Winter Xscape started in 2010 as a celebration of Charlotte-based TLS World Travel’s anniversary. That year, around 30 friends and family of the travel agency’s owner and operator Tony Stanford went on a cruise to the Bahamas and had such a good time that Stanford made it an annual event.
A respite from the daily grind that doubles as a networking opportunity, invites are first sent to Stanford’s email list of primarily young black professionals, who then extend the offer to their co-workers. “That’s the bulk of the crowd, but we’re definitely inviting others,” Stanford says. “We have had other races and ages in the past — it’s for people who want to have a good time.”
Winter Xscape has grown each year, and activities are adjusted based on feedback. After a 2011 cruise to Mexico, subsequent gatherings were held in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. For 2014, participants wanted something different, so Stanford planned a skiing trip to Boone. “A lot of people had (skiing) on their bucket lists,” he says.
This year, participants asked to go skiing again but in another location. Noting that Asheville has more to offer as a city, Stanford booked the Crowne Plaza Resort for Friday, Jan. 30, through Monday, Feb. 2. About 100-150 people from upward of a dozen states are expected to attend.
In addition to the Jan. 30 Funny “R” Us comedy show, the weekend’s main attraction is a skiing and snowboarding trip to Wolf Ridge Ski Resort in Mars Hill on Saturday, Jan. 31. After a day on the slopes, attendees will get better acquainted with a networking event called The Art of the Socialite, then unwind downtown during the après-ski bar crawl. The next day features a return to Wolf Ridge for a tubing excursion and a Super Bowl party that night. — E.A.
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