Women of Winter - Emily Smith

If you have seen any promotional activity for Hotham in recent times, it’s likely Emily Smith has her fingerprints all over it.

Emily is Hotham’s Field Marketing Manager, a dynamic leader overseeing everything from social media and email marketing to website content and sponsorships. 

For her, the best part of her job is being able to blend her professional expertise with an environment she has had a lifelong love for.

“I absolutely love being in the mountains with my family for the winter seasons,” she said. “I love that no two days are the same – it’s such a dynamic place and you never know what each day will bring.

“I also really enjoy sharing my passion for Hotham with people. It’s such a special place to me and being able to share that, either through storytelling, beautiful imagery or when new guests come to the resort and experience it for themselves is pretty awesome.

The community here is also something really unique, working somewhere like this really brings you together. We have a great team and the shared passion and energy for the resort is truly something special.”

Emily’s journey to her current role is one which has provided wonderful opportunities and experiences while progressing her career professionally.

“I actually first did a season at Hotham working in rentals for ‘Hoy’s’ when I finished year 12,” she said. “I took a gap year before heading to university and that first season definitely shaped my life and career path.

“I was [then] lucky enough to score my dream job at Oakley as a Marketing Coordinator looking after marketing for the snow category while I was still at Uni.

“After my first year at Oakley, I was awarded Rookie of the Year at the end-of-year awards – that was a pretty special recognition for me at the start of my career.

“In my time at Oakley, I was also fortunate enough to attend both the Vancouver Winter and London Summer Olympic Games and support over 120 athletes representing the brand.

“Signing a young Scotty James (and taking him sky diving for his 18th) would also have to be a big highlight.

Following her time with Oakley, Emily spent a decade with Specialized Bicycles, highlighted by playing a key role in a nationwide Women’s Ambassador campaign, adapting the marketing strategy to incorporate new channels such as owned retail and e-commerce and the continual growth and development of e-commerce through new increased sales and new fulfilment methods.

Ultimately though, Emily wanted to be back in the snow industry and her experiences at Oakley and Specialized are now paying dividends for Hotham.

“Here at Hotham, I’ve worked hard to evolve our content strategy with our extremely talented media team to firstly provide more operational content to show a little bit of the behind the scenes of running a ski resort and also sharing the stories of some of the Humans of Hotham as well,” said Emily.

“I love being on the mountain.

“I love the shared passion that brings us all together.

“I love that we’re all working really hard to ensure guests have the experience of a lifetime and I love sharing the mountains with my young kids and seeing them fall in love with it too.

“I also think snowsports are pretty special in that it’s something families can participate in and enjoy together for life. It’s not uncommon for three generations to be able to enjoy a ski holiday together.”

As someone who first learnt to ski when she was three years old and has navigated a professional career which allows her to live her passion, Emily has some sage advice for young women looking to tread a similar path.

“Always put your hand up for opportunities that exist – or even ones that don’t,” she said. “You never know what might arise just by asking some questions.

“Put yourself out there, stay true to your passions, work hard and try to learn from experienced leaders around you. 

“Trying to gain as much experience in the industry you want to work in as you can while you study is definitely a good idea.

“I went on exchange in Canada for a semester during my university degree and stayed on to do a season in Whistler.

“It was there that I took a position as a marketing volunteer while also working in a snowboard shop. This gave me my first taste of ski resort marketing and some really valuable experience.”

The rest, as they say, is history.