Epic Pass 2009-2010

EPIC PASS
www.epicpass.com

The Epic Pass was introduced in March 2008 as a $579 unrestricted, unlimited six resort season ski pass and immediately caused shock waves – 1. for its price 2. for the quality of the resorts included on the pass  3. for the lack of restrictions or black-out dates and 4. for the availability to not just locals or Colorado skiers/snowboarders but to out-of-state and international guests.

The Epic Pass now priced at $599 offers unlimited, ski-as-much-as-you-want with no black-out dates at six premier resorts – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Heavenly Mountain Resort that straddles California and Nevada - and still represents a savings of more than $1,000 compared to a similar pass from seasons past. A junior pass (ages 5-12) is $299.

To further put it into perspective, thirty years ago a season pass to Vail was $600. And, other single resort season passes are still priced at more than $1,000 this year (http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/136447).

The only catch for the Epic Pass is that it must be purchased by Nov. 22.

Since its inception, the Epic Pass has been referred to “the best value in the ski industry.”  Others have referred to it as a “no brainer” or as a “game changer.”

According to Vail Resorts Chairman and CEO Rob Katz, the Epic Pass is a win-win for our guests and also for our Company. The strength of the mountain division has been increased dramatically with the introduction of the Epic Season Pass, which has become a new business model for the ski industry.

The Epic Pass has become a game changer because it virtually locks up vacation dollars well before the first snowflake ever falls on the slopes. Not only have skiers and snowboarders made a commitment to ski well in advance, they've become loyal to our resorts and typically will ski with us more than once a season because after the sixth day with this pass, the skiing is free.

We've noticed how guest behavior has changed while at our resorts. Pass holders feel they don't need to be first on the lift and the last one off the mountain every day. They may ski for just a few runs, a few hours, or only at certain times of the day. They also perceive that, since their skiing was paid for long before their trip(s), they can spend money on other lines of business, such as ski school, retail or dining.

We've heard from some of our travel industry competitors in the gaming industry in Las Vegas that they wish there were such a product for their business.
 
Last season we sold about 60,000 Epic Passes to people all over the world.

“The number of season passes sold for the 2008/2009 ski season was 12.2% greater than the number of passes sold for the 2007/2008 ski season, due in large part to the introduction of the Epic Season Pass in the 2008/2009 season, and when combined with an 8.3% increase in effective pass price, drove a 21.7% increase in season pass revenue. Season pass revenue as a percent of total lift ticket revenue grew from 26% for the 2007/2008 ski season to 34% for the 2008/2009 ski season." – Rob Katz, Chairman & CEO, Vail Resorts.
 
Additionally, last season (2008-2009) marked the introduction of radio frequency (RF) technology in the pass scanning process at our five mountain resorts. All season passes have been enabled with RF technology to provide an “easy scan” process for our guests. The RF tags are detected automatically by handheld scanning devices, eliminating the need to dig passes out of jacket or pants pockets to be scanned. Vail Resorts was voted “Best Use of RFID” by an independent panel of judges at the RFID Journal Live! conference for its innovative and groundbreaking use of RF technology and the benefits provided to guests. 

New this year: Vail Resorts is also offering its $399 Summit Pass for unlimited skiing and snowboarding at three Summit County, Colorado resorts – Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin – for online purchase. Previously, this pass was only offered for sale in person at Colorado-based locations.

www.Epicpass.com