Introducing Aspen One

Editor’s note: A version of this story appears in this year’s edition of the Winter in Aspen/Snowmass magazine.

Since its establishment in 1946, Aspen Skiing Company has overseen the expansion of the Aspen Snowmass resort into a renowned destination for winter snowsports and luxury vacations. But when the company’s national and global aspirations outgrew the existing structure, it announced a new model: Aspen One.

Aspen One oversees SkiCo’s skiing and mountain operations, ASPENX’s luxury retail and experiences, and Aspen Hospitality’s ventures, including The Little Nell and Limelight hotels.

Aspen One CEO Dave Tanner, who has been in the job for less than a year, says the restructuring is largely internal, and for tourists, locals, and employees of Aspen One, visible changes will be minimal. However, Tanner says that as the Aspen One brand expands, visitors can expect streamlined technology and a lasting dedication to Aspen as a community.

We caught up with him in the fall as he geared up for the first season under the new Aspen One structure.

When did SkiCo start considering a new business structure that divided goals amongst three subsidiary entities overseen by Aspen One?

This was contemplated and studied internally for almost two years by the Crown family (the owners), and this was led by (the late) Jim and Paula Crown. It was their vision for the evolution of the organization. So we are looking at this as the next phase of a multigenerational journey, with the company being around 77 years old. And this is about continuing to extend the values, the culture, and the ethos we’ve always had. We’re arguably the world’s largest premium ski destination, and we’re not going to give up on that. That’s what’s got us here, but that has created the opportunity to grow in these other areas.

The other important thing is all the new individuals like myself, like Geoff (Buchheister), and others coming into the organization are really well vetted to ensure they align with our values and vision and our culture.

How will visitors to Aspen Snowmass and the national — and potentially global — expansions of the brand benefit from this new structure?

It’s super important to have a structure like this when you think about how technology implementation can serve customers. From a consumer experience perspective and a technology experience perspective, for example, you could start to see more connected experiences for consumers through technology who are staying in our properties and enjoying our mountains. And you could be, for example, staying at The Little Nell and be getting curated technologically-served journeys or experiences on the mountain that are kind of disconnected today because they’re set in different silos in the organization. We’ve got substantial opportunities in our hospitality portfolio and the new builds we have underway in Boulder and in Mammoth and in New York City — and there’s likely another wave beyond that.

On the capital side of things, which is important, there’s a huge investment. We just made one in Hero’s, which is opening this fall. What we’ve done at the Buttermilk base last season, the Big Burn lift in 2020, and the planned Coney Glade lift replacement all come to mind. The Aspen One structure allows us to look at all of the capital needs across all the businesses … and give confidence that we are using our capital in the most efficient fashion to serve our guests.

As ASPENX and Aspen Hospitality continue to expand with brand partnerships and the construction of new hotels, do you foresee the expansion of the ski area beyond the four mountains?

I’ll never say no. But that is not our primary focus. We think Aspen Snowmass is an incredibly special asset. We’re going to continue to invest in skiing and have done so for years, like what we’ve done recently with Hero’s, and there’s more coming.

How will Aspen One approach its relationship with the local community?

Skiing in the mountains is our heritage. The community is our heritage. It’s what brought us to where we are today. While we’re investing heavily in these other areas, we’re going to continue to invest locally. I’d love to engage the community more in our efforts, especially in ASPENX because that brand has the ability to scale – not just nationally, but globally. And in my experience building brands, every great brand has a community and a tribe behind it. We need to better engage in that conversation with the community to shape that brand and make sure that the brand we’re exporting is exporting the values and characters and the stories not only of our company, but of the community.

What’s your favorite mountain to ski?

Ajax!