HoliMont Has Big Changes in the Works
HoliMont Has Big Changes in the Works
HoliMont Partners with World-Renowned Mountain Resort Planner
It’s not by chance that the world’s most well-known destination ski resorts are so successful - in fact, it’s by design! By developing a master plan, resorts become well positioned to meet the needs of their members and attract more, improve their services and facilities, and ensure future sustainability and continued growth. HoliMont recently invited world-renowned mountain resort planners Ecosign (ECOlogical DeSIGN) to the resort to begin the process of developing a master plan, and Snowsports Director Travis Widger is enthusiastic about the positive changes on the horizon.
According to Widger, this is HoliMont’s first formal master plan, and Ecosign was the ideal choice for a consulting firm. “Ecosign has completed over 450 resort development projects in 47 countries spanning six continents, including six Olympic Winter Games and several Alpine World Ski Championships,” he explained. “The decision to choose Ecosign was a collaboration between our Leadership Team and Board of Directors to help HoliMont stay true to our ‘Keep Building’ Core Value.”
Ecosign was founded by Paul Mathews in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada in 1975 and has focused its mission around designing “the most efficient, humanly pleasing mountain resorts in the world.” Toward that end, the consulting firm has been providing services such as resort and ski area master plans, resort village design, four season recreational planning, competitive snow facilities design, and more for nearly 50 years.
Widger noted that HoliMont’s big picture-goal is to be a four-season resort with offerings for members and guests 12 months of the year. The next two to three years will comprise the planning and growth stages for the resort, with continued improvements and enhancements to the summer and winter venues. During Ecosign’s visit, the team hosted a Stakeholders Address during which they shared their background and experience in resort planning, as well as their goals for HoliMont, which directly address the resort’s big-picture goal of becoming a four-season destination. The consulting firm shared project examples from all over the world including Whistler Blackcomb and Sun Peaks Ski Resort in British Columbia, Canada; Changbaishan International Ski Resort in Jilin, China; Le Massif de Charlevoix in Quebec, Canada; and Ruka in Kuusamo, Finland.
For HoliMont, the largest private ski club in the U.S., Ecosign’s plans include recommendations to increase membership and limit membership attrition and assess the resort’s financial health to identify areas that can be improved to ensure long-term sustainability. Other goals include assessing summer recreation offerings and recommending ways to improve or create new amenities and analyzing existing guest services to identify inefficiencies and develop concepts for improvements. With growth in mind, Ecosign also plans to analyze HoliMont’s capacity and consider terrain expansions or other ways to optimize the resort area.
Widger said the address, which was followed by an open comment and questions section, was well received by members who were “positive, curious, and hopeful” about Ecosign’s vision for HoliMont. “I feel they will be a great fit for HoliMont and had lots of great questions and insight during their first site visit,” he said. “They were impressed with the family atmosphere and number of young families and children skiing and riding.”
To learn more about Ecosign’s plans for HoliMont or view a recording of their Stakeholders Address, visit https://holimont.com/resources/.