Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives and business practices. According to a recent SAM and Origin survey of resort marketers, half are currently using AI to increase efficiency, create content, analyze data, and streamline guest communications—and more plan to implement it in winter 2024-25.
AI offers tremendous benefits for ski resorts, from optimizing operations and improving guest experiences to enhancing safety and boosting marketing efforts, but understandably, some resort operators and staff are wary of diving in headfirst.
Sign up to join us for our next live session on March 17 at 2:30 p.m. ET! In addition to accessing course materials on our online learning platform, you'll hear about the following during the session:
- An update on the latest features and upcoming changes to ChatGPT and other AI tech with our AI expert Mike Lannen of Eternity.
- Building an AI assistant live with Mike and Ryan Robinson, assistant GM of Powderhorn Mountain Resort.
- Getting a tour of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort's customer service AI chatbot from guest experience director Shannon Schiner and the Get Ski Bots team.
- Learning about AI texting capabilities and marketing segmentation with Tara Gordon, marketing technology and CRM manager for Sugarbush Resort.
- Plus, live Q&A opportunities with all of the speakers.
Fall AI Bootcamp attendees can access this bonus content live or via the online learning platform as part of their original purchase! We hope to see you there.
About the Ski Resort AI Bootcamp
Presented by SAM and Eternity, this self-paced virtual course is built to get you started or take you to the next level. Whether you’re AI-anxious or a ChatGPT guru, no matter your ski resort department or title, the bootcamp is designed to help you understand the pros and cons of integrating AI into your mountain resort business while providing hands-on instruction through live virtual sessions and a self-paced learning platform. You will complete the course with skills in place to use right away or be informed about your choices.
Sponsored By:
Transform your customer service and reduce costs with our specialized AI chatbots, designed specifically for ski resorts and the mountain travel industry. Experience the benefits of 24/7 customer support today.
LEARN MORE.
Program Details & Schedule
Program Details
Each module features self-paced lessons with demos with our AI expert, Mike Lannen of Eternity. Plus, modules and live sessions will offer insights from your peers for real-life examples of AI implementation at their resorts. The online bootcamp will be supplemented with live sessions, beginning March 17, 2025. Click the + below to view the module descriptions.
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Module 1: Introduction to AI
Learn about the possibilities of AI and how it can be implemented safely across many resort departments.
· Overview of AI Tools
· Case study from Greek Peak Mountain Resort with Jon Spaulding
· Interview on Security with Gregg Blanchard of Inntopia
· Live session on Thursday, Sept. 26, with Mike Lannen and interviews with Jon Spaulding and Gregg Blanchard -
Module 2: Marketing & Content
Dive into creating a branding copy document, training AI on your own data, and generating content for website, social and ads.
· Writing AI prompts
· Creating a branding copy document
· Training AI on your own data
· Generating content for your website, social media, and advertising
· Building custom ChatGPT bots
· AI Photo creation and editing
· Interview with Dave Amirault of SNOW Partners
· Live session on Thursday, Oct. 3, with Mike Lannen, including interviews with Lindsay DesLauriers, general manager of Bolton Valley Resort, and Dave Amirault, chief innovation office at SNOW Partners -
Module 3: Guest Communication & Customer Service
Explore uses for customer service website chatbots and AI call centers to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction.
· Guest service website chatbots
· AI inbound calling
· Food and beverage applications
· Review management and analysis
· Live session on Thursday, Oct. 17, with Mike Lannen, including a case study from Trapp Family Lodge with Walter Frame -
Module 4: Sales, Meetings & Integrations
Understand the many ways AI can act as an assistant to your efforts, including for sales calls, transcribing messages, and building meeting agendas and summaries.
· Sales calls and transcribing meetings
· Limitless.AI
· Actions and Integrations
· Email
· Video and audio enhancements
· Course recap
· Live session on Tuesday, Oct. 22, with Mike Lannen, including interviews with Douglas Quinby, co-founder and CEO of Arival, and Joseph Dooley, senior policy manager from Google
Pricing & Registration
Pricing
New Single User Access
For individuals looking to pave the path forward on their own.
- SAM Magazine Subscriber - Includes one bootcamp account - $99
- Non-Subscriber - Includes one bootcamp account and one discounted 1-year subscription to SAM - $130
New Resort Group Access (Recommended)
For individual resort teams who want to benefit from the AI Bootcamp together.
- SAM Magazine Subscriber - Includes unlimited bootcamp accounts for groups with at least one current SAM subscriber - $499
- Non-Subscriber - Includes unlimited bootcamp accounts and three 1-year subscriptions to SAM - $625
Looking to purchase access for multiple resorts? Contact karolyn@saminfo.com.
Renewal pricing for Session 1 bootcamp attendees coming soon!
Program Benefits
- Subscribers save 20% on the registration fee. Non-subscribers join the SAM community with a one-year subscription either discounted for single users or included in the cost of the course for group users.
- Hands-on instruction is available through the live sessions.
- Access to the interactive learning platform from April 1 through September 1, plus the opportunity to renew at a discounted rate for continued access.
What You’ll Need
Participants should have access to a computer to complete the course and live sessions, and we recommend signing up for the paid version of ChatGPT ($20/month) in advance. You can cancel this paid subscription at any time.
If you're having trouble accessing the registration form or need to sign up multiple resorts, please email karolyn@saminfo.com.
About the Expert
About the Expert
Mike Lannen is the Founder of Eternity, a premier web design and digital marketing agency he established in 2000. With more than two decades of experience, Mike specializes in blending creativity with strategic business acumen to deliver impactful digital experiences. His work has earned him accolades, including the Rising Star and Best Web Developer awards from Vermont Business Magazine.
Mike's expertise extends to the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). He leads workshops where he focuses on integrating AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance customer engagement, operational efficiency, and personalized content creation for ski resorts and beyond.
Mike will be joined by industry leaders and experts providing real-world examples throughout the Ski Resort AI Bootcamp.
"After seeing Mike Lannen’s presentation at NSAA and SKI NY-PA Expo in 2023, I knew our team at Greek Peak would benefit from scheduling an onsite A.I. Bootcamp with him and his Eternity team of professionals. Mike engages his audience well and helped connect seemingly complex concepts across multiple departments at our resort. He was well-prepared and asked the necessary questions to address Greek Peak-specific needs ahead of his onsite visit, and then was able to explain new ideas, various tools, and reachable solutions to us in a manner where we were empowered to set projects into motion."
— Jon Spaulding, Director of Marketing for Greek Peak Resort
Reviews
Still thinking about whether the Ski Resort AI Bootcamp is for you? Hear from industry peers on the value of the program after participating in Session 1:
"[The Ski Resort AI Bootcamp] is tailored to what they need. It's super relevant. You can ask questions and people that are in your similar situation can respond. I think this is the best [course] that resorts have for AI in general."
— Gregg Blanchard, VP of Marketing, Inntopia
"The Ski Resort AI Bootcamp has been well received by the PGRI team. There have been many practical takeaways from the sessions and lots of sidebar discussions about ways to take advantage of the learnings across the portfolio. From a marketing standpoint, it’s all about improving efficiency and using the AI tools to streamline workflow for daily tasks such as replying to online comments, drafting communications, and quickly answering questions about the properties without having to do a deep dive into the websites."
— Christian Knapp, VP & CMO, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.
"I've been slow in some ways to jump into AI and fully utilize how it can help me and empower my team, so the Ski Resort AI Bootcamp makes it all very approachable through defined tasks and goals."
— Andrew Lanoue, Brand & Creative Manager, Jay Peak Resort
