Spread the snow message

During Mammoth Lakes Tourism’s year-end report to the Mammoth Lakes Town Council a few months ago, Councilman Colin Fernie complimented MLT staff on successfully increasing visitation to Mammoth Lakes during the summer months.

But now, what are your plans for helping to smooth out the dips we’ve been seeing in the winter months (due to the last few years of drought)? he asked.

The time has arrived to answer that question.

With nearly two feet of snow last week and another big storm forecast this week, MLT is optimistic for the 2014-15-winter season. Part of our plans for smoothing out those winter dips is to make sure the community is as ready as we are to spread the word about snow.

“The storm this weekend is the best opportunity we’ve had to jumpstart the season in years,” said MLT Executive Director John Urdi. “We need to take full advantage of it.”

Mammoth Lakes Tourism is adding radio spots, ramping up digital display ads, sending dump alert emails to our lists, updating our online snow report page as well as our social media channels with the latest storm news, and reaching out directly to media outlets with images, videos and information on the storm. In addition, we’re working closely with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area to support its efforts.

Now is the time for the community to participate as well, and help us send a cohesive message to the world that winter has arrived in Mammoth Lakes. If this storm produces what we are hoping it will, we ask that each business in the community use its own communication channels to help spread the word.

“Snow brings visitors to town to fill the tills of our businesses,” said Chamber of Commerce Director Craig Schmidt. “It’s important for all of us to spread the snow message and then follow up on that message by embracing our guests when they arrive. We need to make them feel at home with excellent customer service.”

This weekend, instead of circling the wagons and shooting cannons at one another, as MMSA Rusty Gregory recently said we as a community like to do, let’s circle the wagons to support one another and the overall cause.

Send emails to your databases, regularly update your social media channels, and shout out loud and proud wherever you can that it’s snowing in Mammoth Lakes. The timing of this storm puts us in a good position to bump up holiday bookings if we can get the word out to as many people as possible. Every bit will help.