Showtime Pictures, a leading operator of photography concessions at major tourist attractions, has built on its three decades of experience in the industry to create a new approach to guest photography, designed to enhance the visitor experience.
The company runs photography concessions at popular venues such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Georgia Aquarium, Space Center Houston and more. Its scalable system boosts guest satisfaction and revenue and, with its recent technological advancements, the company has changed the way that photography operations operate.
Technology as Customer Service
Showtime Pictures conducted a survey of executives and front of house management at visitor attractions. Most of those surveyed said that they believed photographers can push visitors to buy and take photos, and also that they don’t like the traditional green screens. The company listened to this and, as a result, has created its “Technology As Customer Service” initiative.
By bringing together multiple technologies, Showtime Pictures is able to deliver immersive, advanced, creative and profitable photography operations, while also resolving pain points for customers for a more enjoyable experience.
This initiative includes several different technologies and applications. For instance, ground-breaking LED Video Wall Immersive Capture areas. These provide entertainment, engagement and artistic expression.
Meanwhile, AI-controlled cameras take pictures without a photographer, creating a perfect photo for every single capture. The AI-based machine learning removes the backgrounds without the need for a green screen and allows the system to create both videos and unlimited backgrounds.
Stress-free photos
The experience is stress-free thanks to the award-winning self-service kiosks. These can interact in nine different languages with a powerful user experience. With facial recognition technology, the system can accurately find a customer’s photos in seconds, and the experience is further enhanced with gamification.
The Augmented Reality application produces videos, photos and other digital products, with an easy digital platform that enables customers to receive, download and share all their images instantly and efficiently. In addition, marketing and post-visit programs encourage return visits, boosting revenue further.
“At every location where we have installed our concept, we have literally tripled the sales within the first 3 months of the operations,” says Kemal Arin, President and CEO of Showtime Pictures. “Our photography operations are no longer just selling photos. We are part of the overall experience and are an integral part of marketing and social media programs.
“As a result, we now have indisputable quantitative evidence of product, service and revenue superiority. Customer service is not a department, it is our disposition and attitude. We treat every contact with customers as a moment of truth.”
Showtime Pictures also enjoys a great deal of longevity at each location, showing how its customers are satisfied. In fact, contracts at many of its locations are already over 18 years, and several new locations are joining too.
The company began in 1991 and operated in more than 200 locations across the globe, with over 70 million images taken to date.
