SSA Group, an award-winning provider of visitor amenities, and Attractions.io, a leading creator of mobile visitor apps, have announced a new partnership. The two firms have come together because of their shared goal of advancing the industry from the inside out and their shared objective of making the future a better place using combined values, resources, and expertise. Together, they will bring a fully digital experience to cultural attraction guests in 2023.
In 2009, Attractions.io was established with the specific objective of enabling attractions to flourish in the digital era. The platform’s founders were once operators but are now attraction-goers themselves, with young families. They were keenly aware of the friction that guests experienced while they were visiting and, as digital natives themselves, saw technology’s potential to remove those frustrations and offer a more connected, seamless experience.
Meanwhile, SSA had been mostly excelling in in-person operations, F&B, and retail services. The firm started to recognise the value that digital technology could provide to the guest experience, resulting in a more seamless experience, increasing visitor spending, and giving its team operating efficiencies. Since that time, both businesses have grown, increasing their reach to sever more than 155 cultural attractions and millions of visitors globally.
A shared vision
The two businesses met in 2022 and decided to work together to advance the cultural attractions sector into a more digital future. A deal was made, and a shared vision was established.
With the beginning of this innovative new collaboration, SSA became an investor in Attractions.io, giving the guest experience platform the funds it required to advance the realisation of its ambitious roadmap. The deal also gives SSA Group the exclusive rights as the only Visitor Amenities Provider authorised to bundle Attractions.io’s services with its integrated food, retail and ticketing solutions across North America. Additionally, it opened up a number of other exciting opportunities for both businesses and the wider field of cultural attractions.
This new alliance paves the path for an improved visitor experience at cultural attractions by combining Attractions.io’s proven technology with SSA’s keen awareness of guests’ wants and needs. For SSA, this means that it will be able to integrate the Attractions.io platform into current and upcoming collaborations, providing a cohesive visitor experience platform across food, retail, and admissions with data-driven business decisions.
For Attractions.io, the partnership means that it will have more possibilities to interact with SSA’s partner network and will have access to SSA’s operational knowledge, helping to ensure that platform improvements in the future continue to meet the ever-changing needs of operators.
Bridging the physical & digital divide
“Finding a partner who shared our vision and commitment to innovation was really important to us, and SSA Group ticked all of the boxes,” says Mark Locker, Attractions.io founder and CEO. “As well as providing additional capital to help us deliver our ambitious plans, the partnership gives us access to valuable insights and expertise from a leading operator within the industry.
“We are incredibly excited about the impact this will have on our current and future customers, who will benefit from the accelerated delivery of our roadmap, new integration opportunities, and even stronger results for their venues.”
While bridging the physical and digital divide has long been a challenge for the attractions industry, this partnership seeks to break down that barrier by leveraging technology to transform the world of cultural attractions on a large scale and bring the industry into the future.
“This is how great things happen in our space, by working together to make a lasting and positive impact on guests, partners, and employees,” adds Sean McNicholas, SSA CEO. “By thinking bigger than ourselves, we strive to advance the industry we are all so passionate about. I’m very excited to see where this partnership leads.”
SSA Group also recently announced a new partnership with Canopy Strategic Partners, a full-service planning and consulting firm serving zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, conservation organizations, and other public green spaces.
Last year, Attractions.io announced that it had partnered with Tulley’s Shocktober Fest, Europe’s biggest scare park, to create a new mobile app.
