Possible rebranding of Colorado's third busiest airport (number two in winter)
Vail Resorts, Inc., whose marquee holdings are the Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts, has cleverly been marketing Eagle County Airport as Vail-Eagle Country Airport. Now, according to a report in coloradoconfidential.com, they want to make the marketing name the airport's real name. Vail's new ad agency, Genesis, is cooking up a scheme to rename the airport officially to tie it more closely to the resort brand. The misplaced MadAve minds at Denver's ad agency first came up with Colorado International Airport, and when that was which mercifully shot down, suggested Vail National or even Vail International.
The airport, which can handle aircraft as large as 757s in what the Colorado Confidential website calls "all kinds of weather," is operated by Eagle County. It has become the state's second busiest in winter after Denver International and third-busiest year-round after DIA and Colorado Springs. In addition to some 250,000 commercial passengers annually, it sees "a robust private aviation business." Much of that traffic is to and from Vail and Beaver Creek and ancillary resort developments that cater also to golfers and vacation-home owners, but it is also the airport of choice for many people heading to Aspen, the booming Roaring Fork Valley, Glenwood Springs and to communities beyond. It is located just south of Interstate 70 between Eagle and Gypsum.
I wouldn't be taking bets against the name change, because Vail Resorts, really the proverbial 800-pound gorilla, has publicly stated that it hopes rebranding (I mean the name change) is approved soon so that it can be marketed for next winter. Also, The county is clearly proud of the airport's gateway status to the mountains. The country website introduces it as, "Just minutes from Vail and the best skiing in North America, Eagle County Airport (EGE) gets you directly to the heart of the Colorado Rockies, year round. Trade the long drives, snowy passes and airport delays, for friendly, world class service and ASAP access to your favorite outdoor activities."
While Vail Resorts is promoting an official airport name that shares its brand, you can bet that the Aspen Skiing Company would be less thrilled. Aspen's own airport, formerly called Sardy Field, is now Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), mirroring the current marketing moniker for Vail/Eagle County Airport (EGE). ASE has the benefit of being right outside of town but the drawback of being more weather-vulnerable than EGE, which is 35 miles from Vail and 25 from Avon/Beaver Creek.
Then again, I wouldn't bet on it either, even though many Eagle County officials and residents who are not tied to the resort company are not in favor of having another aspect of their identity lost. County commissioners, who have to vote on it, are aware of sentimental attachment to the old name and sometimes dig their heels in when confronted by pressure from the ski company. "There's also an emotional attachment, and it's really important to a lot of people because they fear the loss of identity of Eagle and Gypsum," county Peter Runyon was quoted as saying. "It's just as legitimate to market and give some brand-name identity to Eagle as it is to Vail. If I felt there was a compelling and overwhelming reason [to change the name], if skier numbers were down and the county was having other problems, I might look at this differently, but we have an incredibly robust tourism economy."
Stay tuned.
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