Class of 2020
Innovators and Leaders in West Virginia Snow Sports
Media Leaders - editors, reporters, authors, creators in all media-related position
Mark & Bonnie Branciaroli
Mark and Bonnie Branciaroli are native West Virginians solely responsible for branding and promoting West Virginia's Ski Industry. Originally from Brooke County, they settled in Elkins, WV, in 1979. They created the State's first design, advertising agency, and publishing company - Sound Consultants Inc., and Sound Tech Printing.
Mark and Bonnie were introduced to WV ski country in the late 1970s. As accomplished musicians, they toured throughout the Eastern US, often playing at Snowshoe Resort. There they met J.B. Hungate, Snowshoe General Manager. J.B. encouraged Mark and Bonnie to publish Snowshoe's marketing materials. This was the first coordinated effort to market the State's Ski Industry.
They started by publishing the Snowshoe News, Canaan Valley Review, and the Timberline Times. These publications quickly transitioned into a full-fledged marketing agency specifically for the tourism industry in West Virginia and surrounding states. Among their first clients were The West Virginia Ski Area Association, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Canaan Valley Resort, Timberline Resort, Canaan Valley, and Snowshoe area Real Estate Companies. The publications that put Mark and Bonnie on the road to success were Ski West Virginia magazine, Snowshoe's Making Tracks, and The Mountain Traveler, a Summer travel guide for Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker Counties. Ski West Virginia immediately became the principal marketing piece for the West Virginia Tourism Department. Throughout their 40 plus years in marketing the West Virginia ski industry, Mark and Bonnie were surprised when realizing they published more than 50 million copies of WV tourism-related pieces.
Mark & Bonnie continued their groundbreaking efforts in 1993. They developed and created the first travel-related website for West Virginia tourism companies, The West Virginia Web. WVweb.com contained webpages about and links to more than 2,000 companies statewide. Ogden Newspapers purchased the West Virginia Web in 1995.