{"product_id":"ski-inc-2020-alterra-counters-vail-resorts-megapasses-transform-the-landscape-the-industry-responds-and-flourishes-for-skiing-a-north-american-renaissance-9780997978421","title":"Ski Inc. 2020: Alterra Counters Vail Resorts; Mega-passes Transform the Landscape; the Industry Responds and Flourishes; for Skiing? a North American Renaissance","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"The ski world has been turned upside down.\" Chris Diamonds first book  Ski Inc.  had just hit bookshelves in December 2016 when shock waves reverberated through the ski resort landscape. In early 2017  the Alterra Mountain Company emerged to challenge Vail Resorts supremacy  eventually buying 15 resorts  partnering with another 25-plus  and launching the Ikon Pass to compete with the Epic Pass. The story behind Alterras rise is remarkable  as is Vail Resorts counter-offensive in the form of its own buying spree  which most recently included the acquisition of the 17 ski areas of Peak Resorts. Through countless interviews  hundreds of sources  and deep firsthand experience  Diamond dissects this unprecedented upheaval  in which the business has been radically  disruptively  and yet positively transformed. \"Ski Inc. 2020 accomplished in a matter of hours what Id failed to do on my own in a decade: make sense of present-day resort headlines in the context of how we got here in the first place \" says Gregg Blanchard  the senior vice president of Strategy for Inntopia. When Diamond started this Ski Inc. 2020 sequel  he thought it would be primarily the story of how these \"Big Two\" resort companies suddenly came to control more than half of the U.S. ski resort business through their mega-passes  and what it means for skiers and snowboarders. But as he dug deeper  he discovered dynamic trajectories among the next three largest ski conglomerates (Boyne Resorts  POWDR and Peak Resorts  now part of Vail)  plus ingenuity and innovation at a host of small- and medium-sized resorts  dozens of which are chronicled in the book. Besides the widespread success of value season passes  which trade early commitment for dramatically reduced pricing  resorts large and small have polished their operations. The success starts with passionate leadership and extends to every line item. Resorts now avoid risky real-estate projects; vigorously market to and build relationships with digitally savvy customers; sharpen margins across all departments; and improve the product in every way. For an industry that historically suffered through peaks and valleys with the weather and economy  the result today is an impressive bottom-line consistency that has drawn investor interest worldwide. There are daunting hurdles ahead  with climate change and sluggish participation trends at the top of the disrupter list  but the future is arguably brighter than ever. With season passes at circa-1970s prices  while providing access to dozens of resorts rather than just one  theres never been a better time to be a skier or snowboarder. This book is an eye-opener  a deep  colorful dive beneath the headlines  for any skier or rider who wants to understand todays landscape. And its a must-read for anyone who worksor wants to workin the ski industry. \"Chris Diamond takes the reader to a higher level of understanding on the state of the ski-resort industry than anyone has ever done \" says Michael Berry  who served as the president of the National Ski Areas Association for 25 years. \"Key executives opened up to Chris in a way that is unique to this book; their candor and Chriss astute observations combine to make a compelling read. If you love winter  love mountains  and love to slide on snow  this book is a must-read.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647388573749,"sku":"ByrdShop_0997978422","price":43.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780997978421.jpg?v=1781692199","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/ski-inc-2020-alterra-counters-vail-resorts-megapasses-transform-the-landscape-the-industry-responds-and-flourishes-for-skiing-a-north-american-renaissance-9780997978421","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}