Connect&GO has been a leading global provider of integrated technology and RFID solutions since 2013. More recently, it has become renowned for its integrated attractions management platform, Konnect. This launched in 2020 and enables attractions to bring together their software solutions into a single powerhouse platform.
This technology epitomises the firm’s ongoing evolution – and four years on from its launch, we speak to Marc-André Dubé, VP of product and technologies and Myriam Blanchette, VP of customer success, about the firm’s innovative and client-focused ethos, and share their insights on future-proofing technology.
A daring idea
Marc-André Dubé has spearheaded the Konnect platform. Dubé joined Connect&GO in 2019 with a groundbreaking idea to improve technology in the attractions industry.
“I started my career as a solution developer and then joined a consortium that owned ski resorts, water parks, and golf courses. At the time, the company had to use more than a dozen software systems to meet its needs,” says Dubé. “Many of these systems didn’t communicate with each other. I had to build an infrastructure on top of them so that the different data points could coexist.”
Frustrated by existing attractions technology, Dubé challenged his supplier – who responded with a dare.
“During this period, while visiting a supplier’s seminar, one of our suppliers, who had been promising me improvements for years, finally told me ‘If you’re not satisfied, you can build it yourself’. So, I decided to build a new software. It wouldn’t be stuck in the past and would better serve this industry. I joined Connect&GO and have been working ever since to build this vision.”
Embracing the cloud
By the next year, the firm had created Konnect to “create a centralised, unified system for the operator, with the aim of simplifying day-to-day operations while maximising revenue generation,” Dubé explains.
“We started our platform from scratch in 2020, as we saw the opportunity to revolutionise an industry that is mostly composed of legacy software and that has yet to embrace the cloud,” adds Myriam Blanchette.
“We expect to surpass the $500M in transactions going through our platform this year. It’s an amazing accomplishment in such a short amount of time.”
Konnect is a powerful, cloud-based platform. It enables attractions to integrate their ticketing, e-commerce, POS, access control, payments, marketing, CRM, financial management, and much more. Connect&GO release new features regularly.
“We are currently working on our next-generation scheduled ticketing solution, which will include dynamic pricing generated with the help of AI,” reveals Dubé. “We also aim to enhance our resource management offering for bookings and recurring membership.”
Dubé shares his favourite feature to date: “The most interesting concept is the virtual wallet that is created for each park visitor. This allows them to access facilities, take part in special events, add monetary value or simply link their credit card. What’s more, our technology enables customers to ‘top-up’ their account online, which minimises staff interaction and enhances the guest experience.”
Powerful reporting
A recent new feature is Konnect BI Reporting.
Dubé explains: “Konnect BI is a highly versatile tool that gives you real-time information on your sales, operations and finances. What’s more, we offer a premium package that lets you customise your dashboards and reports to give you the information you need.”
This cutting-edge reporting solution empowers clients to gain self-service business insights in a groundbreaking solution which makes business analytics capabilities affordable.
The intuitive, unified, real-time data interface simplifies reporting processes and makes it easy to access actionable insights.
“Our clients are already finding this feature to be a game-changer for their business,” continues Dubé. “One of them described it as a Christmas present. A lot of BI platforms require advanced programming knowledge. But with Konnect BI you can easily build your own dashboards with intuitive visualisations and pull together a lot of interesting information.”
Konnect: an integrated data platform
“While we pride ourselves on being the engine helping attractions owners and operators generate every dollar of revenue they earn, we are even more bullish on the power of data,” says Blanchette. We have developed our Konnect BI data platform based on feedback from multiple operators frustrated by the lack of visibility and clarity on their revenue and operational data.
“We have invested a significant amount in R&D to build the first integrated data platform that allows operators to visualise and analyse all their data in one place, whether it comes from our platform or other 3rd party software they are using. At Connect&GO, we believe that the statement “knowledge is power” applies directly to the attractions industry and that it becomes a definite competitive advantage for any operator taking advantage of it.”
Partnership-driven approach
Client success and partnership are at the heart of Connect&GO’s ethos.
Blanchette explains: “At Connect&GO, our core philosophy centres around a partnership-driven model that aligns our technological advancements with our clients’ strategic goals. Our collaborations are underpinned by a deep dive into each client’s operational ecosystem, which enables us to tailor our all-in-one management software solutions to their unique needs.
“With our global footprint, our customer success teams facilitate a seamless integration and adaptation process, ensuring that our clients not only achieve but exceed their objectives. Through continuous engagement and support, we transition from being a service provider to a vital partner, ensuring our clients’ sustained success and growth in the fast-evolving attractions and leisure industry.”
The team provides tailored support to clients to help them leverage their data.
“We begin by mapping out the guest and operator journeys, identifying critical data points to focus on,” explains Blanchette. “Our recommendations on key performance indicators (KPIs) are tailored to each client, supported by regular QBRs/EBRs to dissect insights and continually refine their strategy for maximum impact.”
The results are rapid. “Immediately, clients will notice the simplicity and efficiency of our POS system, designed to expedite transactions and streamline operations, along with effortless access to data for enhanced decision-making across operations, marketing, and finance,” says Blanchette.
“Long-term, our commitment to understanding and aligning with each client’s goals allows us to continuously optimise their operations for peak performance, ensuring they achieve and even surpass their objectives.”
Driving innovation
Connect&GO is working with a wide range of clients as it expands across the US, Canada and France.
“Every new client brings a unique learning opportunity, reinforcing our passion for the diverse needs of the leisure and attractions industry. We’re particularly thrilled about our collaboration with Arena23, an innovative project blending sports and technology, and our role in the Paris Olympic Games, providing sales and access control for the Canadian Olympic House. With exciting growth in France and the US, we look forward to announcing more groundbreaking deployments,” explains Blanchette.
