Vail Resorts, has launched Emma, reputably the first ever digital mountain assistant in the world. Its beta version has been launched at Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado, which opened ahead of schedule this week. Emma will need some kind of acclimatisation initially, as she will try to better understand how guests ask questions. Once it is ready, it will be launched at eight more ski resorts later this season: Vail, Beaver Creek and Breckenridge in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe; and Whistler Blackcomb in Canada.
Emma (your Epic Mountain Assistant) will provide guests with real-time information, through simple text messaging, on everything from snow conditions, parking and personal performance stats to recommendations on rentals, lessons and dining options. It employs artificial intelligence (AI) through natural language processing (NLP) to answer questions, round the clock. She will naturally get smarter, as the interaction goes on.
“We are excited for Emma to launch in beta at Keystone. The earlier Emma can interact with guests on a variety of topics, the faster she will learn and adjust to guest preferences,” said Kirsten Lynch, chief marketing officer for Vail Resorts. “Emma is the world’s first digital mountain assistant and continues a decade of pioneering technological firsts from Vail Resorts to enhance the guest experience.”
Emma is connected to EpicMix, a ground-breaking technology from Vail Resorts, originally launched in 2010, which allows skiers and snowboarders to track their days and vertical feet. Guests can retrieve their EpicMix stats by texting Emma simple questions like “How much did I ski today?” or “What are my stats?”
Emma can also answer questions on weather conditions, grooming, lift line wait times, parking, ski school, lift tickets, equipment rental options, dining recommendations and more, serving as a one-stop source for the information guests need, when they need it.