Matador Network’s GuideGeek technology now powers Frankie, a conversational assistant intended to help Frisco visitors plan trips and navigate the city around FIFA World Cup 26.
Matador Network has provided the GuideGeek artificial-intelligence technology behind Frankie, a conversational assistant integrated into Visit Frisco’s website for travellers planning visits to the Texas city. Frankie offers curated recommendations, trip-planning support and real-time answers to visitor questions, giving the destination a digital service designed to support guests as Frisco prepares for major events surrounding FIFA World Cup 26. The development places destination-specific AI at the centre of Frisco’s visitor strategy.
Frankie appears as a soccer-ball avatar in the bottom-right corner of visitfrisco.com, where users can ask about hotels, restaurants, shops, attractions and upcoming events. The assistant can create custom itineraries and provide links, photos and maps, while also giving users the option to contact the Visit Frisco team for further guidance. Its responses are primarily based on content from Visit Frisco’s website and are aligned with the organisation’s marketing pillars, voice and tone.
The service was developed with international football visitors in mind, but Visit Frisco says it will continue supporting travellers, meeting planners and local residents after the tournament. GuideGeek’s analytics show that users have spent an average of two minutes and 27 seconds interacting with Frankie, with frequent questions covering event details, parking, transportation and things to do in the area. The platform also supports Visit Frisco’s efforts to surface partner information, understand visitor demographics and create additional first-party data touchpoints.
The use case reflects a narrow but expanding role for AI in destination marketing: answering practical questions while helping tourism organisations organise and learn from visitor demand. Visit Frisco Executive Director Marla Roe said Frankie gives travellers instant access to information and provides the organisation with deeper insight into the experiences visitors are seeking. Matador Network chief executive Ross Borden said the assistant is intended to help fans, families and business travellers discover Frisco’s attractions, whether they arrive from elsewhere in Texas or from overseas.
Frisco promotes a broad sports and leisure offer that includes the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters, FC Dallas, the Frisco RoughRiders, the PGA of America, the National Videogame Museum and the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The city is located about 25 minutes north of Dallas and has more than 500 restaurants, according to Visit Frisco. For Matador Network, Frankie extends GuideGeek’s role from a general travel tool into a destination-branded interface, linking visitor assistance with the local organisation’s own information and priorities.
