[admin]

For immediate release



AppNet.com Announces New Policy Regarding Non-Participating Ski Resorts



”There will be much less Sugar in our Diet”, says SkiNC.com and SkiSoutheast.com





BANNER ELK, NC — Feb. 9, 2006 — Appnet.com announces new policies regarding the promotion of ski areas in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic via its popular ski/tourism related SkiNorthCarolina.com and SkiSoutheast.com websites. Mike Doble, the founder of SkiNC and SkiSoutheast says that beginning immediately that the two websites will no longer promote ski areas that refuse to partner with the region’s leading ski industry websites in one form or another.



The new policy only affects one of the nineteen ski or snow tubing resorts that the two websites cover within the region. When asked to elaborate, Doble replied, “We have gone from one single website that featured just the North Carolina ski areas, to two websites that segregate the data in a more efficient manner and in the ten seasons that we have grown our presence on the internet, we have had a workable relationship with all ski areas in the entire Southeast except Sugar Mountain.”



SkiNC and SkiSoutheast have gone through numerous upgrades over the years and through most of that time the two websites have linked their traffic directly to all ski areas. Doble says that with the huge increase in the website’s popularity that he didn’t feel it would be fair to the participating resorts to offer virtually the same benefits to non-participating resorts, therefore the decision for a change in policy.



Doble said that they will continue to present the necessary information those visitors to the website need in terms of daily slope conditions and supporting images that reflect those conditions, as well as lodging recommendations, etc – for ALL ski areas. However, when asked what the most noticeable change would be, he stated,” The biggest difference will be that we will no longer comment on any promotional aspect of happenings that are going on at that resort, such as races, festivities, and specials. We will no longer allow Photo of the Day images to be displayed on the front of the website, although they will still be able to be viewed within the Photo of the Day archives.”



“The fact that Sugar Mountain Ski Resort is the only resort of the 19 ski or snow tubing areas within the Southeast that is not actively participating with SkiNC.com and SkiSoutheast.com environment in some fashion is regrettable,” says Doble. “We have been able to work with every resort in the Southeast in one form or another, with the exception of Sugar Mountain and we have simply given up on them.” In much the same way that a chamber of commerce only promotes its members, there will be no promotion any resort that has made it obvious they don’t want to work with either website.”



Despite not being included on the home page and a link being provided to the resort’s home page, non-participating resorts will still have information posted within the websites. “First and foremost, we are here to provide the best one-stop internet presence that let’s skiers and snowboarders see what the conditions are and that HAS to be supported by images and cameras,” says Doble. “If we simply stopped including any content, then a resort could simply state anything they wanted and there’d be nobody to dispute their reporting. That goes for all ski areas.”



Snow Reporting has become a leading service of the websites and by reporting in an unbiased fashion the websites have become an industry checks and balance for the resort to consider. There are other independent, regional websites that also serve in the same fashion. “We would be the first to compliment Sugar’s management on very consistent and relatively accurate reporting of base depths and natural snowfalls this season,” says Doble. “The only area where Sugar could use some improvement is in the area of reporting thin coverage and bare spots. However that is true of all of the ski areas this season.” The website supported Sugar Mountain in a mid-January article wherein they graded all of the ski areas and Sugar gained top honors for reporting this season. (See that article by clicking here)



The new policy came about after numerous attempts to meet or talk with Sugar Mountain management about possible partnership opportunities. Doble added, “More recently we sent two emails to Gunther Jochl of Sugar Mountain requesting a working relationship, and finally received the following reply: “Sugar Mountain Resort has not changed any of it's policies that might warrant a meeting.”



SkiNC and SkiSoutheast.com will continue to promote traffic to those businesses that can benefit from the traffic on Sugar Mountain, such as Alpine Ski Center, Ski Country Sports, Extreme Snowboard and Ski, as well as vacation rental clients on the mountain. Those businesses that benefit from SkiNC and SkiSoutheast will see no affect from the new policy.



The websites usually have winter information posted daily from mid-October to the beginning of April. “The fact that the management of Sugar Mountain doesn’t wish to participate is certainly within their right and we support that right 100%,” says Doble. “We’re just not going to directly promote them anymore. Nobody gets a free ride. When only ONE of (19) resorts offers no working relationship at all, you have to respect our decision to discontinue promotional content.”



