Champlain College EMC Partners with ViewBoost to Develop Rural Tourism App

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Focus Group of Emergent Media Center Students working with the client, ViewBoost LLC

BURLINGTON, VT (03/20/2012)(readMedia)-- The Emergent Media Center (EMC) at Champlain College is in the process of developing a mobile tourism application with a unique scope: the app is a real-time geo-specific digital concierge system to enhance the rural travel experience for tourists in Vermont and beyond. The ViewBoost app for mobile devices (iPads and iPhones initially) will connect people, places, events, and businesses, enabling travelers to see their route, destination, and recommended points of interest along the way, all of which can be filtered depending on personal interests.

"Vermont has so much to offer, and is the perfect laboratory for the development of this rural tourism application. So many businesses and jobs depend on tourism that an application of this type is badly needed," says Roger Allbee, a co-founder and former Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets for Vermont. While the current focus is to develop a superior product that meets the needs of the consumer, the mission is far more expansive. This is about public and private partnerships, economic development and harnessing the rich experiences of Vermont and putting it at people's fingertips.

With support from Ray Pecor, owner of the Vermont Lake Monsters and a long time supporter of Vermont businesses, students at the Emergent Media Center have been working on the initial stages of development for the ViewBoost application. Champlain College is the right place to develop this application as the students see the need and have the technical and innovative skills to create it.

"This is an excellent opportunity for our student employees of the Emergent Media Center," says Julie Bond, Interim Director at the EMC. "They will be able to see the tangible benefits for their community as ViewBoost grows as a company and brand."

"It's great to be working with two other designers," says Nicole Egan, a Graphic Design and Digital Media student '14. "Our goal is to create a cohesive identity throughout all aspects of the application. I'm positive that our three different styles and viewpoints will produce exceptional art for this project."

Champlain College is deeply rooted in the Burlington Community, and the EMC has worked with numerous Vermont organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs to bring games, mobile applications, and other interactive experiences to life. The project highlights the college's commitment to supporting local businesses and fostering ever-growing opportunities for its graduating students to remain in Vermont to embark on their professional careers.

"It's my first time leading a group of programmers," says Alex Tardif, a Computer Science and Innovation student '13. "I'm learning a lot about the management aspect. Vermont is a beautiful state, and I think this app will be great for all the tourism we have coming in. But there are plenty of features in this application that native Vermonters will find incredibly useful too."

The app uses Vermont as its model but will eventually expand to other markets. It is currently in its early phases and is expected to be produced this year, with a release in the spring of 2013.

For more information about ViewBoost LLC and ViewBoost application development, contact Roger Allbee (roger.allbee@yahoo.com) or Julie Bond, Interim Director at the Emergent Media Center (jebond@champlain.edu).

MORE ABOUT CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE:

• Since 1878, Champlain College has provided career-focused education to students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, Vt. Champlain's distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning only occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain offers traditional undergraduate and online undergraduate courses, along with online certificate and degree programs and eight master's degree programs. Champlain offers study abroad programs at its campuses in Montreal, Quebec and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain College will be included in the Princeton Review's "best colleges" guidebook, "The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition." Champlain was named a "Top-Up-and-Coming School" by U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" and was ranked in the top tier of 2012 Regional Colleges in the North. For more information, visit www.champlain.edu.

MORE ABOUT THE EMERGENT MEDIA CENTER

• Champlain College's Emergent Media Center prepares students to define the future of interactive and immersive mediums. The EMC works directly with industry, public institutions, and non-profit organizations to provide a laboratory/studio environment for creating leaders in technology and innovation. It allows students to experience learning and become leaders in real-life work situations. For more information about the Emergent Media Center, visit www.champlain.edu/emc.