Tuesday, February 10 - Michael J of Big White Ski Resort

Today, we’re talking with Michael J Ballingall, Senior VP at Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna, BC. Michael is a 40-year ski industry veteran and a visionary when it comes to showing people a good time.. From wild ’80s ski bar  parties, hot tubes and table dancing to building Canada’s favorite family resort, he’s sharing strategies, lessons, and stories that could change how you think about selling snow. Because there’s no business like snow business… on Selling Snow.

ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

1. Start With What Truly Differentiates You (Not What Everyone Else Says)

Story:

Big White’s brand positioning starts with one thing: snow. Not terrain, nightlife, or luxury. Their logo, messaging, and culture all reinforce a single, defensible truth.

Supporting Quotes:

• “The first message is in our logo — it’s the snow. Everything we do comes back to that, because that’s what separates us from everybody else.”

• “Our snow is natural snow. It doesn’t make noise. You’re not skiing on ice balls — you’re skiing on snow.”

• “We don’t need to overthink it. We’ve been blessed with something very special, and that’s what we talk about.”

  
  

Action Item:

Identify the one thing your resort does better than most others and build your messaging, visuals, and experience around that single truth.

2. Build the Resort Around Real Customer Lives (Especially Families)

Story:

Big White didn’t target families through research decks. Leaders built what they needed for their own kids — and the brand followed.

Supporting Quotes:

• “Our mid-management team all had kids at the same time, and we just started building what we needed for our own families.”

• “It wasn’t some big strategy — it was, ‘What do our kids need to have a great day here?’”

• “Then Ski Canada came along and said, ‘You’re Canada’s Favorite Family Resort,’ and we went, ‘Okay, I guess that’s what we are.’”

Action Item:

Design improvements based on real lived needs, not abstract personas.

3. Entertainment Off the Slopes Is Not Optional

Story:

Guests ski a portion of the day. The rest still needs to feel worth traveling for.

Supporting Quotes:

• “People ski maybe six hours a day. That leaves you with another ten or twelve hours where you still need to entertain them.”

• “Every day we wake up, it’s Groundhog Day. Our job is to entertain the people on the mountain today.”

• “It doesn’t matter what generation it is — they still want something fun, social, and memorable.”

Action Item:

Audit what guests do after lifts close and program simple, repeatable, social experiences.

4. Make Locals Your Best Salespeople

Story:

Big White made locals part of the experience instead of pushing them aside — and it paid off.

Supporting Quotes:

• “We start with the locals. If you take care of them, everything else falls into place.”

• “A local skis with a visitor and says, ‘Let me show you my favorite run,’ and suddenly you’ve sold the mountain.”

• “That interaction is real — and it’s something no advertising campaign can replace.”

Action Item:

Invest in local access and shared spaces where locals and visitors naturally mix.

5. Lessons Are the Most Valuable Product You Sell

Story:

A great first-time experience creates lifelong skiers — and lifelong revenue.

Supporting Quotes:

• “A positive first-time skiing experience is worth about a quarter million dollars to the ski industry over someone’s lifetime.”

• “If you teach them properly, they’re not scared, they’re smiling — and they come back.”

• “Lessons are not an add-on. Lessons are the future of the sport.”

Action Item:

Simplify beginner pathways and measure success by retention, not first-day revenue.

6. Keep Entry-Level Skiing Affordable and Non-Intimidating

Story:

Big White removes cost fear and intimidation through a low-priced, limited-access beginner ticket.

Supporting Quotes:

• “You can come any day of the year and ski for $29, and that’s a real experience.”

• “We don’t throw beginners onto terrain they’re not ready for — we give them space to learn.”

• “If people can’t afford to start, we lose them before they ever fall in love with it.”

Action Item:

Lower the entry barrier and protect beginner terrain — long-term growth depends on it.

7. Convenience Sells Better Than Luxury

Story:

People don’t want to plan vacations anymore — they want them handled.

Supporting Quotes:

• “The consumer today does not want to work at making a holiday.”

• “They want to give you the credit card and say, ‘You take care of everything.’”

• “The easier we make it, the more people say yes.”

Action Item:

Bundle products and reduce decision fatigue with clear, simple paths.

8. Campaigns Should Promise Feelings, Not Features

Story:

Big White’s best campaigns sell emotion, not specs.

Supporting Quotes:

• “Our campaign was ‘Laugh Until Your Cheeks Hurt’ — and that was it.”

• “You’re going to laugh a lot, you’re going to have fun, and you’re going to remember it.”

• “We didn’t need ten messages. We needed one that people could feel.”

Action Item:

Shift marketing language from features to feelings and moments.

9. Staff Experience = Guest Experience

Story:

Post-pandemic, Big White learned that marketing means nothing without staff.

Supporting Quotes:

• “Our staff told us straight up: ‘We’re not coming back until you fix this.’”

• “So we spent $25 million on staff accommodation — because without them, nothing works.”

• “Those people are delivering the experience every single day.”

Action Item:

Invest in staff housing, amenities, and quality of life — it directly affects guests.

10. Leadership Must Be Visible and Approachable

Story:

Leadership at Big White stays close to the guest experience.

Supporting Quotes:

• “Our owner sits in the village center mall three times a week and just talks to people.”

• “If there’s a lineup, you’ll see a VP walking that line.”

• “You’ve got to be at the coalface of your business.”

Action Item:

Encourage senior leaders to spend regular time on the ground.

11. Build More Infrastructure Than You Think You Need

Story:

Comfort and basics shape guest perception more than flashy features.

Supporting Quotes:

• “You can never have enough washrooms — and they’re never clean enough.”

• “That’s how families rate you. That’s how seniors rate you.”

• “Those little things matter more than people realize.”

Action Item:

Overbuild essentials like washrooms, beginner areas, seating, and circulation.

12. The Core Truth of Ski Marketing Hasn’t Changed

Story:

Despite new tech and platforms, the heart of skiing remains timeless.

Supporting Quotes:

• “None of this has changed in decades.”

• “It’s still young people having a good time in the mountains.”

• “Skiing is about fun — always has been.”

Action Item:

Use modern tools to deliver timeless experiences.

13. Relate Your Story to Geographic Resonance

Story: Tailor marketing and messaging to what resonates in each market.

Supporting Quotes / Examples:

• Los Angeles: “What if you could drive on empty freeways and just escape?”

• Europe: “People come for the natural snow—it’s the authenticity they crave.”

• Australia: “No lift lines—anyone can get on the mountain and feel like they own it for the day.”

  
  

Action Item:

Connect your resort story to the emotional and practical desires of each geographic segment.

Final Thought

This episode isn’t about tactics — it’s about clarity, simplicity, and humanity. Big White succeeds because it understands what skiing really is and refuses to complicate it.

full list of actionable insights and a marketing checklist to boost your game.