Latest Innovations & Insights

Many attractions have been forced to adopt an advanced booking model due to the needs of the Health and Safety guidelines.  It will no doubt form part of the ‘new normal’ for many attractions and so needs to be addressed in a professional manner, integrating the old with the new.  A ticketing system is central to the operation of an Attraction/Experience.  It is the beginning of the guest experience and drives the revenue.  Many types of ticketing solutions are available, and careful consideration must be given to the choice of system and the attraction requirements and budget. They can be as complex or as simple as required and can be bespoke to the attraction or a cheaper option is clearly ‘off the shelf’ but customisable and flexible dependent on budget.

The basic Point of Sale requirement is as follows:

• Online/onsite booking facilities
• Admission control
• Online sales (Webstore/combined offers/F&B etc)
• Payment integration (Apple wallet etc)

Advanced and integrated systems also provide:

• Hardware solutions
• Variable pricing/price calendars
• Capacity management
• Stored value
• Food and Beverage POS and integration
• Membership system & portals
• Groups/Schools bookings
• Wider reach through global sales channels

And providers will work to enable bespoke solutions to your attractions’ particular requirements – at a cost.  Much of the software is customisable however, and can be tailored to the needs without bespoke work necessary, minimising potential cost.

Ticketing opportunities relevant to the Covid-19 Pandemic challenge:

• Pricing/Capacity management: Systems can be programmed to maximise yield through timings and through put – in sessions/hours etc. – See ‘Yield’ Management & Pricing sections below.
• Timed entry and virtual reservation models can not only alleviate risk and ensure Covid-19 compliant attractions, but can also ensure staff planning is accurate dependent on the known visitor numbers at each particular time of day/session.
• Ability to gather more information on the visitor needs and the detail of the visitor group – for contact tracing purposes, but can be used to advantage for the Guest Experience.
• Contactless transactions and Guest journey – QR codes/ticketless transactions ensure that guests can enter your attraction without personal interactions.
• Kiosks – Whereby ticket systems can be integrated with human interaction from behind screens, and seamless contactless payments taken if necessary onsite.
• Deeper relationships with Visitors: Use of integrated social media and marketing communications can ensure deeper relationships with visitors through maximising communications throughout the guest journey  from initial visit to the website, through booking engine, and to entry and flow through attraction. More data collection/knowledge of the customer from the outset - so more meaningful contact with visitors when they do flow through the attraction. Both the above will encourage customer engagement and increased loyalty. This will result in repeat visits and Word of Mouth recommendations which will deliver increased sales in the longer term.

Necessity is the mother of Invention/Adversity is the Father!

In order to adapt, many attractions have been adopted new digital initiatives in response to the pandemic. Disney has presented an inspiring vision of the future keynote at the IAAPA (virtual education conference), sharing the vision of linking together physical and digital experiences, creating a “theme park metaverse”. Many smaller and micro-attractions and experiences can learn from this vision.

The necessity to reduce capacity and to maximise the guest and employee safety in attractions/experiences, online ticketing or advanced sales for tickets has been essential.  When planning for the future, Attractions and Experiences must now consider whether the current arrangement is maximising the opportunity for revenue, spend and cost control.

Trends which must be leveraged to maximise opportunity:

• Huge acceleration of acceptance of new technology – driven by the ‘’Zoom Culture”.
• Large widening of the demographic who are comfortable with new tech – parents and grandparents now using tick toc/Zoom whereas previously unfamiliar and reticent to adopt
• Expectation of use of digital technology to address new challenges which have arisen due to the pandemic
• Reliance on technology. Attractions need to modernise experiences to meet the need of consumers.  Operators need to embrace this change and understand that there is no going back.
• People now EXPECT things to be different – used to be too risky! Now if standing still and not doing it you will be left behind
• Socially distanced experiences become the norm – opportunity for enhanced premium experiences to impact Average Transaction Value and Average Spend

Technological innovation to be used to adapt to the pandemic:

• Contactless ticketing: as well as improving guest safety, this frees up staff to focus on other areas and helps venues to run more efficiently.
• Contactless access control for staff/contractors
• Capacity/Resource and Yield management tools
• Rebooking and rescheduling existing booking – simplification of process.
• Advances in touch-free technology – e.g. storytelling in museums & galleries: Think about how a certain technology enables artists and supports curators to get an exhibition’s narrative told in the right way, right space and safely.  Technology should be invisible, reinforce the engagement,  facilitate the storytelling and safety protocols, not be overwhelming.
• Seek out and use technological developments in retail technology (online ordering/intuitive add-ons), events industry (VR)/Gaming industry (connectivity, upsells) to benefit your own attraction/experience.
• As people become more aware of the space they are in, attractions can capitalise on Innovations in RFID, ultrasonic and microwave sensors, as well as infrared, thermal, and depth cameras which can now be used to incorporate into Experiences.  

Opportunities:

• Conversion rates
• Average Spend
• Average Transaction value
• Connected digital experiences – the new normal*. The Visitor Experience & opportunities for improvement is a separate section.
• Mobile Apps - particularly for onsite activities. Personalised ‘concierge in your pocket’ = opportunity to increase spend by enhanced guest engagement.

