The surge of digital integration into the attractions industry comes as no surprise.
From roadside billboards to fast-food restaurants, digital signage, display monitors, and ticketing kiosks have firmly established themselves as familiar resources in daily life. But, engaging with a touchscreen at an airport isn’t the same as interacting with screens as a guest on vacation.
As more of these digital resources are incorporated into facilities, attraction operators and owners face a number of obstacles that could disrupt the guest experience. But those who lived through the transition say that shouldn’t hold you back.
“Most stakeholders who are new to digital signage are concerned about budgeting for day one and forget to focus on what happens from day two onward,” says Jay Leedy with Videri, Inc., a digital interface and activation company.
Even zoos and FECs that have adopted simple digital menus or arcade card kiosks can encounter challenges related to the safety, security, and unification of screen systems.
The Challenges vs. Financial and Operational Benefits
Parker Vogt, general manager of Langer’s Entertainment Center in Oregon, saw an exponential increase in his weekly Trivia Brunch Buffet—all because his team swapped printed signage (often called “static” in the sign industry) for dynamic displays on digital menus.
“Sundays used to have six or eight trivia players; now we regularly get 40 to 50,” he says. “We average between $1,000-$1,500 in revenue on those days … putting these rotating advertisements on our screens was well worth the effort.”
Alex Novy, chief operating officer of Kokomo Joe’s Family Fun Center in Missouri, has also seen an increase in revenue through the addition of self-serve kiosks.
“The upsell conversion rate is around 50%, which is higher than the upsell conversion rate when guests make purchases from our employees,” Novy admits. “One or two dollars added onto every transaction really boosts the bottom line at the end of the year.”
| SCREEN SAVVY Digital solutions may bolster financial sheets immediately. But operationally, adding screens requires careful planning and consistent management. |
“The most successful digital signage deployments have a range of stakeholders who are educated with the infinite dimensions in terms of messaging and direction,” says Leedy, Videri’s senior vice president of strategic alliances. He highlights a digital menu board can be programmed to simply list menu options—or it can be optimized to drive excess inventory, promote seasonal sales, and inspire guests to explore other on-site amenities available.
Some forms of digitalization are best viewed as augmentation, not as a replacement for traditional static methods. For example, major theme parks incorporate both self-serve ticket kiosks and employee-manned admission booths. The former reduces guest wait times and employee staffing, while the latter ensures that guests still have a face-to-face resource available.
Printing or Pushing Electronic Messages
Tony Green, director of partnerships for the Digital Signage Federation and vice president of business development for Snap Install, Inc., points out printing and hanging signs can now be done with the click of a mouse in an office.
“Employees who [used to] walk around for hours replacing static signage can instantly adjust all digital signage across the park,” Green says. “Unlike a print strategy that is very expensive to recalibrate, you can adjust and redeploy a digital strategy countless times.”
Vogt at Langer’s Entertainment Center agrees.
“I don’t know how many times we’ve printed out dozens of menus that have a spelling error,” admits Vogt. “Instead of reprinting and replacing paper signs, I just click a button to update the spelling on all digital signs.”
For smaller operators,Green recognizes uploading content via a USB stick could still be considered a labor-intensive process.
“Some third-party companies will build content for you and manage it remotely,” Green says. “There are different content management systems (CMS) that you can control and integrate AI or managed services into.”
| SCREEN SAVVY A dynamic CMS—operated in-house or remotely—can act as a central hub for all of the screens at a facility. A push by a single user can deploy digital updates to the entire network. |
Don’t Skimp on Safety
The most important consideration when it comes to safety is the installation team. These professionals should be licensed and certified to complete the job for safe and accessible utilization. While physical safety is a nonnegotiable, many operators aren’t aware of the virtual security risks inherent in digital technologies. Vogt noted that PCI (payment card industry) compliance and Wi-Fi access points should always be updated and maintained to prevent digital intrusions.
“Our managers use multifactor authentication on all 45 of our [television] screens because we’ve had guests come in with their own remotes and take them over,” Vogt cautions. This is especially important if the screens are used for widespread emergency announcements at a large amusement park. Software platforms can also be programed integrate with governmental emergency notification systems for inclement weather or public safety emergencies.
The Digital Signage Federation can suggest to attraction operators which integration methods are better suited to a specific aquarium, science center or FEC.
Collaborate and Customize
Kokomo Joe’s had a professional team install an LED wall above the bowling alley at their FEC, but choose to manage the content in-house. Other companies can leverage automated workflows and third-party content management services to achieve their vision.
“It’s more than just a screen; it’s more than just content; there are a lot of pieces that come into play to get a digital solution activated,” Green says. “You have to decide, first and foremost, what you’re trying to accomplish with this digital integration.”
| SCREEN SAVVY Ideally, attractions should aim for a unified system that allows for multiple hardware and software products to work together—seamlessly. |
Collaboration between attraction stakeholders and digital solutions providers can identify unique ways to navigate the complex world of digital displays and arrive at an effective option that prioritizes the guest experience—without compromising the budget, operational efficiency, or employee comfort.
