Turning Attractions into Digitally Enhanced Edutainment Experiences.

Today's technology brings history to life in ways unimaginable to previous generations. It has transformed visitor attractions by blending education and entertainment, creating seamless, enjoyable, and fun learning experiences, known as 'edutainment'.

Edutainment not only deepens engagement for visitors, expanding their minds, but also benefits the establishments themselves. Attending museums, cultural sites, zoos, wildlife parks, or aquariums is already recognised for helping young people understand their place in the world, appreciate diverse cultures, and connect with the natural environment.

However, modern technology significantly enhances these experiences. Whether through audio-visual components, laser light shows, or interactive displays, the visitor experience has become fully immersive and connected. Crucially, the learning doesn't have to end when visitors leave the attraction. In our 'always-on' digital world, technology allows for continued engagement.

Technology has produced tools that enrich on-site visits and facilitate deeper, more interactive, and portable learning. Audience Engagement Platforms (AEPs) are a key development in this area, revolutionising edutainment and driving digital transformation for venues like museums and aquariums.

Engaging Minds and Hearts with Digital Platforms

Visitor attraction operators face increasing pressure to engage young audiences who have immediate access to a wealth of entertainment options, such as YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Audience Engagement Platforms (AEPs) go beyond traditional tools, empowering educators with the skills, content, and ability to truly engage visitors in real-time and at any time. For instance, cloud-based AEPs can host digitally incorporated lesson planning modules. On-site educators simply 'plug in' their chosen content, desired outcomes, and activate selected digital enhancements, allowing the technology to manage the rest effortlessly.

How AEPs Work

AEP software is typically delivered as a standalone, cloud-based, customisable operator platform. From this platform, an audience experience app is deployed, either as a native or progressive web app (PWA), primarily delivered via mobile devices.

• A good platform should be user-friendly and not require external intervention.
• It needs depth of functionality to allow marketers to segment audiences and target communications.
• Curators can gain insights into which parts of their exhibitions resonate most or least with visitors.

Beyond tracking visitor journeys, offering digital signage, and providing location mapping, leading AEPs generate data and insights for future analysis. They also include fun mechanisms to trigger curiosity and maintain engagement.

• Digitally driven treasure hunts (akin to geocaching).
• Interactive quizzes, polls, and surveys.
• Beacon-triggered object recognition that unlocks supported content (videos, audio, fun facts, and educator-loaded information).

Gamification: Boosting Learning and Engagement

Integrated gamification, often linked to achievements, is increasingly popular. For example, visitors can be challenged to find a specific number of exhibits. The AEP's technology, linked to their mobile device, tracks their progress and can automatically unlock a redeemable item once criteria are met. This could be a gift shop prize, a digital 'capture your day' photo frame for social media, a snack, or additional information.

As visitors reach various operator-defined levels, more content and experiences become available. Outdoor exhibits, parks, and gardens are ideal for incorporating gamified trails and tours using trigger technology, such as digital Easter egg hunts.

Evidence shows that when people are having fun, they learn more, making the overall experience more rewarding.

Extending the Experience Beyond the Visit

Since the Audience Engagement Platform runs on a mobile app, the experience accompanies the visitor home. Operators can choose to enrich the visitor's experience even after they've left the premises. Thanks to geo-fencing technology, the AEP recognises when a visitor departs.

For instance, if a visitor spent considerable time at the zoo's lion enclosure (tracked by the engagement platform), the app could send a push notification on their journey home, unlocking the sound of a lion's roar. This would obviously be played away from the actual lion's den!

The platform also enables school educators and students to measure learning outcomes and continue the educational experience back in the classroom.

A crucial consideration for visitor attractions adopting a digitally enhanced edutainment approach via an AEP is its ability to mitigate future disruptions like lockdowns. A simple yet sophisticated Audience Engagement Platform can continue to entertain, educate, and engage people even when they cannot attend in person, ensuring attractions can always remain 'open'.