Smart Pricer: Pricing Day - The First Pricing Conference For Decision-makers In lift Co Industry

The first Smart Pricer conference was a complete success. Under the motto "Pricing on the mountain - for the mountain", hosts Christian Kluge (CEO, Smart Pricer), Stefan Richter (Country Manager DACH) and Dr. Werner Hanselitsch (CEO, Liftgesellschaft Obergurgl) decision-makers in the mountain railway and tourism industry from the entire DA-CH area in a breathtaking setting at 2,670 meters.

The aim of the conference was to summarize the current challenges of winter tourism and to show best practices how to ensure profitability through the use of holistic price optimization, dynamic pricing and revenue management - and at the same time promote digitization on the mountain.

Main speakers Christoph Debus (CFO FlixBus) and Oliver Fritz (WIFO)

The start of the lecture series was made by Dr. Oliver Fritz, Senior Economist at WIFO (Austrian Institute for Economic Research), with a summary of the current situation of alpine winter tourism. Particular attention was paid to forecasts, changes in customer behavior and economic factors that really influence the pricing of ski destinations and mountain railways.

"Due to the continued pessimistic forecasts for economic development and survey results regarding winter holiday planning, there is also an acute need for action in pricing in order to be able to serve the different customer groups in a targeted manner," Dr. OliverFritz.

Building on these findings, Christian Kluge, CEO of Smart Pricer, showed insights into the practical implementation of a dynamic price model for mountain railways. "Since every mountain railway and ski destination is different, it is important to analyze the initial situation of the respective partner and to align the price model on this basis."

The price sensitivity studies that are carried out on a regular basis provide valuable insights from practice in order to record the willingness to pay of the target groups and to take them into account in the continuous price optimization. “Dynamic pricing is an ongoing process of constant optimization and close cooperation with our mountain railway partners. So far, nobody who has introduced dynamic pricing with us has stopped.” according to Stefan Richter.

dr Werner Hanselitsch confirms: "The introduction of dynamic pricing in Gurgl from the 2021/22 season is a success story", because apart from annual sales increases of up to 15%, the new pricing strategy achieves a significant increase in the online share of tickets sold. Jack Falkner (CEO of Bergbahnen Sölden) emphasizes that, in addition to the price, the significantly longer average validity period of the ski ticket also has a positive impact on sales.

Christoph Debus, CFO of FlixBus (former CEO of Condor Airlines), agrees with this point and rounds off the lecture series with interesting practical transfers to revenue management from the mobility and airline industry. “Data-driven dynamic pricing or revenue management has prevailed in all sectors such as the aviation industry, hotels and mobility service providers. In addition to realizing sales increases, more customer data also enables improved control options through personalized offers and the sale of additional services.”

In his key note presentation, Christoph Debus showed how data and technology can be used to optimize prices for maximum profitability and customer satisfaction. In addition, the importance of additional offers (ancillary revenues) was discussed, which, according to personal assessment, means enormous sales potential for mountain railways: "In the area of ​​additional offers and extra services, there is great sales potential for mountain railways," Christoph Debus.

Finish on the slopes of Obergurgl

After a varied panel discussion with interesting lectures and lively discussions, the morning was rounded off with a delicious lunch with a breathtaking view. In accordance with the motto "Pricing on the mountain - for the mountain", the ski equipment was put on and the day ended together on the beautiful slopes of Obergurgl.

The Smart Pricer team would like to take this opportunity to thank Bergbahnen Gurgl for the great location, snow and sunshine, SKIDATA as a supporter of the event and all guests who made the first Smart Pricer conference a success with us in Gurgl.