Austrian Advertising Brought Winter Highlights To New York

With a special winter start, Austrian advertising started the winter season in the USA market with the support of numerous partners. A four-day pop-up event in New York City was all about winter in Austria, the future of winter sports and the long-standing Austrian ski tradition that has also shaped skiing in the USA.

How do you get international guests excited about a winter holiday in Austria? By letting them personally experience what winter in Austria has to offer. This is what happened at Austria Advertising’s four-day “Winter Stories Untold” pop-up event in New York City. From November 9th to 12th, 2023, the green event location “Project Farmhouse” in the heart of Manhattan became a stage for the winter at home.

VR balloon ride and exhibition

During a virtual balloon ride with VR glasses, visitors were able to experience Austria's mountain idyll from above. As part of an exhibition, they learned interesting facts about Austria's 130-year skiing history and the great influence that Austrian ski pioneers had on the development of skiing in the USA. Valuable showpieces from art, fashion and design also attracted attention, with loans from Alfons Walde Kunstverlag as well as the companies Frauenschuh, Phil Petter, SPURart, Hannes Strolz and HEAD Ski. The partner ski regions used the forum to present their strategies and progress in sustainability. Securing winter sports for future generations is a major concern for the industry.

“The Alps continue to hold a special fascination for millions of American skiers. It was important to us to build a bridge between our long skiing history and a sustainable future. Austria's close connection to the American ski scene is unique. Dozens of American ski resorts owe their origins to Austrian ski pioneers,” says Michael Gigl, Head of Market USA at Austria Advertising.

Evening program with culinary highlights

While hundreds of ski-loving New Yorkers visited the exhibition during the day, in the evening the Winter Stories Untold was transformed into a backdrop for a gourmet dinner experience and a vibrant New York club for invited guests from the travel industry, media, and art and culture.

Joschi Walch and his team from the Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel in Zug am Arlberg provided the evening's culinary enjoyment. Joschi's culinary passion and philosophy of his “Friends & Fools” community perfectly capture the zeitgeist of the New York scene.

The words of US ski star and ambassador for the environmental organization “Protect Our Winters” Amie Engerbretson attracted attention: “Skiing in Austria is an immersive experience woven into the fiber of every single element of your day. I am doing my part so future generations can ski, too. We don’t have to give up skiing to be sustainable, and Austria is a leader in sustainability efforts.”

Thanks to the partners

Austria Advertising would like to thank the tourism associations St. Anton am Arlberg, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Zell am See-Kaprun, Kitzbühel, Snow Space Salzburg and the Seefeld region for their support; the Alfons Walde Kunstverlag as well as the Brotherhood of St. Christoph am Arlberg and the Ski Club Arlberg; also the companies SPURart, Frauenschuh, Phil Petter, Hannes Strolz and HEAD Ski USA.