Queue management/Timed entry

Touch free access using Personal handheld devices – ipad/PDA etc, using cameras and readers to scan devices negates the need for printed and handled tickets.   Many applications can integrate customised entry messages with timed entry, and all such systems integrate to provide a platform for administration and operational reporting.  Such systems also integrate the membership system and portals for closed user group access, and can be programmed to even provide welcome messages and be integrated to guests’ handheld devices via apps in order to provide a seamless touch-free experience throughout the attraction. 

Many of the systems also now can incorporate touch free entry for 3rd party ticket providers, City Passes/Big Bus Co/Tour operators etc, and can facilitate seamless touch-free entry for visitors which has historically been labour-intensive and difficult.  In the time of uncertainty, communication and facilitation is key, as is the opportunity to develop more local markets and develop loyalty from such visitors in the absence of international visitor economy recovery in 2021.

Access for employees through touch free access control is also imperative, and many existing systems have upgraded to integrate this functionality in response to need.  Resource planning technology – rota systems etc are discussed below.

Attraction circulation & social distancing/regulation compliance

Constantly changing rules and regulations mean that the Attractions and Experience industry has had to think on its feet throughout 2020.  Nimble and effective responses have taken advantage of the innovations in the industry:

Risk Management:

The first stage has always to look at the operation in minute detail and measure risk at every turn.  Existing Risk Management protocols can be used to instigate the process, however specific guidance on specific areas of the business can be found from local government sites and TNI, as well as industry bodies such as IAAPA/ALVA etc.

Specific areas of innovation to support the management of C-19 risk:

• Cashless transactions
• Use of screens – mobile and fixed
• PPE – masks/visors/gloves
• Sanitising products & innovation:
  • free standing sanitisers
  • room sanitisers
  • Air sanitisers/integrated AC systems/Airborne particle defence systems
• Staff training innovations – e-learning/Use of Video Training. Some companies have even used tiktok for training employees
• Future proofing business – Communications now embedded into Marketing messages/Employee comms and training

• Business Continuity Plan (BCP) – Home working

Nimble businesses were able to instigate the planned BCP, and implement home working for those members of the workforce who could remain productive if the attraction was closed.  Seeking out those functions which would have a role in the Short/Medium Term and Long term business reopening functions such as communication, training and marketing was key to business recovery, and many businesses were able to ‘pivot’/reshape and think differently as a result, to maintain some revenue streams throughout the most challenging periods of the pandemic. 

Use of the following tools:

• VOIP providers
• Zoom/Teams/Go to meeting
• etc

Empathy/Flexibility

Virtual Staff get togethers/Briefings/’Organised fun in the form of Company Quizzes, Virtual Drinks, wellbeing and meditation classes, even yoga – have benefitted employees who either still working or furloughed, maintained Staff engagement and involvement in the business. 

The Best practice throughout this is to Empathise and be Flexible, understanding the pressures of the pandemic on home working life, and the ability for each employee to adapt to this way of working would be dependent on their own individual circumstances.

Communications

Communication with Employees and Customers remains central to the operation and survival of any business.         

Employee Communications:

Attractions who made significant efforts to remain in contact with their workforce, and checking in on a personal level regularly with employees on furlough, ensured that the long term engagement of the team would not be affected. Senior Leaders who made the time to ‘check in’ with employees personally via a phone call were seen to be the trigger for compassion within the industry.

Humanise your approach:  Businesses are reliant on connectivity with staff – many may not have had resources – e.g. laptops/broadband connectivity etc.  Empathy and understanding that ‘working from home’ was an intrusion into the home, not necessarily a welcome one with the challenges of home life in the circumstances, bore fruit in the long run with empathy and understanding on a human level.      

Best practices:

• Daily/Weekly emails and calls from Senior management
• Reinforcement of Company Vision/Mission/Values
• Asking open questions of the team – what do they think?  How could we tackle this?
• Explanation of decision making - context
• Key timelines & admission of uncertainty ‘We’re all in this together’ approach
• Training and e-learning courses to reinforce existing skills and develop new

Customer Communications:

Many innovations have been seen across the industry for ensuring that all information was updated and in the public domain as soon as humanly possible.  Attractions posting video content – e.g. feeding time for Penguins or elephants at Zoos, or engagement in the School curriculum saw much interest and positive PR for the business.

Best Practices:

• Communicate at EVERY available opportunity – Social media/Website/All touch points
• Use of Video content & Live Feed
• Capture every opportunity to communicate – what CAN be done on line – e.g. Summer Camps/Festivals/School curriculum support for remote learning/community involvement. 

Resourcing tools:

During this time of uncertainty, rota planning and workforce management became more important than ever before.  Use of Cloud-based rota planning and employee communication tools become invaluable in a time of uncertainty and crisis.

Best Practices:

• Use resource planning Data and information on Finance.  These tools determine the cost/benefit and viability of the business planning, staffing and opening hours/capacity/cost of operating.
• Having the information at your fingertips digitally enables businesses to be able to plan re-opening and reduced capacity, and drive the necessary thinking to Revenue generation/spend per head and Average transaction value.
• Use of these tools to keep staff completely informed of the KNOWN and the UNCERTAIN
• Use of these tools and others to enable 2 way communication from staff with teams to management and amongst themselves.