Across the Company, employees are often asked questions by our guests that we may or may not be able to answer and, more importantly, that we should or should not answer.
Questions such as: "Where should I grab lunch?" or "What time does the gondola open?" are easy to answer and are all in a day’s work for many of us. However, sometimes, questions asked are more challenging or confidential in nature or are asked by representatives of the media which changes the dynamic of the conversation that should take place. Questions such as: "How many skiers are on the mountain each day?" or "How much did it cost to build that new chairlift?" might seem straightforward, but, in fact, these questions, and their respective answers, are confidential to our Company’s business.
While it may seem innocent enough to answer a question when asked or present information about the Company at a public forum, any comment or disclosure about specific business information, such as financial performance and data, operations, sales and marketing plans, product strategy, safety incidents, could harm our Company.
That is why our Communications Team has developed a Media & Public Presentation Policy to help us protect and promote the public reputation of the Company and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries.
The Policy is designed to ensure that our Company leaders and other selected spokespersons are set up for success to interact with media and to represent our Company when speaking at appropriate conferences and events. And, more importantly, it outlines who should not be representing our Company in these situations without prior approval and training by our Communications Team.
THE FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROMOTING & PROTECTING OUR COMPANY
- If you are asked a question from a guest that you are not approved and trained to answer, it is OK to tell them you don’t know and direct them to your Manager or news@vailresorts.com to ensure their question is answered in a timely and accurate manner.
- Do not answer questions from the media. There are identified, approved and trained spokespeople at each resort to handle media inquiries. Direct all media inquiries to news@vailresorts.com to have a member of our Communications Team handle the question and situation.
- Have you been asked to present on behalf of the Company? It is your responsibility to ensure your presentation is in alignment with our Policy and that you are considered an approved presenter. Additionally, you must use the official Conference Presentation Template any time you are presenting outside our Company.
- Are you working with a vendor who wants a recommendation from Vail Resorts or to include the Company in a news release, case study, interview or other public promotion? These activities are prohibited. Further, vendors may not list Vail Resorts on a vendor’s website, as stated in our vendor contracts.
- Remember to be smart when using social media for, or about, the Company. Review the Employee Guidelines For Social Media and let our Company’s values guide you in your social media interactions.
Getting to know our guests and helping them have an Experience of a Lifetime is why we’re all here and we want you to engage with our guests in a way that is appropriate for your job and based on your knowledge about the Company. So, help us protect the Company’s public reputation and leave the hard questions to the Communications Team. And, if you are still unsure of what can be said, when and to whom, contact news@vailresorts.com and we’ll help you figure it out.