Media

Members of the media may request a press kit and gain access to photography by contacting:

Marketing Department
PO Box 146
Welch, MN 55089
651-258-4567 ext 31
marketing@welchvillage.com

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Welch Village Resort Honored
For Outstanding Customer Service, Safety, and Marketing

Welch, MN - May 30th, 2006 - The National Ski Areas Association has just released a list of North American ski resorts that have displayed excellence in the areas of customer service, safety and marketing for the 2005/2006 season. Welch Village Resort was honored in all three categories, a feat unmatched by any other resort on the continent.

Awards Received

Best Customer Service Guest Rewards Program - Welch Village given this award due to its innovative Pass Points Program. The Pass Points program gives skiers and snowboarders a point for each day they visit the resort. The guests who receive the most points receive prizes at the end of the season.

Best Small Resort Safety Program - This accolade was given for the creation of Safety Suckers. Lolli pops were given to 650 children over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with the message, "Don't be a dum dum, know the safety codes!"

Best Marketing Program to Increase Overall Frequency of Existing Participants - The resort gained national attention this season for a program called Three Style. The Three Style package gave skiers and snowboarders 3 days of skiing, plus a season pass after completing their third day of sliding.

Welch Village Resort is located in the town of Welch, MN. The resort offers two base facilities and 50 runs, which makes it one of the largest winter resorts in Southern Minnesota.

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Welch Village Reopens
For One Last Day of Winter Excitement


Welch, MN - May 4th, 2006 - With tulips blooming and birds chirping, winter seems like a distant memory. But Welch Village Resort will be reopening on Sunday, May 7th for one last day on the snow. The event is called the "May Fly" and will mark the first day of skiing and snowboarding during the month of May in the 41 year history of Welch Village.

In late March, the resort pushed together a massive pile of snow in hopes of reopening for a spring ski and snowboard event. The pile of snow has survived for the event through many warm days and rain storms. On the morning of Sunday, May 7th, Welch Village will spread the remaining snow for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy. There will not be any lift access to the snowfield, so participants will have to hike up the mountain to participate.

Brad Larsen, marketing director at Welch Village, states, "The chance to ski or snowboard in May is a total anomaly. An opportunity like this doesn't come around often, and many enthusiasts wouldn't miss it for the world."

To add interest to the event several freestyle features will be placed for the participants to perform their best tricks. Plus, a competition is being held to find a great freestyle skier and snowboarder. It's called the "Sponsor Me Contest" and one skier and snowboarder will win a one-year sponsorship from the headlining sponsors.

There will be 2 sessions (10am-2pm & 2pm-5pm) and the cost per session will be $15.


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Welch Village Resort in Preparation to Host
One of North America's Biggest Events


Welch, MN - Dec. 28th - Welch Village has begun preparations for the Next Snow Search events which will be held at the resort in January. The Next Snow Search, sponsored nationally by Kelloggs Frosted Flakes and Sports Illustrated for Kids, is a national event series looking for the next generation of extreme skiers and snowboarders. Over 70 events are held around North America to find great skiers and snowboarders between the ages of 9-13.

Welch Village has been recognized as an outstanding regional winter resort and has been awarded the right to host 1 of 5 Next Snow Search Super Qualifying events. Welch Village, along with Whistler in British Columbia, Heavenly in California, the Canyons in Utah, and Okemo Mountain in Vermont will be hosting Super Qualifying events. At these competitions, 4 young athletes will earn the right to compete at the Next Snow Search Finals in Killington, VT. Plus, 2 of the athletes will also compete at the Next Snow Search All-Stars Event in Keystone, CO. The All-Stars Event will be broadcast on NBC as the lead-in program to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics!

Brad Larsen, marketing director at Welch Village says, The Next Snow Search is like American Idol for skiers and snowboarders. This event is coming to a local resort like ours and will give regular kids a chance to succeed on a national stage. He continues, Many great skiers and snowboarders reside in the communities nearby, but dont get the exposure that athletes receive at mountain resorts. The Next Snow Search is going to give 4 local young people an avalanche of national attention.

On Friday, Jan. 6th Welch Village will host a semi-qualifying event for the Super Qualifier. At this competition, 5 athletes will be chosen to compete with 30 other athletes chosen from 6 other semi-qualifying events held in the region. Then on Friday the 13th, Jan. 2006 Welch Village will host the Next Snow Search Super Qualifier. The event will go from 6pm-8pm with awards being presented at 9pm.

Last season, Colten Welch of Cannon Falls won the Next Snow Search event at the resort and received a trip to Keystone, CO.

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Ski Areas Join Forces Joint Season Pass at Spirit Mountain and Welch Village

Minnesota, Thursday, Sept. 1st - A new era in the ski industry is emerging with the introduction of a joint season pass between Spirit Mountain in Duluth, and Welch Village, south of the Twin Cities. This new product will be an unlimited Season Pass offering access to both ski areas all season long for one low price, comparable to the price of a single season pass at several Twin Cities ski areas.

In an effort to increase market share, these two ski areas decided to join forces rather than competing with each other. What this does for the Minnesota ski consumer is add value and variety to their outdoor recreation, at a very affordable price.

According to Renee Appel-Mattson, Executive Director at Spirit Mountain, The joint promotion really highlights the benefits of a cooperative marketing effort, rather than a competitive sales stance. The customer will have the ability to enhance their winter recreational opportunities and take advantage of two outstanding areas. In the long term, we hope to keep these skiers, who may be new to our areas, as loyal customers.

The Spirit Village Pass goes on sale today for just $369, and can be purchased on-line at www.spiritvillagepass.com. For information on the pass, please call Brad Larsen or Briana Schaub at the numbers above.

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