ACRA unveils chatbot
The Aspen Chamber Resort Association recently announced the launch of a new chatbot on its website http://www.aspenchamber.org.
The chabot is available 24/7 and helps visitors plan their next trip to Aspen, walking users through a series of questions to discover their preferences. The chatbot emails custom itineraries for users depending on a variety of travel planning factors and offers an option to request ACRA’s new Aspen Field Guide as an additional source for trip planning with locals’ tips about Aspen.
“ACRA is one of the first destinations to have a chatbot feature on our website,” said ACRA President and CEO Debbie Braun. “The goal of the new feature is to increase visitor engagement and is one example of how ACRA strives to innovate and continuously find new ways to help assist visitors.”
The feature can be used by clicking the green aspen leaf at the bottom right of ACRA’s home page with the callout, “Can I help you plan your Aspen vacation?” There is no wait time for a visitor looking for a question or ready to book a vacation to Aspen. The chatbot is available both on desktop and mobile devices.
FirstBank to open Carbondale branch
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FirstBank will hold a ground-breaking ceremony from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, at 791 Highway 133 in Carbondale, for its newest branch location.
The branch, which represents FirstBank’s first location in Carbondale, is expected to create at least eight new full-time jobs, FirstBank said in a statement.
Carbondale Mayor Dan Richardson is scheduled to speak at the ceremony along with FirstBank’s Roaring Fork Valley Market President Dave Portman, who will present a $10,000 donation to Carbondale Arts in support of its art youth education program.
“We are excited to deepen our relationships in and around Carbondale,” Portman said. “Partnering with the Carbondale Chamber and Carbondale Arts — who are already doing great work locally — helps our mission of making a positive impact in the communities we serve.”
FirstBank also announced that it will be the presenting sponsor of the Chamber’s “First Fridays Carbondale,” a monthly event that celebrates the town’s arts, shopping and dining culture.
The Carbondale branch is expected to open in October and will occupy just under 5,500 square feet. The new space will be designed by local firm, A4, with Carbondale-based B&H General Contractors acting as general contractor.
Ryan Investments expanding
Aspen firm Ryan Investments has hired Travis Van Domelen as portfolio manager, handling day-to-day trading and portfolio management, and Casey Livingston as account manager, who will assist the firm as liaison to its custodian, Charles Schwab, as well as assisting with compliance.
Ryan Investments is an SEC-registered money manager located in Aspen since 2001. The firm serves individual investors and nonprofits by managing their portfolios with a dual focus on growth as well as protection.
The new hires are part of the company’s growth spurt, the firm said in a statement.
More information about Ryan Investments can be found at http://www.ryaninvest.com.
Douglas Elliman ads power broker
Douglas Elliman Real Estate recently announced that Rollie Jordan has joined the firm’s Colorado brokerage. She joins after 22 years with The Kentwood Com.
“Rollie is a trusted and strategic broker with over two decades of experience where she has built a strong and loyal network of clients. She is highly regarded in the industry and is one of the most resilient and tenacious agents,” said Joshua Saslove, the Aspen-based president of Douglas Elliman Colorado. “We are thrilled to have Rollie join us and she will be a valuable addition to our firm.”
Jordan has consistently ranked in the top 1 percent of residential real estate sales in Denver, according to a statement.
“Moving to Douglas Elliman is the next greatest chapter of my career and offers me the best opportunity for growing my business,” Jordan said. “I have been closely watching how Elliman entered the Aspen market and am impressed by their ability to be immediately successful and then sustain that success continuing to attract the best properties and agents. I want to be with a company known for a solid understanding of how to approach luxury residential real estate globally.”
Rowland+Broughton boosts Aspen office
Rowland+Broughton Architecture/Urban Design/Interior Design has announced that its Aspen studio is adding Catie Keel as an interior designer and Adam Cook as a project architect.
Keel has several years of experience working for Poss Architecture + Planning in Aspen. Before that, she was customer service specialist at Ethan Allen Global in Centennial, and commercial project manager at Seven Stone Surfaces in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cook worked at Warehouse in York, Pennsylvania. Before that, he worked on large-scale projects at Detroit’s SmithGroup commercial architecture firm.
Send business tips and announcements to rcarroll@aspentimes.com.