The implementation of digital audio guides for indoor and outdoor expositions

The importance of digital audio guides in tourism and for guiding expositions cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in enriching visitor experiences and facilitating deeper engagement with exhibits. This case study focuses on implementing SmartGuide's digital audio guide at museums and indoor or outdoor exhibitions, highlighting its advanced features and benefits that have changed how visitors interact with curated tours across various events and exhibitions.

SmartGuide has established itself as an industry leader in digital audio guides for museums and exhibitions. Here are a few examples of SmartGuide in action:

• engaging self-guided tours at the National Technical Museum in Prague (NTM);
• multimedia content for indoor tours at the Czech Repubrick Museum's LEGO® exposition;
• QR code navigation at the outdoor tour of the Museum of the Czech Railways; customized tours (available in English, Slovak, German, Hungarian, and Czech) for diverse audiences at the popular Cosmos Discovery Space exposition;
• stories about exhibits of the International SculptureLine Festival around Europe;
• the indoor tours for foreign visitors around the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, 
• SmartGuide's partnership with Prague's Museum of Public Transport positions it as the official guide for the museum as well as for the city's historical tram rides, demonstrating its versatility and adaptability across various tourist attractions and tour types.

This exploration shows that the impact of SmartGuide in the tourism space is evident - it improves visitors' exposures, creates new revenue streams, and delivers valuable information to the exposition organizers.

Utilizing the capabilities of SmartGuide's digital audio guides for indoor and outdoor expositions

Diving into the diverse real-life examples, this study reveals the inspiring applications of SmartGuide’s digital audio guides across multiple expositions. SmartGuide helps to increase visitor engagement, reduce expenses, and unlock financial opportunities.

1. National Technical Museum in Prague - Enhancing exposition experience

The National Technical Museum implemented SmartGuide's turnkey curated tour at the Koh-i-noor exhibition in 2022. The digital audio guide created on the SmartGuide platform replaced the need for foreign-speaking guides by providing visitors with self-guided tours in multiple languages. SmartGuide also effectively introduced a floor navigation system utilizing QR codes, directing visitors along a carefully planned route through the exhibits. As a result, the museum saved costs and enhanced visitor interaction, demonstrating the effectiveness of SmartGuide's solutions.

2. Improving visitor engagement with QR Code-Based navigation at the Museum of the Czech Railways

In addition, SmartGuide’s partnership with the Museum of the Czech Railways in Rakovník led to the incorporation of SmartGuide's QR codes for each exhibit display. When visitors scan these codes, they obtain comprehensive information about the exhibits, improving their understanding and appreciation of the displayed items. Moreover, visitors have the option to undertake an exclusive paid highlights tour by accessing the content through a unique QR code provided at the ticket office. This approach contributes to a more engaging and enjoyable visit for museum visitors.

3. Czech Repubrick Museum's LEGO® Exposition - Simplifying access to interactive media

Czech Repubrick is a LEGO museum in Prague that displays miniature LEGO models of famous Czech landmarks and monuments. The museum used to be in an out-of-the-way warehouse facility at the edge of Prague but has now moved to the city center. It is a big space filled with large exhibits of different Czech buildings and also has lots of interactive features. The museum is known for having the world's largest LEGO museum in Prague.

SmartGuide has improved the landscape of the Czech Repubrick Museum's LEGO® exposition by offering visitors access to a wealth of interactive multimedia content. Through videos and audio tours, SmartGuide provides an intriguing and educational quest of the LEGO® world.

4. Cosmos Discovery Space Exhibition - Customized exposition tours for every audience

The Cosmos Discovery Space exposition serves as a prime example of how SmartGuide enables exhibitors to cater to diverse audience preferences. By offering customized audio guide content for both children and adults, visitors of all ages can enjoy a visit tailored to their interests. Engaging stories attract young explorers, while comprehensive and factual insights on exhibits' history, technical specifics, and importance appeal to adults.

