Snow Experience World in the City: When Marketing, Education and Snow Sports Come Together

office95980
Dec 19
4 min read

How can we inspire people in urban environments to experience snow, movement and winter sports – regardless of weather, season or background?This question was at the heart of a special practice-based project carried out by the Snowsports Academy in cooperation with FHWien der WKW during the winter semester 2025/26.

A Vision: Snow for Everyone – Also in the City

“Snow Connecting People” is the guiding principle of the Snowsports Academy. As the Vienna Ski and Snowboard Instructors Association, the Academy carries enthusiasm for snow sports far beyond the Alps – while continuously rethinking the future of snow sports.

Within the framework of this practice project, this vision became tangible. Alongside Martin Dolezal, Johann Reisenberger and Lukas Joichl from the Snowsports Academy supported the project with their expertise, contributing perspectives from education, practical instruction and snow sports development.

Students from the part-time Bachelor’s degree programme in Marketing & Sales were tasked with working on an idea unique in Austria: the conceptualisation and marketing of a snow experience world in an urban environment.The focus was not limited to traditional winter sports, but rather on snow as a holistic experience space – for movement, emotion, encounter, learning and integration.

Three Target Groups – One Shared Experience

Six student teams engaged intensively with three key target groups:

Urban residents – people living in cities who often have limited access to snow and winter sports
Tourists – for whom year-round snow represents a unique attraction and an entry point to Alpine winter tourism
Educational institutions – schools and pedagogical organisations for which snow can serve as a valuable learning, movement and experience space

Based on market research, target group surveys and comprehensive environmental analyses, the teams developed differentiated marketing concepts for an urban snow experience world.

Marketing on a Professional Level

The presented concepts impressed with clear strategic ideas, strong target group orientation and emotional communication. The students demonstrated how snow experience worlds can encourage physical activity, foster community, generate tourism impulses and rethink educational spaces.

At the same time, the project highlighted the importance of combining theory, practice and real-world tasks for contemporary education in the fields of snow sports, tourism and marketing.

Particularly noteworthy was the professional use of generative AI in visual concept development. Many presentations reached a level typically seen in agency pitches – a strong indication of the programme’s practical orientation.

Valuable Impulses for Practice

During the final presentations in early December, it became clear how much commitment and seriousness the students had invested in the project. Their enthusiasm for snow sports was clearly evident and reflected in the developed strategies and ideas.

“You could clearly feel that the students had caught the enthusiasm for snow sports. They delivered very strong results for all three target groups and developed valuable approaches that are highly relevant for us.” Martin Dolezal, CEO, Snowsports Academy

The coaches from FHWien der WKW, Melanie Gratzer and Bernhard Pfaffeneder, were also impressed by the results:

“The students’ development over the past three months was remarkable. Initial scepticism turned into genuine enthusiasm for the project – clearly visible in the exceptionally high-quality market research for a third-semester course and in the targeted, high-impact marketing concepts. Congratulations to our students!”

*From left to right: Martin Dolezal, Sandra Stichauner, Lukas Joichl, Johann Reisenberger and Bernhard Pfaffeneder in front of the student group of FHWien der WKW.*

Snow Experience Worlds as a Model for the Future

The project clearly shows that snow experience worlds are far more than indoor ski halls. They open up new possibilities for:

low-threshold access to snow and physical activity
year-round sports and leisure offerings
educational and integration projects
urban tourism impulses and new employment opportunities

Especially in times of social and climatic change, innovative concepts are needed to make snow sports accessible, diverse and future-oriented.The idea of a snow experience world combines experience, sport, education and community – creating new perspectives for snow sports in urban areas. Snow as an experience space in the city is not just an idea, but a potential building block for the future of snow sports.

A Thank You to All Involved

Special thanks also go to Sandra Stichauner, Chief Marketing Officer of the Austrian National Tourist Office, who was highly impressed by the students’ presentations and provided valuable feedback and impulses for their future professional work.

As a token of appreciation, the Snowsports Academy invited the students to a snow experience day at Hirschenkogel, featuring skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and authentic alpine hut atmosphere – a day that perfectly reflected the essence of the project: experience, emotion and connection through snow.

The Snowsports Academy would like to thank the students, the coaches of FHWien der WKW and all project partners for the professional collaboration and valuable insights.

Snow connects people – also in the city.