Snowplanet

What Snowplanet does

Snowplanet is a privately held New Zealand leisure and recreation company that operates New Zealand's only indoor snow park, located at 91 Small Road in Silverdale, Auckland. Founded in 2005, the company maintains an 8,000 square metre indoor snow dome at approximately -5°C, enabling year-round skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, and tobogganing regardless of external weather. The facility includes a Poma lift system, a magic carpet beginner area, a dynamically refreshed terrain park (rebuilt every 3-5 weeks), and a separate Winter Wonderland snow play area, supported by RFID-enabled access control and a Qualmark Gold-certified visitor experience.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with diversified revenue streams including hourly and nightly snow passes (NZ$31-$77), equipment and clothing rentals, private lessons, an annual membership subscription program, event registration fees (NZ$40-$80 per race entry), and ancillary services such as the on-site 7Summits restaurant, BASE retail store, and ski tuning. Customer segments span families with children, primary and secondary schools (via College Sport Auckland partnership), beginner participants, competitive athletes (via the 365 Race Series and Snow Sports NZ partnership), corporate groups, and birthday/celebration parties. GTM motion combines direct online booking (bookings.snowplanet.co.nz), on-site walk-in sales, school group sales, and event-driven community engagement with the UASC university snowsports club.

The company's competitive position rests on a geographic monopoly — no other indoor snow facility exists in New Zealand — reinforced by capital-intensive infrastructure (the indoor dome), strategic ecosystem partnerships with College Sport Auckland and Snow Sports NZ, and 20 years of operational history. Distribution is domestic-only, anchored in the Auckland catchment, with international tourist outreach via Qualmark certification and WeChat integration targeting Chinese-speaking visitors.

Name

Snowplanet

Legal name

Snowplanet

Website

https://snowplanet.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Snowplanet operates New Zealand's only indoor snow park, an 8,000 sqm facility in Silverdale, Auckland, offering year-round skiing, snowboarding, and snow play to families, schools, athletes, and tourists through lift passes, lessons, memberships, and competitive events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indoor Ski Resort

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski Areas & Lift Operations (Independent Mountains) (THAAAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Snow Tubing, Sledding & Winter Fun Parks (THAAAJAG), Winter Equipment Rental, Demo & Repair (Skis/Boards/Boots, Tuning) (THAAAJAH), Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities) (THAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Indoor snow skiing
• Snow sports lessons
• Equipment rental services
• Recreational snow activities
• Family entertainment venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Snow Passes (Lift Tickets): Hourly and multi-hour lift passes providing access to the snow dome slopes. Standard passes range from 2-4 hours for child/student and adult pricing. Night passes (after 5pm) are automatically discounted at 33%. Family discounts of 20-30% applied for groups of 3+.
2. Equipment Rental: Separate rental charges for skis, snowboards, boots, and ski poles. Equipment can be bundled (skis + boots or snowboard + boots) at discounted combined rates. Yooner (beginner-friendly snow sport equipment) also available for rent.
3. Clothing Rental: Waterproof jackets, pants, gloves, and children's onesies available for hire. Separate pricing for individual items or bundled jacket + pants package.
4. Private and Group Lessons: Professional skiing and snowboarding instruction offered by authorized Snowplanet instructors. Includes first timer lesson packs, private lessons, and skill development programs.
5. Membership Program: Subscription-based membership offering discounted passes, priority booking, and additional benefits. Multiple membership tiers available with annual commitment.
6. Event Registration: Competitive race events (365 Series) charging entry fees of $40 (members) to $80 (non-members) per event. School championship events at $69-74 per athlete.
7. Winter Wonderland: Snow play area separate from main slopes, offering tubing, tobogganing, and snow activities from $22 per person.
8. On-site Restaurant (7Summits): Full-service restaurant operated by 7Summits, offering food and beverages with snow views. Operates as a separate entity but drives ancillary revenue from visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Snowplanet operates New Zealand's only indoor snow park, an 8,000 square metre climate-controlled snow dome maintained at approximately -5°C that delivers year-round skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing experiences. Its primary sellable offerings are time-based snow passes (lift tickets), equipment and clothing rental, professional private and group lessons, structured after-school and holiday programs, athlete training programs, group events (birthday parties, corporate team activities, school bookings), membership subscriptions, and a 365 Race Series of competitive events. The venue is located at 91 Small Road, Silverdale, Auckland.

