Spotlighting RMC’s journey, impact, and growth within the Hoffmann portfolio.

Every portfolio company has a story worth telling—one built on innovation, resilience, and lasting impact. In our new series, From Vision to Value, we spotlight the businesses within the Hoffmann portfolio, bringing their journeys, challenges, and successes to life in a way that captures their unique contributions.

To launch the series, we sat down with Shawn Thomson, Founder and CEO of RMC – Resorts I Mountains I Cities, the largest privately owned destination management and special events company in the United States. With over 35 destinations nationwide and revenues exceeding $75 million, RMC is a powerhouse in luxury hospitality—and Shawn is the visionary behind it all.

GEOFF:
Shawn, you’ve built something truly remarkable with RMC. I’m proud to share that the company made the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies in America—for the second year in a row. And on top of that, you were recently named one of Colorado Biz’s 2025 Top Women of Colorado. Congratulations!

SHAWN:
Thank you, Geoff. I wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up, but I really appreciate it. These honors mean a lot—but they’re a reflection of our entire team. We say it all the time: one team, one dream.

GEOFF:
Let’s rewind—how did you first get into destination management?

SHAWN:
It started in 1989. I had just moved to Aspen after running a company in Houston that managed global crew rotations. Commuting between the two cities was tough—especially with a daughter in fourth grade. Eventually, I sold that business and asked myself, “What’s next?”

I’d worked with companies like RMC before—back then, they were called ground suppliers. Someone suggested I buy a small Aspen-based company, and I thought, “I’ve hired these teams before. I know this space. I can do this.” So in 1990, I bought RMC. It was just me and one office in Aspen.

As we grew beyond the Rockies, we rebranded to RMC—Resorts | Mountains | Cities. Today, we operate in over 35 destinations across the U.S.

GEOFF:
What was the first market you expanded into beyond Aspen?

SHAWN:
Vail was our first move—it’s close to Aspen and made strategic sense. Our first hotel partner was the Ritz-Carlton Aspen, where we went in-house. That embedded model—being physically present within hotel properties—is a key differentiator for RMC. It allows us to be deeply integrated and responsive.

We also maintain external offices for operational needs. Every destination we serve has a brick-and-mortar presence. From Vail, we expanded to Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor, then Denver, Jackson Hole, and Park City. Our growth was often driven by strong relationships with hotel GMs—many of whom relocated and invited us to follow. If the opportunity aligned, we opened an office.

GEOFF:
Any standout examples from that journey?

SHAWN:
Park City is a great one. Both the Montage and St. Regis opened there the same year. Our GM from Aspen moved to Deer Valley and encouraged us to establish a presence. We opened our office a year and a half before Montage even launched. That kind of trust and foresight has been a cornerstone of our growth.

GEOFF:
Did that pattern continue as you moved into other regions?

SHAWN:
Absolutely—though sometimes I went kicking and screaming! Bluffton and the Savannah area weren’t on my radar, but now that region—including Charleston, Savannah, and Kiawah—is one of our most successful.

It’s amazing how things come full circle. The General Manager who brought us into St. Regis has since moved on, but his daughter now works for us. We’ve had several second-generation team members join RMC, including a young woman in Aspen whose mother worked for me years ago. That kind of continuity and loyalty means everything.

GEOFF:
It sounds like relationships are central to your success. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in that area?

SHAWN:
Always remember who your clients are—and it’s not just the end user. At RMC, we treat our hotel partners as our most important clients. We work alongside them to serve their guests, who ultimately become our clients too. The same goes for our vendors. We place enormous trust in them and treat them like clients because they’re essential to the experience we deliver.

GEOFF:
That’s a powerful model. How do you ensure vendor quality and compliance?

SHAWN:
We’re extremely selective. We have a dedicated team that vets vendors—everything from insurance and employee standards to presentation and uniforms. Due diligence is non-negotiable. Every vendor must align with our standards and the expectations of our luxury clientele.

GEOFF:
Within the Hoffmann Family of Companies, we’re always thinking about how to build a circular economy across the portfolio. When it comes to your vendor network, do you ever help them expand into new markets?

SHAWN:
Absolutely. It varies by region, but we’ve helped many vendors grow with us. A great example is from Park City—when we expanded to Big Sky, Montana, we brought a trusted transportation partner from the St. Regis. That move led to a multi-million-dollar contract for them. We’ve repeated that model in several destinations, always supporting our partners as we grow.

GEOFF:
Do you think that level of partnership and scrutiny sets RMC apart from other destination management companies?

