Well, it's finally here. After all the rumors, speculation, and fanfare that circulated around the sale, purchase, and subsequent new ownership style of Killington, Opening Day has arrived!! And apparently Mother Nature got the memo, because as if on cue, it was snowing in Killington yesterday, and the accumulation got more serious today. Let's just hope this is an indication of a successful snowy winter ahead.So what's been going on in Killington anyway? What's up with the new owners? Why are they doing that? Do you think that will be good or bad for business? These are just a few of the many questions that I have fielded over the past few months. They're all good questions, in light of several announcements made by the Resort following the sale.Two of these operational changes directly affect Wise and our "product". In previous years, we have offered our guests a "Ski and Stay" package- it includes a lovely accommodation, and discounted lift tickets purchased in advance- from us. We in turn would purchase the tickets from Killington, and present the guest with a clever little voucher that they simply had to bring to a ticket window. We were in fact the largest ticket reseller in the area for several years. All was right with the world. Now, Killington had a new model- "no one can sell lift tickets to guests but us."The next interesting tidbit announced last month from Killington-"oh yeah, by the way, you know that lift and base lodge that allows all of Killington East properties to be ski in / ski out? We're going to go ahead and just NOT open that mid week. No biggie." However, after a "slight" uproar from the community and beyond, they conceded to only closing the Skyeship only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays ; it will of course be fully open Christmas Week and Presidents Week.Obviously these changes are disappointing to Wise and the business community as a whole. However, we are committed to doing business successfully this season and beyond, working with Killington, and accepting these facts as small challenges rather than road blocks.I am very excited about several new marketing initiatives I have been hard at work on during the summer and fall. Here are some of the highlights:We are in the midst of a redesign of our current website. While I believe that we have a well developed site currently, I am constantly looking to achieve the next best thing. So our new site will launch us into "Web 2.0". In other words, the new site will have increased user interaction, even more advanced functionality, and will have a face lift visually. Guests will enjoy a live weather feed, interactive Google Maps, and eventually videos and podcasts. Look for this exciting launch in the New Year.Another new feature is the implementation of an automated pre-arrival email and a post-departure email for our guests. While currently guests do receive an emailed reservation confirmation after booking their stay, this is often long in advance of their arrival date. So beginning this month, guests will receive an emailed communication about a week before they arrive, reconfirming their reservation, but also providing answers to common last minute questions, vacation activity suggestions, and other useful information. Likewise, after the guest departs, they will receive a follow up email that will allow them to provide feedback about their stay, and of course tempt them to book another reservation with us!Additionally, we are implementing a call tracking and routing system that will improve the path calls take to our reservation agents, resulting in higher conversion rates, better information capture, and improved accounting of the call source.Those are just two of the many marketing initiatives I have planned for the coming few months. The phones are ringing, the website is receiving a ton of activity, our inbox is flooded with 75+ reservation inquiry emails daily, and the entire staff is gearing up as we head in to the 2007-2008 winter season! Happy Opening Day at Killington!