[quote]Entertaining and educating every Zoo guest ensures they’ll get the most out of their day and leave with a deeper connection with wildlife.” — Kait Hilliard, VP Marketing, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association[/quote]
Los Angeles, CA, USA /PRNewswire/ — Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens announces the debut of an innovative and immersive mobile app experience, developed in partnership with TE2, The Experience Engine Inc., which serves as a “virtual docent” for the Zoo’s new Rainforest of the Americas exhibit.
The mobile app provides an entirely new way for youngsters and adult guests to interact and learn about the animals of the Rainforest of the Americas, which showcases unique and endangered species in replicated natural habitats. This enhanced, interactive experience, powered by TE2’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, leverages iBeacon technology to unlock content including detailed animal and habitat information, audio, and high-resolution images as visitors move through the exhibit. Guests will also find it easier to navigate through the Zoo grounds by leveraging TE2’s Live Branded Map. Additionally, visitors are able to receive contextual messages from the Zoo that welcome them, remind guests of key opportunities, and thank each guest as they leave. Through the app, visitors will also be allowed to take the content home with them, creating a relationship with the Zoo that extends beyond their visit to the physical park.
“This is a first step in our mission to create innovative Zoo experiences throughout the Zoo with a long-term goal to provide personalized and contextual content for all our visitors,” says Kait Hilliard, VP of Marketing at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA). “Moving forward, through our app and the TE2 platform, we’ll be able not only to further enhance guest experiences but also to allow us to market new services and activities personalized to their needs and interests. We believe this combination will drive more engagement and convenience for our guests and ultimately create monetization opportunities for our business.”
To power the Zoo’s next generation experiences, TE2’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform supports both GPS and iBeacon-enabled use-cases in addition to real-time connectivity to dynamic and static zoo data to drive greater personalization. According to Scott Sahadi, CEO of TE2, “Our collaboration with Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association is defined by a common objective to offer guests a truly unique and personalized offering. By integrating the Zoo’s physical and digital dimensions, we believe we can help the L.A. Zoo pursue its mission of offering guests a better experience and also create new ways for the zoo to monetize their investments in new exhibits and animal experiences.”
The Rainforest of the Americas exhibit is free with paid admission to the Los Angeles Zoo, which is $19 for adults, $14 for children 2-12, and $16 for seniors 62 and up. Admission is free for GLAZA members and children under two. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located within Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways at 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. The Zoo is open every day (except Christmas) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (323) 644-4200.
To download the app, visit www.lazoo.org/connect/rota-app