5. International SculptureLine Festival - Tracking visitor data for precise analysis

SmartGuide plays a key role in outdoor expositions where the exhibits are placed at different locations (even different cities and countries), and the exhibition organizers need to analyze the popularity and engagement of each exhibit displayed during the event. SmartGuide can track and analyze the performance of each exhibit thanks to the unique QR codes, where each QR code provides valuable analytics data, including visitor numbers, nationalities, engagement (e.g. how long and in which languages each exhibit's content was consumed), even traffic sources - these can track different channels and marketing campaigns promoting the exhibits. The information gained allows organizers to conduct precise tracking and analysis, driving informed decision-making for future events.

6. Guiding the way on Prague's historical tram rides

This collaboration introduces SmartGuide to the well-known Museum of Public Transport in Prague, establishing SmratGuide as the official guide for all historical tram rides throughout the city, as well as for the Museum of Public Transport in Prague. The electric trams of Prague have been in operation since 1891 and the still operational pieces serve as a significant attraction for both tourists and locals. With this partnership, visitors can now experience an even more engaging tram ride thanks to SmartGuide's audio tours on their phones, providing detailed historical information on various Prague sites during their ride. 

These six examples illustrate SmartGuide's ability to boost visitors' participation, unlock revenue opportunities, and provide data insights across various indoor and outdoor expositions.

Source: Museum of Public Transport Prague

SmartGuide - A tool for expositions overcoming challenges and trying to augment the visitors' involvement

Indoor and outdoor expositions face numerous challenges in maintaining visitors' interest and delivering a memorable experience. SmartGuide has emerged as the solution, addressing these issues and setting a great example not just for museums, exhibitions, and different tourist attractions, but also for tourism boards, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), tour operators, and travel businesses in the Czech Republic and around the world. Let's look into some of the challenges SmartGuide helped overcome:

1. Visitors struggled to follow the narrative and fully appreciate the exhibition's value due to limited guidance at the National Technical Museum in Prague.

Solution: The National Technical Museum has saved costs and increased visitor engagement by introducing a self-guided and well-navigated tour in Czech and English at one of its expositions (Koh-i-Noor). This was made possible when the SmartGuide team of content writers received a tour directly from the exhibition curator, converting it into a self-guided tour with a fascinating story for visitors in two languages. Remarkably, this entire process, from receiving the curator's input to launching the multilingual self-guided tour (and physically producing and implementing the floor navigation), was completed in just two weeks, demonstrating the efficiency and effectiveness of SmartGuide's solutions.

2. Visitors often found it challenging to access detailed information about each outdoor display, leading to suboptimal visit in the Museum of the Czech Railways in Rakovník.

Solution: SmartGuide implemented QR code-based navigation for each outdoor exhibit, providing detailed information for each individual point of interest. Thanks to this, even if visitors do not follow a designated tour, they always get precise and engaging information about what they currently explore. Visitors can also access an exclusive highlights tour using a special QR code, effectively addressing navigation challenges.

3. Limited access to interactive multimedia content hindered visitor engagement, leaving many feeling disconnected from the exhibit at the Czech Repubrick Museum's LEGO® Exposition.

Solution: To counter this challenge, SmartGuide offers a variety of interactive multimedia content, including videos and audio tours, creating an engaging and educational exploration of the LEGO® universe.

4. The Cosmos Discovery Space Exposition faced difficulty in catering to diverse audience preferences. Children were disinterested in lengthy descriptions, while adults sought more in-depth information.

Solution: SmartGuide's customized parallel content caters to the varied interests of visitors, providing unique narratives for both adults and children at each point of interest. Compelling stories mesmerize young explorers, while comprehensive and factual insights on attractions' history, culture, and importance appeal to adults. This inventive method guarantees an unforgettable journey, developing cherished memories for all ages.

5. For the International SculptureLine Festival, exhibition organizers needed to provide sponsors with accurate data on visitor numbers to secure funding.

