Vail Resorts Announces EpicMix(TM), a New Online and Mobile Application, Allowing Skiers and Riders a Seamless and Effortless Way to Digitally Capture and Share Their Mountain Experience (United States)
Vail Resorts Announces EpicMix(TM), a New Online and Mobile Application, Allowing Skiers and Riders a Seamless and Effortless Way to Digitally Capture and Share Their Mountain Experience (United States)
EpicMix leverages radio frequency (RF) technology installed at each of the Company's 89 lifts across its five mountain resorts and RF chips embedded in the Company's season passes and lift tickets. - EpicMix will allow guests to track vertical feet skied and days on the mountain. - EpicMix enables guests to share their experiences with family and friends on Facebook and Twitter. - EpicMix will recognize special achievements by rewarding guests with collectible digital pins. - The free EpicMix mobile app will alert guests when their Facebook friends are on the mountain, and can be used to send private messages to meet up. - An EpicMix site for kids will feature special content and privacy restrictions.
Today, Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) unveiled EpicMix(TM), a first-of-its-kind online and mobile application for the 2010-2011 ski and snowboard season. EpicMix allows Vail Resorts guests, at any of its five world-class mountain resorts - Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly - to effortlessly utilize technology to digitally capture their ski and ride experience and share it with friends and family.
EpicMix is a digital application that guests can access online, at their computer or via a free mobile application that can be downloaded for the iPhone, Android or other smart phone. EpicMix automatically captures the activity of guests throughout each of its resorts, by leveraging Vail Resorts' state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) scanners that are being installed at each of its 89 lifts across all five mountain resorts. An RF-enabled chip embedded in Vail Resorts' season passes and PEAKS lift tickets will automatically track guests' lift rides, calculating vertical feet skied and days on the mountain and will recognize special achievements and accomplishments by granting guests commemorative, collectible digital pins. EpicMix will have hundreds of available digital pins for a multitude of unique experiences available at each resort.
EpicMix will allow guests to share their statistics and accomplishments through updates on Twitter and Facebook and guests can create special EpicMix leader boards with their Facebook friends. The EpicMix mobile application will alert guests when any of their Facebook friends are skiing and where they are on the mountain. The application will also allow guests to send messages to their private groups of Facebook friends on the mountain. The mobile application will also provide trail and grooming information, snow and weather reports, as well as resort news and traffic updates. EpicMix will also have a special website for kids under the age of 14, which will allow them to connect with their parents' accounts, but will have content designed specifically for them and unique pins only kids can earn. The kids' site also will have special privacy restrictions. Parents will also be able to use EpicMix to track the lift rides of their kids in real time.
"With the advent of new technology in equipment and new features on the mountain, skiing and riding have become the ultimate form of creative expression in sports and travel. At the same time, the rapid growth of social media has given people a whole new way to express themselves online and connect with friends and family. EpicMix is a groundbreaking experience that brings both together in a seamless and hassle free way for all of our guests," said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. "EpicMix takes the fun of playing and sharing online and marries it with the very real experience of skiing and riding. By not requiring our guests to do anything new, EpicMix is accessible to everyone, not just those already familiar with social media. EpicMix has the ability to track your physical accomplishments, similar to applications like Nike+ and then combine it with the community experience of location-based social media, similar to applications like Gowalla."
The basic functionality of EpicMix does not require Vail Resorts' guests to do anything but ski and ride as they always have. There is nothing to buy, nothing new to wear and no required check-ins with their mobile devices. The application is embedded into Vail Resorts' existing season pass and PEAKS lift tickets. EpicMix can be used by any guest at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly, whether they purchase a season pass or a PEAKS single day lift ticket. EpicMix will launch on opening day at Keystone Mountain on Nov. 5, 2010. The Company has posted a comprehensive video demonstrating the features and functionality of EpicMix at www.epicmix.com.
The privacy of Vail Resorts guests is of paramount importance to the Company and no information collected through EpicMix will be shared unless a guest "opts in" and specifically chooses to share their information. All information collected through EpicMix is subject to the strict privacy policies of Vail Resorts. Guests can choose to disable the RF chip in their pass to prevent any scanning. Children under 14 participating in EpicMix will have limited features and a connection only to their parents' account.
