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Connect&GO announces new AI traffic predictions engine

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Connect&GO AttendX

Konnect AttendX helps attractions to make informed operational decisions

Connect&GO, a leader in guest experience engineering andĀ wearable RFID technologyĀ for attractions,Ā presents a revolutionary new product for the attractions industry: Konnect AttendX. This uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help operators make informed decisions, in order to boost revenue and maximize efficiency.Ā 

AttendX is made up of two parts: Konnect Predictor and Konnect Smart Pricing. It was developed in collaboration with Moov AI, a major contender in the artificial intelligence market.

Konnect Predictor

By offering attendance projections several days in advance, Konnect Predictor, a predictive traffic engine powered by artificial intelligence, assists attractions in streamlining their operations.

ā€œIn our discussions with park operators, weā€™ve found that many are quick to cite the labor shortage as one of their biggest problems,ā€ says Dominic Gagnon, Connect&GO CEO.  ā€œIn exploring this more, we quickly realized that, beyond the lack of human resources, it is the optimization of these resources that can be problematic. If operators could more accurately predict traffic, it could solve this issue tremendously.ā€ 

Because they lack the means to reliably forecast visitor numbers many days in advance, most attractions today organise their operations more or less intuitively. In some cases, guest numbers can fluctuate between 500 persons to more than 8,000. 

ā€œThe majority of attractions today plan the number of employees based on an average number of visitors. If there are more visitors than expected, the customer experience is affected, if there are fewer, the company loses money by having too many employees,” says Myriam Blanchette, director of customer success at Connect&GO. 

Konnect Predictor enables attractions to optimise their operations by developing suitable personnel schedules, forecasting food sales, getting the optimal quantity of inventory, and more. These insights can be used to improve pricing strategies and enhance marketing and advertising actions, in order to boost sales and ROI. The programme makes predictions using a proprietary AI system which takes into account historical data, booking trends, holiday calendars, weather forecasts, and school schedules.

Konnect Smart Pricing

In order to maximise revenue and traffic, Konnect Smart Pricing provides a dynamic pricing solution that makes use of Predictor’s AI data. Operators can easily change prices depending on whether demand is high or low with Konnect Smart Pricing, enabling them to increase revenue and achieve attendance targets. Operators can specify the desired average price for general admission tickets in one easy step, and the engine will provide a season-long price grid focused on achieving this average price and maximising revenue.

To calculate pricing/demand elasticities, the dynamic price engine will run a real-time sensitivity analysis on traffic projections in relation to admissions sale prices. To improve the guest experience and make the most use of available human and material resources, operators can use these projections to impact actual traffic early in the reservation process and level traffic over time.

“Beyond optimizing revenue, one of the main objectives of dynamic pricing is to have more regular traffic throughout the week. By spreading out some of the attendance from weekends to weekdays, this reduces pressure on operational teams which in turn helps boost customer satisfaction,ā€ says Marc-AndrĆ© DubĆ©, head of product at Connect&GO. 

Konnect Smart Pricing is designed to increase prices as the visit date approaches and can make recommendations or run automatically.

ā€œWeā€™re delighted to launch this revolutionary product to help our clients maximize their ROI through the use of next-generation technology,ā€ adds Gagnon. ā€œUsing predictive analysis and artificial intelligence to help the attractions industry step into the future aligns with our goal to challenge the status quo with disruptive technology.ā€ 

Encouraging progress in the tourism industry

Without the financial support of the Quebec government and its agency, Investissement QuĆ©bec, which invested $325,000 to the project out of an investment of more than $1.3 million, AttendX would not have been possible.  

ā€œIn order for our tourist attractions to be efficient and able to meet the challenges they face, we must innovate,” says Caroline Proulx, minister of tourism and minister responsible for the LanaudiĆØre region. 

“I am delighted that our government is supporting Connect&GO for the development of this product, which can concretely support these companies in their activities. The use of new technologies contributes to the competitiveness of our tourism industry, and we will continue to encourage the companies that design and operate them.ā€

Several strategic partners are part of this initiative, including Events and Attractions Quebec association, the Transat Tourism Chair of ESG-UQAM, Super Aqua Club and Moov AI.  

ā€œAlone we go faster, together we go further,” says Dominic Danis, president of Moov AI. “I have always believed in this saying and now I believe we have the proof. By joining the forces of the Connect&Go and Moov AI teams, we have been able to utilize the possibilities of artificial intelligence to deliver concrete value and an incredible user experience for Connect&GO customers.ā€

Connect&GO, which has just announced the conclusion of an additional funding round of $8 million (for a total Series A funding of $25 million), is proud to be able to help attractions deal with the labour shortage. A number of clients have already announced their intention to use the AttendX engine for their operations. 

Connect&GO also recently revealed that its contract with Super Aqua Club will continue for another three years. 

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charlotte coates

Charlotte Coates

Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.

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