Ski Gondola Display Prop – HarperCollins Book Launch at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival
An authentic 1970s alpine ski gondola, custom wrapped in cardinal red, for the launch of Agatha Christie's Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley
When HarperCollins Publishers and Harper Fiction needed a showstopping centrepiece to launch Agatha Christie's Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel — the new Miss Marple mystery written by bestselling British author Lucy Foley — they came to Winter Attractions for a ski themed display prop with genuine alpine credentials.
The novel opens high in the Swiss Alps, where a guest steps into a red mountain gondola alive and is found dead at the summit, so the brief was unusually specific: the stand needed a real ski gondola, and it needed to be red. Our Ski Gondola 74 Display Prop — an authentic 4-seater cabin that once ran on the Grand Massif slopes above Samoëns in Haute-Savoie, France, and at Courchevel — was selected as the hero installation for the publisher's stand at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, held at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th July 2026.
The result was a four-day interactive photo moment that put readers, reviewers, bookstagrammers and the author herself inside the world of the book.
The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is the world's longest-running and most prestigious celebration of crime writing, and the beating heart of the crime fiction community. Proud of its Yorkshire roots, it is where the biggest news in the genre breaks — a place where readers meet their heroes, emerging writers find a platform, and agents, editors and publishers gather alongside thousands of dedicated fans. For a publisher launching a title of this profile, it is one of the highest-value audiences in UK publishing, and the stand had to earn its place in the room.
Our Approach
Matching the prop to the story
The novel's set piece is a red gondola, so authenticity mattered more than decoration. Rather than build a lookalike, we supplied the real thing: a refurbished 1970s ski lift cabin with original fibreglass bodywork, bench seating for four, four windows for 360° photography, and built-in ski storage boxes. That heritage did the heavy lifting — visitors recognised instantly that they were sitting in a genuine piece of ski history, not a set dressing.
The challenge: turning white into cardinal red
Our Ski Gondola 74 is finished in its original white and alpine grey livery. The book and its striking cover called for red. Repainting a heritage fibreglass shell was never an option, so our team specified a fully reversible temporary colour change using Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film in Gloss Cardinal Red – O [BP114001].
The process took five days in the workshop:
- Two days to safely break the gondola down into its individual panels and sections, clean, degrease and prepare every surface for wrapping.
- Three days to apply the wrap itself. The compound curves of a 1970s fibreglass gondola shell are about as demanding as vehicle wrapping gets; every door skin, roof section and window surround had to be heated, stretched and post-heated by hand to avoid lifting on the tight radii.
The finished cabin read as a factory-red gondola on the stand, and the film peels away cleanly afterwards, protecting the original bodywork and returning the prop to its white livery for future hires.
Installing at the Old Swan Hotel
The gondola has been retrofitted to pass through a standard double doorway and stands entirely self-supporting, which made it viable inside a historic hotel where rigging points and floor loading are tightly restricted. Our team delivered, positioned and dressed the installation on a faux-snow base with vintage skis, ski poles, retro alpine signage and an overhead haul rope with running gear, then handed over a stand that was ready for guests from the moment doors opened.
Designed as a shareable photo moment
The gondola was styled specifically to work as a self-service photo booth. Guests were invited to take a seat, pose, and share their photo using #grandalpinegondola and #harrogatecrimefestival, with a competition to win a proof copy of the novel running alongside. Side-entry access and open door apertures meant photos could be taken from outside the cabin without a large queue forming, keeping the stand flowing throughout each day.
Results
A four-day photo queue that kept the stand busy from open to close
Festival visitors, book bloggers, booksellers and fellow authors stopped to sit in the gondola across all four days, giving the HarperCollins stand consistent footfall rather than a single launch-day spike.
User-generated social posts under a single branded hashtag
Guests shared their own photos and video to Instagram Stories, Reels and TikTok, tagging @harperfiction and @lucyfoleyauthor and using #grandalpinegondola — turning every visitor into a distribution channel for the book launch.
A ready-made set for the author’s official media photography
The gondola doubled as the backdrop for Lucy Foley’s press and publicity images with the book, giving the publisher launch assets that visually match the novel’s cover and setting — value well beyond the stand itself.
A perfect thematic match between prop and product
An authentic red alpine gondola alongside a murder mystery that opens in one: the installation explained the premise of the book before a single visitor read the blurb.
One prop, multiple roles across the event
Photo booth, exhibition centrepiece, competition mechanic, media backdrop and conversation starter — all delivered by a single installation, maximising the return on the stand budget.
A reversible custom finish with no damage to a heritage prop
The vinyl wrap gave the client an exact brand-matched colour without permanently altering a piece of 1970s ski history.
In summary
Event Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the ski gondola display prop be colour matched to our brand or campaign?
Yes. For this HarperCollins book launch we changed our Ski Gondola 74 from white to cardinal red using Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film, a fully reversible finish that protects the original 1970s bodywork. Custom colour changes, decals, signage and themed styling can all be arranged — allow around two weeks' lead time for a full wrap.
Can the gondola be used for a book launch, exhibition stand or product reveal?
Absolutely. Its retro alpine styling and 360° visibility make it a natural centrepiece for exhibition stands, retail windows, brand activations and press launches, and guests can sit inside for photos throughout the day.
How many people fit inside the ski gondola?
The gondola has two bench seats and comfortably seats up to four guests at a time, making it suitable for solo portraits, couples and small group photos.
Will the ski gondola fit inside a hotel or historic venue?
Yes. It has been retrofitted to pass through a standard double doorway and is fully self-standing, requiring no rigging points — which is how it was installed inside the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate. Installation typically takes an hour.
Can we hire the gondola for a multi-day event?
Standard hire is one day, but multi-day and full-festival hires are regularly arranged. This installation ran across four consecutive days with our team handling delivery, setup and de-rig.
What other ski themed display props do you offer?
Alongside the Ski Gondola 74 we hire a Ski Lift Chair Photo Booth, a Ski Lift Chair Display Prop and the 'OFF PISTE' Ski Themed Light Up Display Prop — all available individually or as a combined alpine set, view the full range.
Planning a book launch, product reveal, exhibition stand or winter activation?
Our Ski Gondola 74 Display Prop is available for UK-wide hire, alongside our Ski Lift Chair Photo Booth, Ski Lift Chair Display Prop and 'OFF PISTE' Ski Themed Light Up Display Prop. Custom colour changes, branding and themed styling can all be arranged.
External links
- Book: Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel – Waterstones — note it launches September 2026 and is available to pre-order now.
- Festival: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival
- Hashtags: #grandalpinegondola · #harrogatecrimefestival
Client Feedback
The client praised the creativity and execution of the project, highlighting the booth’s ability to draw in guests and generate lasting memories.
Emma W
Event Manager
Winter Attractions went above and beyond! The ski lift booth was a huge success and had guests talking all night. It was beautifully authentic, easy to use, and created so many great moments for our event.