Solution: SmartGuide's AudioGuide feature provides engaging audio content and valuable analytics, including visitor numbers, nationalities, and time spent at exhibits. By utilizing big data dashboards, organizers can monitor tourist behavior, optimize exhibition layouts, and present concrete evidence of visitor engagement to sponsors. This data-driven approach enables targeted marketing strategies, catering to diverse visitor segments, and contributes to the growth and sustainability of the tourism industry.

6. The Museum of Public Transport in Prague and historical tram rides needed an enthralling and informative solution to enhance the visitor experience and attract new users, both locals and foreigners.

Solution: SmartGuide partnered with the museum to become the official guide for historical tram rides, providing high-quality audio tours during the rides. This collaboration enhances the visitor experience, increases interest, and creates opportunities for both parties

The integration of SmartGuide digital audio guides has proven to be a significant improvement for these expositions, addressing their specific challenges. By utilizing this tour guide system, these exhibitions manage obstacles, increase involvement, and create unforgettable memories for their visitors.

SmartGuide's implementation  - Strategies and solutions

The integration of SmartGuide into the offerings of indoor and outdoor expositions began with a comprehensive evaluation of each exhibition's specific requirements and objectives. This process identified pain points that could be addressed using SmartGuide's features.

During the implementation process, SmartGuide usually faced hindrances like adapting to various exposition themes and maintaining a consistent user experience across different platforms. To address them, SmartGuide collaborated closely with curators and organizers, gaining a deep understanding of each exposition's theme and objectives. This collaboration enabled SmartGuide to tailor its solutions accordingly while ensuring compatibility.

SmartGuide offers various features and capabilities catering to each exposition's unique needs. Some of the key aspects used during the implementation process include customized content creation, audience segmentation, and content optimization. In addition, SmartGuide emphasized the rich history and distinctive features of the expositions and their venues by crafting detailed storytelling that explored the historical background, the significance of each exhibit, as well as the architectural and cultural elements that made the venues special.

Strengthening expositions: Boosting revenue and strategic insights while coexisting with traditional tour guides

The implementation of SmartGuide has had a positive impact. The platform has ensured that visitors enjoy tour that cater to their individual preferences and offer interactive multimedia content, and tailored solutions for diverse audiences.

Furthermore, SmartGuide has opened up revenue opportunities and cost-saving benefits for exposition organizers while complementing the role of traditional tour guides. By providing digital self-guided tours, especially in multiple languages, organizers can reduce the need for hiring additional tour guides or training volunteers, resulting in cost savings.

SmartGuide and traditional tour guides can coexist harmoniously though, as the technology simplifies their lives by being available 24x7, alleviating the pressure of limited availability. This flexibility allows visitors to choose between a self-guided tour with SmartGuide or a more structured experience offered by traditional tour guides. In doing so, SmartGuide caters to diverse preferences and schedules, ensuring that each visitor can explore and appreciate the exhibition in their preferred manner, without compromising the valuable insights and personal touch provided by tour guides. Additionally, SmartGuide's technology can be monetized through premium content offerings or sponsorship deals, generating new revenue streams for organizers.

SmartGuide also offers invaluable data insights, enabling better decision-making for exposition organizers. By analyzing visitor behavior, including popular exhibits, dwell times, and visitor demographics, organizers can make informed decisions about exhibit placement, marketing strategies, and future exhibition planning. This data-driven approach helps organizers to best utilize their resources for continued success of their expositions.

Conclusion

The impact of SmartGuide lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate technology with curated content, providing visitors with a rich multimedia journey that captures their imagination. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth promotion. For exposition organizers, SmartGuide offers immense value in terms of revenue generation, by enabling the creation and distribution of multimedia self-guided tours. Additionally, the data-driven insights provided by SmartGuide allows organizers to make informed decisions, optimize exhibit layouts, and tailor their marketing strategies to attract more visitors.

The impact of SmartGuide's tour guide solution on expositions is undeniable. By enhancing visitor interactions, generating new financial prospects, and offering analytical information, SmartGuide has changed how expositions are planned and appreciated by audiences.

Don't miss out and boost your museum's or exhibition's allure by collaborating with SmartGuide to utilize the potential of digital audio guides. Contact us today and join the future of travel.