Doble stated that the change in policy can already be witnessed in the daily reports that were posted on February 9th. You will notice the absence of any commentary about Sugar Mountain. SkiNC and SkiSoutheast has been providing daily winter information about all ski and snow tubing areas in North Carolina since 1996 and in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic since 2002 and daily visits to the network of ski sites has grown to nearly 80,000 unique visitors per day. The related website of www.HighCountryWebCams.com features (28) live cams and draws approximately 20,000 visitors per day and many of the images present live views of many of the ski areas. Doble expressed excitement over the plans that are in place to provide even more cameras and weather stations at a growing list of locations and at more resorts as they approach the 2006-2007 season.



”Skiers and snowboarders have come to rely on the websites as the most reliable source for resort information and news on a daily basis. We have spoken with several resorts that are upgrading their partnerships with us to the point of being able to show better views of the mountains; provide live weather data, complete with better forecasting capabilities FROM the mountain in question and we have a couple of ideas that we’re keeping under wraps as we continue to grow SkiNC and SkiSoutheast to even greater levels, “says Mike Doble, the owner and content manager of both websites.



SkiNC and SkiSoutheast.com have enjoyed the fact that according to the National Ski Areas Association, the Southeast region has experienced the largest percentage of visit increases over the last ten years. More than 60 television stations and media in 9 southeastern states use or have featured SkiNC and SkiSoutheast data and content. SkiNC and SkiSoutheast websites provide individual resort pages on all resorts within the region, and direct website links to all with the exception of Sugar Mountain.

[Tmiller72]

Way to go Mike!! Sugar does not deserve to be promoted on a website like this if they don't feel they need to form some kind of formal relationship. They are the most skier-unfriendly resort up here. They are going to be missing out by not being included on this website. I like the move you have made and I'm sure others will agree.

[admin]

Way to go MIke.



I don't understand how some people run businesses.



All publicity helps. Even if you don't need it.



Congrats on making that move.

[Joel_Maners]

The management there just doesn't think they live on the same planet as the rest of us. This just gives me another reason to never ski there again. You just can't treat your customers and community like c-r-a-p and expect people to beat a path to your door. It's a shame too. They have some good people working there. Let me know when they get a new ownership group in there.

[admin]

"A lot less Sugar in our diet" - That is priceless!



Kudos to your team.



Shame on you Sugar. I wonder if the investors are aware of the fact that management is making decisions based on jealousy rather than smart business? Sugar seems to have enough controversy going on with the annex situation, so you at least have to say that they are consistent!



Count me as another vote in favor of your new policy!

[admin]

Thanks for the input already. Boy you guys are quick! I just received several emails and some were from other industry staffers ALL in favor. Thanks to you guys and gals as well!



I did get one email from someone that made an accusation that I need to "head off at the pass" before it takes a life of its own.



SkiNC, nor SkiSoutheast charges ONE PENNY for the ski resorts to participate. NOR do we require ANY precise number of free passes that we use or giveaway. We have ASKED some resorts to provide us with passes where it made sense for us to do so and where no other form of partnering content was possible.



Additionally, our websites do not necessarily work directly with GM's or owners at the resorts. In some cases, we have always dealt with PR staffers, Marketing Directors, etc.



Translation: Over the last several years we have grown the trust and alliance with every resort such that some provide vacation giveaways, some give passes, some give US season's passes and some do both. Others have assigned staffers to send content regularly, some have provided it almost daily. ALL of the ski areas have invited us to visit their resorts ANYTIME, free of charge. Most welcome our promotional value, and some see it as priceless. ALL have managed some form of a working relationship with the exception of Sugar. So there is no reasoning as to why Sugar wishes not to participate except that the management has a personal jealousy or grudge about doing so. Again we SUPPORT that decision no matter whether it makes any sense or not. We simply have decided that we will no longer promote them. Hopefully this will steer off anyone posting that we are acting like we have our feelings hurt. To the contrary, we simply have given up on giving them something for nothing.

[Cutback]

Edited because question answered by Admin.

[g8erhater]

Wow. Why in God's name would the folks at Sugar not want this type of free publicity. As Napolean would say, "Gosh. IDIOTS!"

[SkiCop]

Mike, I appreiciate your stance on the matter and fully support your decision. I think you made the right one. I know that I do not care to play with people who don't want to play with me. That being said, will I ever ski at Sugar again? Probably, because I have never had a bad experience there and I enjoy their terrain. There again, you and I have different dogs in the fight. You cannot mix business and pleasure. Fortunately I don't have to do business with them other than handing them $56 when I get there.

[dreamnofpow]

They just don't get it do they. I haven't been to Sugar this year and used to go to Sugar almost exlusively. I will only be going to race this year and that is because I get a discount to race there. GET A CLUE SUGAR!!!