SkiMachine consultancy: 10 tips to start a snow sports center
If you’ve ever passionately dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur in the winter sports industry, SkiMachine is here to inspire and guide you towards that objective! A sport-oriented and thriving entertainment center focused on active family fun with different winter sports activities suitable for all ages and abilities must sound like the dream of every winter sports enthusiast with an entrepreneurial spirit. Yes right? That’s why we’d love to present to you our 10 tips to start your own snow sports center!
A solid market analysis
A year-round winter experience is the future of skiing. As increasing numbers of people seek new and exciting ways to maintain fitness and health, visiting a local indoor ski center is becoming more and more attractive. Start your new venture by writing a solid business plan for your snow sports center! First, conduct a solid market analysis. Try to define the market you’re targeting thoroughly.
- Identify your target audience and its size
- Analyze their interests and behavior
- Know your competitors and understand their moves
- Look for market segments
- Define the potential growth of the market
- Gather information on trends that are developing in the entertainment industry
Let’s take the Netherlands for example with around 1,7 million active skiers and 54 indoor ski machine centers with an average of almost 3 simulators per center. The centers are repeatedly visited by various audiences. Kids come by as a preparation for a family ski holiday or enjoy their birthday party, recreative skiers train on ski-specific fitness exercises, and young adults invite their friends for a fun interactive challenge or join a ski team. Moreover, centers in Denver, Mnt Hotham Chamonix, or Courchevel have their focus on summer camps and athlete training during the off-season. The possibilities are endless, just like our slopes, meaning the potential of a snow sports center in for example the USA with over 20 million skiers or in Germany with over 15 million skiers and many other countries is enormous!
Find the right location for your snow sport center
There is nothing as pure as sharing your passion for snow sports with others and bringing a local community together with your own snow sports center. Your future community involvement emphasizes the importance of finding the perfect location, while your center will depend on repeat customer visits! Therefore, it is recommended to co-operate with a knowledgeable estate agent and look for a site with traffic, for example near malls, schools, next to a highway, or in retail areas to ensure a kickstart on your way to success!
Create value in a unique way
It’s important to know how you can differentiate from your competition. What will be the statement piece that sets you apart from any competitor and ensures the return of your customers?
Most people are brought up without slopes at their doorstep and may never experience the thrilling excitement of skiing down a mountain or the warm winter sports ambiance of an Austrian snow sports village with magical views and packed après-ski bars. By starting your center with the highest-quality SkiMachine simulators, you can provide visitors of all ages with a unique winter sports experience that captures the excitement of a day on the slopes!
• Develop a challenging training program with different levels
Employing qualified and passionate ski instructors is a key factor to success. The expertise and hospitality of the instructor create a positive and memorable experience for customers, resulting in intense and active customer loyalty! Next to having the right staff, it’s important to utilize the expertise of your staff to develop training modules that fit all ages and abilities.
An advanced multi-level ski program with slalom projections, interactive elements, video tracking systems, and one-on-one sessions with experienced ski coaches create the ultimate environment for beginner to advanced skiers to build their confidence, skiing technique, and maintain their health simultaneously! By investing in advanced training modules, your customers will spend more time in your center which ultimately results in more revenue streams from food & beverages, action photos/videos, and merchandise.
Thematize for recognition!
Brand awareness is one of the most leading aspects on your way to success as the role of marketing in today’s market place has increased significantly. The ambiance of a snow sports village with twinkling lights, a warm and wooden designed après-ski bar where visitors can socialize while enjoying a well-deserved ´weissbeer´ or ´gluhweihn´, or an Ice Age thematized SkiMachine for kids with additional sound effects and beamer projections is what makes your visitors memorize your center. In addition, this will be determining whether your customers will revisit your center or not! Theming doesn’t mean you have to be the next Walt Disney park, for instance it can start small with a photo corner, the right lighting plan and walking route, but also with the right storytelling. There are possibilities for every budget.
Gamification and innovation in your snow sport center
At SkiMachine, we are always at the forefront of the indoor ski revolution and set the standards for the industry. Attract more visitors by keeping up with the growth of the fast-developing entertainment industry and focus on gamification and innovation!
Pro-Snow artificial ski grass simulates a feeling of real snow, video tracking systems allow users to playback and spot areas of improvement, treadmill SkiMachines can be set in different levels of inclination variations, and slalom projections with obstacles create fun and challenging games for all ages. Imagine being the first snow sports center where skiers can battle in a game mode similar to Mario karts! With the feedback and input from our customers and industry peers, we are always working towards the highest level and will assure you of the best and latest equipment.
Keep visitors entertained with a variety of snow sport activities
Endless slopes equal endless possibilities. A sport-orientated winter wonderland is a perfect place where visitors can meet up with friends, hurtle down the tubing slide, take on a skiing challenge with interactive slalom projections or play a game of ax throwing or curling in the bar! Offering a variety of snow sport activities will keep visitors of all ages entertained for days, expanding your target audience and attracting a greater audience to your snow sports center!
Social awareness: the role of visitors
Engage your audience with a photo stand where visitors can see photos of themselves in action and choose a background of their choice. Imagine seeing yourself skiing in an attempt to escape an avalanche or grinding the terrace railing of a mountain restaurant! The ability to share a photo instantly on any social media channel is a great opportunity to create social attention, boost brand awareness, and attract new visitors!
Boost revenue streams with summer and winter camps
As your customer base is growing, opportunities to gather additional revenue streams arise! Organize summer and winter camps for beginners to advanced skiers, ski fitness programs for visitors to work on their physique, ski team training sessions where athletes can progress during the summer season, or corporate events with advertisement opportunities to attract sponsors who are looking for ways to promote their ski resorts. Don’t limit your creativity!
Call SkiMachine
With 100+ SkiMachines installed worldwide, numerous positive reactions from clients, and over 25 years of experience, SkiMachine has created wealth and know-how in creating the highest quality indoor simulators in the industry. We are more than happy to provide you with professional input and help you fulfill the dream of starting your own snow sports center!
Fulfill your dream and start your snow sports center with our help!
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