CRESTED BUTTE — At its first major event since losing powerhouse Vail Resorts Inc., Colorado Ski Country USA detailed a drastically reduced budget, named a new leader and revealed its second-highest skier-visit numbers.
The trade group said during its annual meeting Thursday that it slashed its budget in half for the fiscal year that started this month.
The move comes just two weeks after Vail Resorts, which owns four of the state’s busiest ski areas, withdrew its membership, which accounted for about $800,000 in annual dues.
Ski Country board members said that while losing Vail hurt, it will not paralyze the nonprofit.
“We took the Vail slice off the top, and then we tried to be conservative about everything else,” said board treasurer Greg Finch of Arapahoe Basin. “We have a healthy, balanced and sound budget. It was a tough process, but at the end of the day, we have a stronger organization and the 22 (resorts) left are committed to one another and to the organization.”
The $1.7 million budget is down from $3.5 million last year. Dues make up about 56 percent of the organization’s budget, explaining why Vail Resorts’ withdrawal caused so much strain.
Finch said that the board was conservative in setting the budget but that revenues will come in higher than budgeted.
International and national marketing have been cut significantly; revenue from the Gold Pass, which used to include Vail Resorts, is expected to drop; and the staff has been reduced to nine from a peak of 15.
Vail Resorts chief executive Rob Katz said at the time of Vail’s withdrawal that the company had philosophical differences with Ski Country, wanting it to focus more on public policy and less on marketing.
“We all really believe that Colorado skiing has a brand, and Vail Resorts didn’t agree, and that seemed to be the parting of the ways,” Finch said.
With the new budget and a smaller operation, newly appointed president and CEO Melanie Mills knows what her challenge will be. Mills, formerly vice president of public policy and legal affairs for the group, replaces Rob Perl man, who has taken a job at Steamboat.
“Our big challenge is to retain our strength and effectiveness with a slimmed-down profile,” Mills said.
The organization’s streamlining means more Web focus and less paper advertising, increased responsibilities for staff members and more teamwork by partner resorts, various members said.
Elizabeth Aguilera: 303-954-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com
