Audience engagement technology to create sustained awareness of marine conservation.

Visitor attractions, including aquariums, play a crucial role beyond entertainment. They educate and shift perspectives, particularly concerning marine conservation, which is more critical than ever due to the severe threats facing our aquatic ecosystems.

Aquariums are increasingly becoming centres for education, highlighting the importance of conservation for our future wellbeing and sustainability. Engaging visitors and maintaining these conversations is vital for both the establishments and those who experience these underwater windows on the world.

The Evolution of Aquarium Engagement and Conservation

In 2009, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) launched its ‘Turning the Tide’ strategy, placing education and communication at its core. Given that these facilities, including zoos with aquatic features, attract over 700 million visitors annually (2021) and the industry is projected to reach $21.15 billion by 2027, maintaining contact with this vast audience is paramount.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the necessity of robust marketing and communications, particularly the need to stay connected with visitors even when physical visits were impossible. A Visit Britain report (August 2021) indicated that most UK attractions reduced spending in this area, with 96% adopting digital solutions. While Facebook and Twitter remained dominant, their penetration had plateaued.

Conversely, YouTube saw a significant increase in use within the attractions sector. It became a platform for online tours and free educational content for children learning at home. Like other sectors, attractions also developed online retail offers to diversify and increase revenue.

One positive outcome of the pandemic was a notable uptake in technological solutions across industries. For example, the attractions sector witnessed a 22% increase in the adoption of online booking systems.

Enhancing Visitor Experience with Audience Engagement Platforms

Technology offers far more to aquariums and the wider attractions sector than just digital ticketing. An audience experience app, powered by an engagement platform, allows operators to initiate ongoing communication with visitors, even after they have left the venue.

Such a platform serves as a crucial lifeline during lockdowns and, during normal operating hours, can send personalised push notifications about offers, special events, or upcoming talks. This content is tailored based on visitor profiles intelligently and unobtrusively mapped during their visit, simultaneously enriching their on-site experience.

These cloud-based apps, downloadable as native or progressive web apps, facilitate the sharing of vast amounts of information, making them ideal for educational purposes. They also track on-site interactions, such as dwell time and exhibit engagement, generating insights for marketers and curators. This data helps to personalise future communications effectively.

Designed to function effectively even in areas with limited network capability, such as underground exhibits in aquariums, these apps do not constantly draw data from the internet. They can still trigger beacons and provide a range of interactive experiences and additional content, unlocking further facts and enhancing the visit.

Technology's Role in Extended Conservation

One of the most significant benefits of an audience engagement platform in the aquarium sector is its ability to bolster conservation efforts. Aquariums worldwide strive to educate and inspire visitors to actively participate in preserving our aquatic landscapes. Beyond physical displays, technology can profoundly enrich and deepen this learning experience.

Insights for Conservation Research

For aquarium operators, research is critical for conservation, not only in protecting endangered species and aquatic systems but also in deriving insights from audience reactions. An AI-led audience engagement platform can automatically record dwell times and interactions when the app is in use, helping curators understand which exhibits generate the most interest. Through directed, personalised communications, this technology can also gauge visitor attitudes, transforming how operators gather insights into audience behaviour without unnecessary intrusion.

Engaging Beyond the Visit

Advanced platforms can integrate dynamic classroom modules and planners for educators, students, and curious visitors. These modules deliver fun, interactive, and immersive experiences that improve knowledge retention and understanding of critical environmental issues.

Often, the visitor experience concludes at closing time or the end of a school trip. However, an audience engagement platform ensures the journey can continue, fostering long-term, personalised engagement to raise awareness and drive action, be it through membership, further education, conservation participation, or donations.

Much like the Tamagotchi craze, where daily reminders and rewards kept users engaged, aquarium operators can leverage advanced technology to deliver edutainment-based content, gamification, and achievement-led activities. This approach keeps audiences engaged and rewards their efforts, creating a win-win situation for the aquarium, the visitor, and global aquatic heritage. It's an experience transformed.