The Indy Pass

[Harvey]

Who are we talking about here?

Like I said, it's more than $30.

 

[Brownski]

I think a lot of them would be “best kept secret” candidates. Bolton, Magic, Greek. I never would have visited Mohawk or Shawnee and they’re right in my backyard. I knew Catamount already but a lot of other people didn’t. The only one I can think of that was really well known is Jay

 

[MarzNC]

I think this is correct, but I'm pretty sure the number is higher than $30.

The question comes down to total revenue vs yield. IF you have available capacity, do you want to increase revenue and lower yield?

Thinking back to what Doug said in interviews before the first Indy season, he mentioned a percentage of the window rate that was the goal. Can't remember what it was but it was clearly enough for the early adopters to buy into the idea.

Bottom line is that for every redemption at least some of the people wouldn't have gone at all. I know that's true for Massanutten and Bryce. Bryce is an hour from Mnut. I'd never bothered to go even when I was staying solo for a week at Mnut. The midweek tickets are cheap. But it wasn't worth doing a day trip just for variety.

I have a friend who lives in DC who got Indy. As it turned out he really likes Bryce and Massanutten for local skiing. Since he grew up skiing in Utah, it had never occurred to him to try Bryce or Massanutten or Canaan Valley. Indy made a difference.

 

[MarzNC]

I think a lot of them would be “best kept secret” candidates. Bolton, Magic, Greek. I never would have visited Mohawk or Shawnee and they’re right in my backyard. I knew Catamount already but a lot of other people didn’t. The only one I can think of that was really well known is Jay

For the Boston market, Pat's Peak and Berkshire East are getting fans because of Indy. So is Waterville Valley. These are places that don't do much marketing for assorted reasons.

The posts on the FB Indy Passholders group include plenty of people who say something like "so much fun, never knew about XX before." These are people who are happy to be buying Indy again for next season. That goes for all regions . . . northeast, midwest, northern Rockies, and PacNW.

 

[MarzNC]

Here's a recent TR from a very under-the-radar Utah ski area that's on both the Freedom Pass and Indy Pass. I guess it doesn't harm the resort to be on both passes?

Different functions for the two multi-resort passes. The free days for the Freedom Pass are a perk that encourages locals to buy a season pass. The Indy Pass with the Add-on option can also do that. I've done the Add-on to my Massanutten pass for a couple seasons.

I think most people who buy Indy don't also have a local 1-location season pass. They are the original target market, meaning the people who ski well under 10 days a season because that's all that fits in their busy lives.

The folks who get Indy and Ikon/Epic, and perhaps a local season pass too are the ski nuts.

 

[MarzNC]

Thanks for explaining that
Seems complicated, yet simple at the same time.

It's pretty simple math at the end of the season. Total Redemption Revenue divided by Total Number of Redemptions = Amount per Redemption. Indy provides the software that every location uses. An Indy passholder gets an email every time there is a redemption as a check. So the Total For Location = Amount per Redemption x Number of Location Redemption.

The actual staff required to manage Indy is pretty small. Of the 15%, most of that money is used for marketing costs. Doug co-founded an ad agency long ago. He knows how to get free advertising, as well as make the best use of email and info that's easy to find online. He's done interviews and podcasts with all sorts of news and ski media outlets in the last few years.

Doug essentially retired in order to get Indy off the ground. The concept had been floating around in his head for a few years before he started looking for GMs who would be willing to give the idea a try. The first list was all locations in the west, mostly the PacNW because he is from Portland. His company also had a bit of experience in the mid-Atlantic ski scene because Subaru liked a program that was set up in the PacNW and wanted to expand the idea.

 

[NYSkiBlog]

INDY GOES NORDIC!
Hello and happy trails!

We are very excited to announce a major expansion into cross-country skiing that gives our passholders two trail passes to some of the best XC resorts in North America.

In addition, our new Indy XC Pass is on sale now for $69 for adults and $29 for kids 12-and-under providing two trail passes at each resort. 10% of the sale price will be donated to the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) a great champion of a sport that is exploding in popularity.

We welcome this passionate community of skiers and independent resorts to our coalition of lift-serving indies and dedicated downhillers. As far as we're concerned, the more people enjoying snow sports the better, and we're delighted to offer common ground (snow-covered that is) for all those who love sliding on the stuff.

Even if cross-country isn't your thing, I hope you'll spread the news that the Revolution also rides on skinny skis!

Stay Stoked!

Doug Fish

Founding Cross Country Partners
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, BC
High Point Cross Country Ski Center, NJ
JacksonXC, NH
Mapelag Resort, MN
White Grass Touring Center, WV
Waterville Valley Resorts, NH
Woodstock Nordic Center, VT

 

[OldTimer88]

Does the Indy Pass offer any discounts on stay and ski options to include ski access, hotel, etc?

 

[NYSkiBlog]

Indy Pass Lodging Deals - Indy Pass

Whether it’s a long weekend or a month-long sojourn, your Indy Pass is your passport to an authentic and affordable ski vacation. Indy Pass offers two main types of lodging options in the maps below. The red listings are local VRBOs. By booking through Indy Pass, you can not only see the...

www.indyskipass.com

 

[MarzNC]

Does the Indy Pass offer any discounts on stay and ski options to include ski access, hotel, etc?

If you look at the website for some Indy locations, I'm guessing that some may include a section for Lodging for local independent BnB, motels, or ski lodges. Like blackout dates, the Indy locations make their own business decisions.

In general, relatively inexpensive lodging near Indy ski areas in the northeast can be found within a 30-45 min drive. Of course, prices will be higher for Friday and Saturday nights. For instance, staying in Pittsfield or Lee, MA can work as a home base for Catamount, Berkshire East, and West Mountain. During the winter, plenty of beds in the Queensbury/Lake George area near West Mountain.