warm weather pr” below.

From a PR perspective, what can you do on warm weeks like this to bring people to the mountain? Does the warm weather help attract more people?

Fortunately the ski industry got off to a great start on December and here at Killington we have built ample base depths with snowmaking and the generous contributions from Mother Nature to sustain conditions during warm weather periods. That said, the weather does drive market demand. Snow is obviously the message that results in increased hits to our website and calls to our reservation lines. However, the first couple of weeks in January are usually quite in terms of visitation and the expected January thaw has little effect on business levels.

During challenging weather times, we focus on our core attributes from a PR perspective, including our elevation advantage (it’s colder up here), massive snowmaking operation providing deep base depths and quality snow grooming. In addition, we also add in the many off-mountain activities available for guests, including dining, nightlife, shopping, etc.

How has this change in weather affected you communications strategy, if at all?
Snow drives the message, and when it snows we use the many channels available to get the message out, including video, photos, live webcams, press releases, etc. The month of December we received 92.5 inches of snow at Killington and throughout the month we were constantly shooting video and pictures for news outlets in the east to relay the snow and weather conditions. However, during a warm weather period, proper news judgment must also be exercised. You don’t want to issue a press release on “how good” the conditions are if they actually don’t measure up. But again, it is important to focus on the core attributes and what the resort does offer.

Would you say Killington gets more media calls on warm weather days like this, or on days before or after big snowstorms?
Really depends on the size of the snow storm. If it’s a major Nor’ Easter with folks experiencing power outages, auto accidents, etc., skiing generally takes a back seat initially. However, once the doom and gloom of the weather subsides, media tend to focus on the benefits of snow, including the winter sports industry.

Is Killington involved with any global warming non-profits or advocacy groups?
Here is a link to our environmental initiatives.

Anything else you’d like to share?
We are experiencing a typical January thaw and it looks as though winter will return this weekend and into next week. Remember last Feb. and March when we received more than 100 inches of snow?

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