SHAWN:
I believe it does. Most DMCs are likely diligent about insurance and liability—at least I hope so. But what sets us apart is our commitment to the luxury experience. We hold our partners to high standards in presentation, professionalism, and guest experience. That’s where we truly differentiate.

GEOFF:
As you continue expanding—like in Savannah, which turned out to be a surprise success—are there any markets you’re targeting now?

SHAWN:
We’re actively growing in Southern California. We already have offices in Santa Barbara, Healdsburg, Napa/Sonoma, and Lake Tahoe. Now, we’re expanding into Laguna and Newport Beach. We’re also planning to enter a Florida market near Savannah, which feels like a natural extension of our Southeast success.

GEOFF:
It’s clear that people and culture are central to your work. What’s your favorite part of what you do?

SHAWN:
Watching our team grow. We’ve had interns become general managers over 13 years. Our leadership is always looking ahead, nurturing talent and identifying opportunities.
I especially love hosting familiarization trips—“fams”—with hotel partners. We showcase destinations, venues, restaurants, and experiences in incredible detail. Seeing our clients’ reactions makes it all worthwhile.

SHAWN (continued):
Of course, with that passion come challenges. People are our greatest asset, so we invest heavily in training and development. We have a dedicated training division for new hires, a corporate trainer for leadership, and an annual RMC University for several days of education and connection.

We also support certifications like CMP and ADME, cover the costs, and send employees to relevant conferences. Our incentive trips are extraordinary—last year was Portugal, this year Fiji, and we’ve even gone to South Africa.

GEOFF:
That’s impressive. What’s the thinking behind those incentive trips?

SHAWN:
We believe that experiencing an incentive trip firsthand helps our team better understand what our clients expect. Everyone at RMC is eligible—operations, sales, admin, marketing, finance. It’s not just for sales anymore. We also recognize general managers, regional leaders, and our employee of the year through these programs.

GEOFF:
That’s a very inclusive approach!

SHAWN:
It has to be. Our finance team supports operations, marketing supports sales—it’s all interconnected. We’ve even asked employees if they’d prefer a cash bonus instead of the trip, and every time, they choose the trip. It builds culture, loyalty, and empathy. These experiences help our team connect with the kind of programs we deliver for clients.

GEOFF:
As you know, culture is extremely important to me and the business—how would you describe the culture at RMC, especially with so many locations and people?

SHAWN:
The biggest compliment we get is that RMC’s culture feels different. We’re all about our people. This year’s RMC University theme is “RMCU”—with a focus on you. We even built programming around the letters R, M, and C. The “C,” as you might guess, was about COVID and how we’ve grown through it.

Our culture is caring and family-based. That’s hard to maintain at scale, but we’re committed to it. My daughter is our Chief of Staff and has been with RMC for over 16 years. We have other mother-daughter teams, siblings, and long-standing relationships that feel like family.

GEOFF:
That’s inspiring, especially with nearly 1,000 employees.

SHAWN:
It’s a lot, but we work hard to make sure that family feeling reaches everyone. A new executive recently told me he’d never seen anything like our culture. In his previous role, it was just “do your job and clock out.” Here, we’re committed from day one.

From onboarding and training to executive engagement and career development, we’re always helping our people grow—and making sure they’re having fun. We operate in a luxury model, but we also believe in joy and connection.

GEOFF:
What has being part of the Hoffmann Family of Companies enabled you and RMC to do?

SHAWN:
The biggest thing is knowing they’re there. Kevin Morrison, CFO of Hoffmann Family of Companies, is one of the most amazing people I’ve worked with—he listens, supports, and has been instrumental in helping us expand. Tamir Rankow has been with me from the start, and really, the entire Hoffmann team is incredibly helpful. They catch things, offer insights, and provide financial support when needed. It’s a true partnership.

GEOFF:
What’s something you wish more people knew about your business?

SHAWN:
I wish people understood how much work goes into curating a destination. We don’t just Google things or call random vendors. We build relationships and rely on deep local expertise to ensure our clients get the best—whether it’s a bike ride, a restaurant, a venue, or entertainment.

At 3:00 AM, when something goes wrong, who are you going to call? That’s where a destination management company like ours makes all the difference. We live and breathe these destinations, and our team is trained to deliver that level of support.

GEOFF:
Shawn, I see you as a bright beacon of light in the portfolio. We’re so happy and lucky to have RMC as part of the Hoffmann Family of Companies.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RMC | READ SHAWN’S PROFILE IN COLORADOBIZ | WATCH RMC IN ACTION