BCBusiness

sOuRCEs: CiTy OF VAnCOuVER, BC REsTAuRAnT & FOOdsERViCEs AssOCiATiOn, and snowboarders unlimited access to the company's 14 properties. Among them are some of America's most popular ski destinations, including Vail, Heavenly and Beaver Creek. Bringing Whistler into the fold heightens the allure of the pass for the jet-set skier, while die-hard local powder hounds could save hundreds this season and might be enticed to take a run at other Vail resorts. This past spring the early-bird price for an Epic Pass was $1,117, versus $1,439 for a Whistler Blackcomb early-bird season pass in 2016. However, casual skiers and boarders will have to pay a little more because the one-day and three-day Edge cards have been discontinued. To get the local discount, visitors must now buy ˆve- and 10-day cards, which cost $459 and $789, respec- tively, to ride without date restrictions during the 2017‹18 season. Elevating the Epic Pass is a sophisticated digital marketing strateŒy fuelled by mountains of customer data. Vail carves that information into buyer personas—everyone from the luxury Alpine A-lister to the local Shred Head—to better understand how its custom- ers experience its resorts and how best to market to those segments. "We've been pretty pub- lic about we're a data-driven company, and we believe that the best decisions come from the best information," Sonntag explains. "It's proven to be suc- cessful for us everywhere else we've done business, and we're conˆdent it will here, too." This approach has boosted Epic Pass sales. Revenue keeps breaking records: as of Septem- ber, sales were up 23 per cent over 2016‹17, following a 34 per cent jump the previous year. In Whistler, where data is col- lected on just 20 per cent of non–season pass holders, Vail sees signiˆcant potential. At its other resorts, data capture is about 96 per cent. "We have found that this information and the ability to better segment and personalize our communications to our guests has been one of the largest drivers of our season pass growth in past years, set- ting us up very well for contin- ued pass sales growth for ˆscal 2019 and beyond," chairman and CEO Robert Katz said in a recent earnings call with investors. Katz, a driving force behind Vail's digital push, led the com- pany to one of the biggest such innovations in the recreation industry with the release of its EpicMix app in 2010. The app turned heading up the moun- tain into a game, tracking how much terrain riders were shredding in a day and rewarding their e¦orts with digital kudos. But sophisticated market- ing schemes can only get you so far. Whistler has to evolve to attract new customers and consistently surprise long-time thrill seekers. Fortunately for Vail there's already a road map, the Renais- sance plan. Vail is pledging to carry out an ambitious strateŒy that would further cement Whistler's reputation as a year-round resort destination. The $345-million plan calls for new attractions, including a six-star luxury hotel and new indoor and outdoor adventure centres ranging from water- slides and a roller coaster to a "zone dedicated to human §ight." For those who just want to hit the slopes, there will be new chairlifts, restaurants and other improvements to the mountains. "What I look forward to is continuing to strive to make this place the best it can pos- sibly be and create one of the greatest mountain experiences in the world," Sonntag says. "That's why Vail was interested in making this acquisition, because this is a pretty special place and we want to respect what's special about it, build on the strengths and create something unique in the industry." That's the share of renters in a 2017 City of Vancouver housing survey who said they didn't know if they would still be in the city in three to ˆve years. Once next year's 4 per cent allowable rent hike takes e¦ect in B.C. (and renovictions and lease renewals push average rents even higher), help-wanted signs will grow dustier as street-level businesses chase the increasingly rare soul who can a¦ord to live on a cook's wages. "Vancouver is a di¦erent beast," says Josh Gordon, an assistant professor at SFU's School of Public Policy and a speaker on housing at the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities conference. In most cities, business and wage growth drive population in§uxes and shelter shortages, but Vancouver's rental market is disconnected from the underlying economy, Gordon notes. "It's a big issue," he says. "It becomes hard for businesses to expand, and the dynamic potential of the city's economy declines." by Melissa Edwards Housing Shock NUmERologY 67% 16 BCBusiness dECEMBER/JAnuARy 2018 Fresh Tracks Three new experi- ences at Whistler this season sOuRCE:TOuRisM whisTlER Pangea PoD Hotel Canada's first such hotel is set to open in April 2018. with 88 sleeping pods in a boutique-style setting, Pangea aims to fill the niche between the hotel and hostel markets. sPearHeaD Huts For the more adventur- ous traveller comes the west Coast's first hut-to-hut accom- modation. located along the spearhead Traverse in Garibaldi Provincial Park, the three sites will sleep 30 to 40 people, with the first hut due to open in 2017. WHistler Mountain Peak susPension BriDge This 130-metre struc- ture stretches from the summit across whistler Bowl to a 360-degree viewing platform on west Ridge.

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