My local ski resort client saw a massive surge in youth participation—but marketing wasn’t the reason.
Was something bigger happening in Las Vegas?
In late 2022, my client, Lee Canyon, shared a striking statistic: since 2017—the inaugural season of the Vegas Golden Knights—the resort’s youth ski and snowboard programs had grown by 190%. And most kids were from non-skiing/snowboarding families.
As a longtime resident of Las Vegas, I’ve watched the city transform thanks to the excitement of pro sports teams like the Knights, Aces and Raiders. The bigger question was: Could Las Vegas’ pro-sports boom be fueling a shift in the participation of youth outdoor sports?
Connecting the Dots: Finding a Bigger Story
To test my idea, I contacted local youth mountain bike and rock climbing organizations to see if they had similar spikes in participation, especially among non-outdoorsy families. The answer was a resounding yes. However, to land the story, I needed an expert to weigh in on this trend.
After some research, I contacted Dr. Travis Dorsch of Utah State University’s Families in Sport Lab, who studies how sports influence communities. While no formal studies had been conducted on Las Vegas (yet!), he explained that this surge mirrored the Olympic effect—when high-profile professional sports thrive in a city, it reshapes how residents, especially kids, engage with athletic activities.
Pitching the Story and Landing Earned Media
Armed with research, data, and expert insights, I crafted a strategic media pitch for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The result? A feature story on how Las Vegas’ pro-sports culture was driving a youth sports boom in skiing, mountain biking, and climbing—often among first-generation participants whose parents never participated in these sports.
This story was about more than Lee Canyon, though my client was a big part of the story. As a PR person, it’s important to consider your client’s role in a larger trend.
PR Is More Than Just Press Releases
Landing meaningful press coverage means more than blasting out press releases and hoping for media pickup. A good PR pro can identify trends, research, and source credible experts to support the story.
A press release announcing Lee Canyon’s 190% youth program growth wouldn’t have had the same impact.
In this case, I had to connect the dots—linking the youth outdoor sports surge to Las Vegas’ pro-sports culture by validating the trend with data from other outdoor sports and securing expert commentary.
Takeaway: Effective PR Tells a Bigger Story
A successful earned media strategy isn’t just about sending out press releases. It’s about crafting insightful, research-backed story pitches that matter. By spotting trends early and presenting compelling stories that matter to the media outlet’s audience, PR professionals can secure high-impact media coverage that elevates brand visibility and influence.
So the next time your client gives you a stat that seems like an outlier, find the bigger story.
🔗 Read the full article here: Las Vegas Review-Journal
