RAGGED MOUNTAIN'S SNOWVATION STORY: BEBE WOODS PROGRAM, LEARNING TO SKI FREE, & BEST IN CLASS BOOKING
Ragged & Snowvation Partner to Help Grow the Industry
With the winter season all but over in most of the country, we caught up with Ben Hall, the Marketing Director at Ragged Mountain Resort in New Hampshire to discuss the positive impact that implementing Snowvation’s online booking and management platform has had on their resort. This year, Ragged Mountain used Snowvation for its incredibly popular and first of its kind Bebe Wood Free Learn to Ski & Ride Program. In order to rewrite the script of how to increase new participation in the ski industry, Ragged Mountain removed the biggest hurdle faced when learning how to ski or ride: the cost. Through this unique Free Learn to Ski & Ride program, individuals receive three free lessons, lift tickets, and brand new rental equipment.
Combining this innovative lesson program with Snowvation’s best-in-class technology was a match made in first-time skier and rider’s heaven. We let Ben share more about three key benefits Ragged experienced this season: guest experience, better data and use of data, and a more diverse group of visitors.
“We (Ragged) wanted to have a program that was intuitive to the guests as users, had an easy process for booking, and would help them along their path of becoming a skier or snowboarder. Snowvation really fits that mold perfectly” said Hall. “We needed an online booking partner who understands the nuances of the ski industry” he continued, pointing to Snowvation’s experienced team in snowsports, which enables the platform to capture unique operational nuances that other booking platforms have often overlooked.
The opportunity to take three free lessons made Snowvation’s booking platform even more valuable to Ragged guests, as repeat guests booking through Snowvation can click and book in a matter of seconds, and track their ski & ride progression along the way. After completing the program, participants can also return to book with Ragged and receive discounted group lessons.
Hall continued on to articulate what Snowvation has done from a management and data standpoint stating “We found opportunities to enhance and streamline the program based on the data we were seeing throughout the season. Being able to better schedule and estimate how many people we have coming through at any point in time throughout the season is going to allow us to give a better experience to our guest, and to use our staff more effectively. I see us having an even more successful year next year because of the lessons (no pun intended) that we have been able to extrapolate from the data this year.”
Bringing a more diverse group of participants to the sport is a constant struggle for many resorts. “One unexpected and positive consequence of implementing Snowvation was an increase in more diverse cultures coming into the sport for the first time.” Combining a free program with a seamless booking experience can quickly make, at least trying, skiing and riding a no-brainer.
Hall concluded his Snowvation Story stating “It feels like a strong partnership as opposed to just a client-business service, and I feel like that is really important in this industry. The receptiveness from the whole team has been wonderful and has made both myself and the other team members here feel very confident in Snowvation moving forward.”
The team at Snowvation echoed Hall’s sentiments, and feel very confident in the future of the industry with the innovation that resorts like Ragged Mountain are bringing forth through the Bebe Wood program. Working with several dozen resorts and ski schools across 4 continents, we experience a wide range of innovation and unique operating practices. The Bebe Wood Learn to Ski & Ride Program is truly one of the leaders in bringing new participants to our sport, and we hope our partnership with Ragged Mountain will have wider benefits to the industry as a whole.
Stay tuned for more Snowvation Stories from partners across the globe throughout the spring and summer!