Date: March 5, 2009 5:50:57 PM PST
To: CHRIS ASHFORD
Subject: MVP10: From the Desk of Rusty Gregory
Dear Mammoth Value Passholder,
You and our other Mammoth Value Passholders are Mammoth's most important guests. The MVP was created 10 years ago to provide our frequent visitors the most affordable access possible to the slopes of Mammoth and June Mountain. I have received hundreds of letters and emails over the years from people telling me how the MVP's low price made it possible for them to keep skiing and riding with their friends and family. This affordability is even more important now that we are all facing a deepening global recession exacerbated by a persistent credit crisis.
Like most of you, our expenses continue to go up but our income has been going down. My management team and I thought long and hard about how best to price this year's MVP. On one hand, our employee's benefits, insurance, maintenance and other costs too numerous to mention here are on the rise. On the other hand, we know you can't afford to pay any more for your fun at Mammoth than you already are. Thank goodness for all of us that gas prices dropped just before winter began and continue to stay low!
Despite our increasing cost of operation I have decided not to raise prices on MVP. MVP will once again be sold for $576. To thank you for years of loyalty we will be giving each renewing MVP member $20 of PassCash, loaded directly on their pass, to further reduce the cost of enjoying Mammoth.
I'm sure you remember that we closed MVP to new entrants in 2006 because we were concerned that if we sold these passes to everyone who wanted one, the mountain would become overcrowded during weekends and holidays. MVP membership has declined over the last 3 years due to natural attrition making room for a limited number of new members. In order to provide our long time MVP holders with the lowest possible price in the future we need to add new members today. Here is how we intend to sell MVP passes this year:
- 1. 38,000 total MVP passes will be available to existing and new members.
- 2. Passes will go on sale on April 1 and continue until the 38,000 MVP cap is reached.
- 3. To ensure all existing MVPs can renew their pass, we will guarantee availability to MVPs if you renew April 1-12.
- 4. All remaining passes will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until sales hit the 38,000 limit. Keep a close eye on the website MVP Availability Meter.
Our marketing department will send you more details, but I wanted to tell you first in my own words what we are doing with this year's Mammoth Value Pass and why we are doing it. Our founder, Dave McCoy, always told us that Mammoth was about fun. These are strange and difficult times and fun is more important now than ever -- fun with friends, fun with your family. We are trying our best to make sure that no matter what the months ahead bring, you can still afford to have fun here at Mammoth. I look forward to seeing you on the mountain.
Rusty GregoryChairman & CEO
Mammoth Mountain