Only Sky

OnlySky provides a comprehensive, cloud-based software platform tailored for the operational needs of independent ski areas. Initially founded as Snowvation in 2016 to digitize ski school management, the company has since expanded its scope to become an all-in-one ERP, e-commerce, and point-of-sale (POS) partner for mountain resorts. The founder, Michael Stocker, identified a need to move resorts beyond cumbersome spreadsheets and clipboards, stepping down as CEO in March 2020 after establishing the company's growth trajectory. The current CEO is Charles Von Thun.

The company's business is centered on a white-label, customizable platform that integrates various aspects of a ski resort's operations. This allows independent ski areas, its primary clients, to manage everything from sales to guest services on a single, unified system. The business model appears to be a SaaS (Software as a Service) offering, focused on providing value through operational efficiency and an enhanced guest experience, with a pricing structure that includes low upfront costs and no long-term contracts. By June 2018, the venture-backed company had raised nearly $1.2 million from investors including Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Nelnet, and Revelis Capital Group, fueling its expansion into markets across North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

OnlySky's platform is a robust mountain-wide coordination tool. Its key features include modules for ticketing and passes, ski and ride school management, rentals and inventory tracking, and digital waiver processing. A core component is the e-commerce and POS system, which enables resorts to sell lift tickets, rental equipment, lessons, and bundled packages directly from their own websites 24/7. The platform also provides real-time data analytics on sales and customer behavior, empowering operators to make informed decisions about pricing and staffing. For ski schools specifically, it facilitates instructor scheduling, automates payroll reporting, and allows guests to select and book lessons with specific instructors based on detailed profiles. This integration creates a seamless booking process for consumers and streamlines back-end operations for the resort staff.

Keywords: ski resort management, mountain resort software, ski school software, resort POS system, online booking platform, ski ticketing software, rental management software, digital waivers, resort e-commerce, guest experience platform, OnlySky, Snowvation, ski area operations, resort ERP, dynamic pricing, inventory management, instructor scheduling, activity booking, cloud-based resort software, ski industry technology