Product overview

Snowplanet is New Zealand's only indoor snow park and recreation facility, offering a single-venue experience with multiple activity modules. The core offering centres on an 8,000 square metre snow dome at -5°C where visitors can ski, snowboard, or enjoy snow play. Activity modules include skiing/snowboarding on graded slopes (beginner to expert), the Winter Wonderland snow play area, and a Terrain Park for freestyle riding. Supporting modules include equipment rental, private and group lessons, after-school and holiday programs, athlete training, group/team events and birthday parties, and membership subscriptions. Ancillary services include a BASE retail store, ski tuning, on-site restaurant, and special promotional offers. The 365 Race Series provides competitive events year-round for various age categories. The venue operates 365 days a year with variable opening hours and is located in Silverdale, Auckland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skiing and Snowboarding Year-round access to indoor snow dome slopes for skiing and snowboarding across beginner, advanced, and expert terrain, suitable for individuals, families, and groups.
• Winter Wonderland Dedicated snow play area offering snowtubing, tobogganing, and snow activities for families and non-skiers, starting from $22 per person.
• Snow Passes (Lift Tickets) Time-based lift passes (2-hour or 4-hour) for slope access with child/student and adult pricing tiers; night passes after 5pm automatically receive a 33% discount. Helmets are mandatory and included with non-promotional hourly passes.
• Equipment Rental Rental service for skis, snowboards, boots, ski poles, Yooner (beginner snow sport equipment), and clothing items (waterproof jackets, pants, gloves, children's onesies), available individually or as discounted bundles.
• Private Lessons One-on-one and small group skiing and snowboarding instruction by trained Snowplanet instructors, including First Timer Lesson Packs for beginners through advanced skill levels.
• After School and Holiday Programs Structured programs for children during school holidays and after school hours, including the Rippers n Riders After School Program for skill development.
• Athlete Training Programs Advanced training programs for competitive young athletes to sharpen skiing and snowboarding skills, typically starting in February each year.
• Terrain Park Freestyle skiing and snowboarding area with rails and jumps, with terrain park plans changing every 3-5 weeks for advanced riders and jibbers.
• Group Activities Organised group experiences including corporate team activities, birthday parties, Christmas functions, school group bookings, and kindergarten snow fun for groups of various sizes.
• Membership Options Subscription-based membership program offering multiple tiers with discounted passes, priority booking, and member benefits for frequent visitors on an annual commitment.
• 365 Race Series Events Year-round competitive racing events including Giant Slalom, Slalom, Boarder/Skier Cross, Slopestyle, Big Air, Kombi, and Freestyle events with age categories from U6 to Open, with member and non-member entry fees.
• BASE Retail Store On-site retail store selling snow gear including beanies, socks, warm layers, goggles, waterproof jackets and pants, and other snow sports accessories.
• Ski Tuning Services Professional ski and snowboard maintenance and tuning services to keep customer equipment in optimal condition.
• Snow Sales Sale of real snow produced at the facility for customers wanting to purchase snow for personal or commercial use.

Quantifiable outcome

• 365 days of operation per year regardless of external weather conditions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tūroa Ski AreaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 June 2025Welcome to Tūroa Night event partnership promoting Tūroa mountain ski area to Snowplanet visitors. Turoa team presents at Snowplanet with prizes including season passes and day passes for the real mountain experience.
• UASC (University Auckland Snowsports Club)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2023University club night events hosted at Snowplanet for UASC members. Night passes made available exclusively for university snow sports club members, driving student group visits.
• 7Summits RestaurantminorOthersOn-site restaurant operated by 7Summits, providing food and beverage services to Snowplanet visitors. Restaurant offers snow views and is accessible within the facility, enhancing visitor experience with post-activity dining options.
• College Sport AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership for organizing and hosting Auckland secondary school snow sports championships. Snowplanet serves as the primary venue for College Sport's ski and snowboard championship events. All school registrations must go through College Sport. The facility closes to the public during events.
• Snow Sports NZ (SSNZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner for national snow sports racing events including Junior Interfields and Interfields championships. SSNZ membership is required for event participation. Events attract athletes from across New Zealand to Snowplanet.
• AfterpayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPayment method option allowing customers to pay in installments for bookings and purchases. Targets price-sensitive customers who prefer spreading costs over time.
• ACC New ZealandminorOthersInjury prevention partnership providing safety videos for skiing and snowboarding. ACC content referenced on Snowplanet website to promote safe practices and reduce liability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SnowWorld: SnowWorld operates multiple large indoor ski/snowboard domes in the Netherlands and Germany (Landgraaf, Zoetermeer, Bad Feilnbach, Innsbruck), making it the closest publicly-traded analog to Snowplanet — same core product (real-snow indoor slopes, year-round operation), same equipment rental and lesson revenue mix.
• Chill Factore: Chill Factore is the UK's largest indoor ski slope (Manchester), offering real-snow skiing/snowboarding, equipment rental, lessons, and snow play — essentially the UK analogue of Snowplanet, with the same single-venue model and school/lessons revenue mix.
• Ski Dubai: Operated by Majid Al Futtaim, Ski Dubai is a 22,500 sq m indoor snow park inside Mall of the Emirates offering year-round skiing, snowboarding, snow park, lessons and events — directly comparable in concept, weather-independence, and family-entertainment positioning to Snowplanet.
• The Snow Centre: The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, UK is an indoor real-snow slope offering skiing, snowboarding, lessons and children's activity programs — directly comparable in scale, family positioning, and lesson-led revenue model to Snowplanet.
• Snozone: Snozone operates indoor real-snow ski slopes at Milton Keynes and Castleford (UK), providing skiing, snowboarding, lessons, and tubing — a same-format, same-revenue-stack peer to Snowplanet.
• Alpincenter Bottrop: Alpincenter Bottrop is a German indoor snow center (one of Europe's longest, at 640m) operating year-round skiing, snowboarding and a snow park — directly comparable to Snowplanet in being a single-venue, year-round indoor snow facility.

Regional players

• Tūroa Ski Area: Tūroa is a major South Island outdoor ski area on Mt Ruapehu and is an active cross-promotion partner of Snowplanet (Tūroa nights at Snowplanet); it competes indirectly for school ski programs and is the most relevant domestic NZ ski peer.
• Cardrona Alpine Resort: Cardrona is New Zealand's largest ski resort (Wanaka, South Island), serving the same NZ snowsports market as Snowplanet — although outdoors and seasonal, it competes for the same Auckland families, school groups, and competitive athletes before they commit to alpine travel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SnowplanetNZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/snowplanet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/snowplanetnz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Snowplanet