Liftopia.com, the national discount lift ticket marketplace for skiers and snowboarders, and KickApps, the leading on demand social media platform, today announced the launch of The Lodge, an online community for Liftopia.com users and winter sport enthusiasts. The Lodge provides a forum for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels to get more enjoyment out of the season by sharing personal videos, photos and opinions on ski resorts, as well as communicating with other members to find ride shares to the slopes or tips on the hottest trails.
Now into its second year, with a strong user base, Liftopia expects to offer lift ticket discounts for over 50 alpine resorts nationwide. Using KickApps, Liftopia’s newly launched social media community not only provides an engaging, interactive forum for skiers and snowboarders, but it also helps Liftopia reach skiers and snowboarders virally over the Web - users can take the various photo, content and video Widgets that are posted to The Lodge to their own websites or blogs. In addition, The Lodge features niche interest groups, including sports photography, films, telemarking and backcountry, that users can join to share stories and media around those topics.
“The skiing and snowboarding community is a naturally collaborative group that has always been about sharing their experiences and love of the sport; and with The Lodge, people can immortalize these stories by sharing them with the world,” said Ron Schneidermann, co-founder of Liftopia. “Not only was KickApps a fast and economical way to get our community up and running quickly for this ski season, their single sign on feature allowed us to integrate seamlessly with our custom lift ticket application. The KickApps team has been incredibly supportive, and our KickApps developer Haylie McCort at DotcomCowgirl customized our site and showed us how to use the KickApps Widgets for viral marketing.”
The KickApps hosted social media platform allows web publishers like Liftopia to easily create and deploy social and rich media powered online communities on their existing websites. KickApps’ sophisticated yet easy-to-use development tools allowed Liftopia to customize The Lodge’s look and feel to match their website and brand, and the platform also offers tips and tools for growing and managing their online community.
“Social media gives Liftopia a way to keep its user base engaged throughout the year by providing skiers and snowboarders a forum to connect with others even when they’re not on the slopes during the winter,” said Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps. “The Lodge is a great way for Liftopia to engage and grow its customer base, and we are looking forward to helping bring new revenue opportunities to Liftopia through their online community.”
About Liftopia.com
Liftopia launched in October of 2006 with a Web site that helps skiers and riders find and buy lift tickets online, for less. Liftopia helps resorts utilize yield management and distribution strategies from the online travel industry to generate incremental revenue. Liftopia is located in San Francisco, CA and was founded by Ron Schneidermann and Evan Reece.
About KickApps
KickApps’ on demand social media applications enable web publishers and marketers to quickly and easily grow, engage and monetize online audiences. Our platform features a broad spectrum of applications, including social networking, user-generated content, online video players and viral Widgets, that are tightly integrated with media and community management tools for complete control of the community. KickApps is highly customizable and flexible for seamless integration with any website using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and APIs. Customers include: ABC Family, CW Television, Scripps Network Interactive, VIBE Magazine, HBO, Cinemax, BET Networks, Cox Television, Fila, Kraft Foods, P&G, the Phoenix Suns, among many others. For more information, please visit www.kickapps.com and www.kickdeveloper.com.