April 23, 2020 – Montreal, Quebec – Amusement parks and leisure properties will face new challenges as they re-open their facilities post COVID-19. More than ever before, guests will have safety concerns regarding social distancing and germ transmission. The leading leisure and entertainment businesses will consider implementing new technological solutions to ensure they are providing the safest and most enjoyable experience for their guests. Montreal-based tech company Connect&GO uses RFID technology to offer the best contactless solutions for access control, cashless payments, virtual queuing, capacity control and more.
THE CONTACTLESS EXPERIENCE
RFID technology can be used to reduce the actual human contact guests need to have with one another or with park employees. Each Connect&GO wristband is embedded with an RFID chip that is associated with the guest’s personal profile. Guests manage their own activities and spending by visiting a customized mobile website to log into their personal profile, make purchases, review activities and more. Once at the venue, guests can access a variety of activities and spending opportunities simply by scanning their activated wristband. Many leisure and entertainment venues are now considering the convenience and practicality of a contactless system. By providing options for guests to limit their contact with others and reduce the risk of germ transmission, leisure properties are letting guests know they are the top priority.
“In these unprecedented times, we’ve made it a priority to listen to the ideas and concerns of our clients and, through extensive round table discussions, we’ve managed to come up with an entire suite of contactless products and services we can offer. We’re proud to be helping our clients navigate this new reality,” said Anthony Palermo, Co-Founder of Connect&GO.
VIRTUAL QUEUEING & CAPACITY CONTROL
A convenient feature that may soon become standard practice at many amusement parks and leisure properties, virtual queuing replaces endless lines for rides and attractions. Guests use their online profiles to reserve a spot on a ride, then receive a text message when their time has come to get on the ride. While waiting for their reserved time slot, guests can move around the venue and explore other areas and attractions away from a crowded queue. Property owners appreciate the ability to reduce crowded lines, but also the fact that spend-per-head is generally increased when guests have more time to move around the venue and enjoy the services and features available.
As guests scan their RFID wristbands to enter the venue, get on a ride, join an activity, pay for a snack, etc. property owners can refer to the Connect&GO dashboard to get an overview of guest activity and monitor crowd capacity. This is very useful at a time when many people are concerned about being in overly crowded places. Property owners can monitor the exact number of people allowed to enter a specific zone at one time. Guests can be encouraged to scan in and out of each zone and employees can determine which areas are most frequented and need capacity restrictions.
CASHLESS PAYMENTS & SELF-SERVE OPTIONS
More and more leisure facilities are offering cashless payment options for everything from admission tickets to snacks and merchandise. RFID technology can be used to provide a cashless experience all guests can enjoy. On the Connect&GO platform, guests can link their credit card directly to their wristband, or they can load their wristband with pre-paid packages or a set amount of funds to be debited with each purchase. A cashless system is simple, quick and secure; but also eliminates the exchange of physical cash, thereby reducing germ transmission.
Self-serve options allow guests to tailor their experience at the park while limiting close interaction with other guests or park employees. Guests use Connect&GO touchless self-serve dispensers to purchase their RFID wristbands and can add special activity reservations and pre-paid meal options to their package. Touchless self-serve screens can also be made available at concessions stands, so that guests order and pay for meals directly from the screen. When their order is ready for pick-up, guests receive a text message on their mobile device. Self-serve screens make the ordering process quick and easy, while also limiting unnecessary contact between people.
MESSAGING MATTERS
Leisure and entertainment venues will have their work cut out for them in a post-COVID-19 reality when it comes to marketing and messaging. Guests may need a little extra convincing at first but will be more encouraged to return to leisure properties that demonstrate an ability to manage the current situation appropriately. Communicating the venue’s efforts to create safe hygiene protocols, contactless options and social distancing measures will be a big part of drawing the crowds back for what we all hope will be a busy (and safe) season!
About Connect&GO
Connect&GO is a global leader in guest and attractions management technology with the most flexible and easy-to-use operations management platform for the leisure, attractions, and entertainment industries. Our operations management platform seamlessly integrates e-Commerce, point-of-sale, food & beverage, RFID access control and cashless payments using our Virtual Wallet to give you all your data in one place. We help you drive revenue and maximize guest engagement with valuable data insights all in real-time. Connect&GO serves amusement and water parks, family entertainment centers, zoos & aquariums, festivals, and sporting events around the world to integrate easy-to-use wearable technology into incredible experiences.
To learn more, visit: www.connectngo.com