Arena23 is a pioneering indoor multi-sport amusement park, set to open later this year in Chandler, Arizona. The attraction is led by NBA player and Fox Sports college basketball pundit Casey Jacobsen. It will feature a range of innovative sports simulations including three unique American Football games. Arena23 is positioned to become the leading indoor multi-sport amusement park in the US.
‘A perfect fit’
The attraction partnered with Connect&GO to enhance the visitor experience using RFID wristbands and the Konnect platform. Visitors purchase an RFID wristband preloaded with points based on the type of pass they have chosen. This enables them to enter the arena floor and use the sports simulators.
Jacobsen says: “If I was just looking for a point-of-sale company, there are so many out there. But what I was looking for in this particular project was a partner. I wanted a company that was hungry, creative, innovative and wanted to go on this journey with me. Connect&GO understood my concept and what I wanted to do.
“Connect&GO is just a perfect fit for Arena23. We’ll be using RFID wristbands as basically keys or wallets to unlock everything there is to do at Arena23.”
Award-winning implementation at Roaring Springs
In Idaho, Connect&GO has been working with Roaring Springs Waterpark, the largest waterpark in the Northwest US, and its neighbouring attraction Wahooz Family Fun Zone to create a seamless visitor experience.
As a result of their implementation of advanced technology last season, including the Konnect platform and the EAVS system for water safety, as well as a new interactive water playground designed by ProSlide Roaring Springs Waterpark received a Leading Edge Award at the World Waterpark Association Symposium & Trade Show.
This multi-tenant property permits cashless redemption at either attraction. This means that visitors can enjoy the waterpark before moving on to the family entertainment centre. Cashless redemption encourages cross-property and repeat visits while also fostering guest loyalty.
Furthermore, Roaring Springs offers over 20 different activities, cabanas, and a grill and bar. RFID and Virtual Wallet technologies were implemented to offer a wide range of functionalities. This enables guests to access the attraction’s facilities, purchase food, beverages, and retail merchandise, and take advantage of passholder benefits.
The attraction also added interactive cabana maps to speed up the visitor purchasing process. Multiple self-service kiosks enable visitors to easily top up cashless wristbands.
Karen Ha, admissions and program manager at Roaring Springs Water Park, says: “We implemented Connect&GO’s RFID wristbands for our guests and they really like them. They can link everything to their Virtual Wallet and reload online or top up at the kiosk. It gives our season pass holders all of their benefits as well.”
Konnect: a complete picture of visitor data
Konnect gives attraction operators a complete picture of visitor data in real time. This is a stark contrast to traditional technologies that are rigid and disconnected. The platform enables operators to build frictionless experiences that improve operational efficiency, increase visitor engagement, and maximise revenue growth.
Roaring Springs is also leveraging Connect&GO’s integrated Marketing & CRM. The platform is helping to increase guest engagement and drive business growth through one-on-one communications and marketing automation.
Ha explains: “Before we switched to Konnect, we had somewhere between 10 and 12 different systems. It was overwhelming and difficult to get data, so there was disjointed information and a lot of redundant tasks for our staff. Konnect gives us a lot more flexibility.
“The product builds are less complicated and it’s such an intuitive system that the younger generation picks up much more quickly than our previous system. The real-time dashboards are great too. They give us live information and counts whereas before that wasn’t always the case. That helps us pinpoint our labour needs and reallocate resources as necessary. It also makes my life easier not having to wait 15 minutes for a report to generate.”
Well-informed decision making
Kristina Christensen, chief financial officer at Wahooz Family Fun Zone & Roaring Springs Water Park, adds:
“Connect&GO saves me time and gives us information to make better-informed decisions. While balancing and allocating the sales for this month, I was able to accomplish this task in a quarter of the time from our old reporting tools. It was so easy and helpful for me. Previously, with our old system, we were also unable to report on the usage across our different attractions. Now, we can track the revenue to make better-informed decisions in the future.
“I appreciate the C&G team listening to our needs and fulfilling the demand above and beyond!”
Expansion in France
The firm is working on a slew of new projects in France as it continues to grow in the region. This is supported by recent integrations with Ticketmaster France, France Billet, and Chorus Pro. In addition, the firm has made key appointments in the country.
“With seven parks in operation in France on Connect&GO, we are already one of the major players in attraction technology in that market. We do have an unfair advantage by having a special relationship with France as a company based in Quebec. We share the same language and similar cultural references,” says Blanchette.
“For us, France is the extension of our home market. We feel that, unfortunately, the French attractions industry was left out by most players in our space. We are very proud to have our European headquarters located in France and our first team members located in Europe have been brought on board last year. Working with the Looping Group as a partner helps in setting a solid foundation and is a testimony of the quality of our platform and our people.”
Looping Group collaboration
Looping Group is a major owner and operator of theme parks, water parks, aquariums, and wildlife parks in Europe. Together, these attractions welcome around 6.2 million visitors per year. Many of its French locations, including Cobac Parc, Aquarium St-Malo, Mer de Sable, Parc Bagatelle, Aquarium de Touraine, Mini-Châteaux, and Planète Sauvage, have now adopted Konnect.
The integrated platform enables the attractions to both centralise data and develop marketing campaigns tailored to each park. The attractions technology also boosts productivity and ROI by automating booking and activity-related tasks.
Céline Bellanger, director of Aquarium de Touraine, says: “Our team is delighted with the switch to the Konnect platform! Previously, we had different software and systems that did not communicate with each other. But now, with a constant link between the point-of-sale and eCommerce, it’s easier and faster for our team. Ultimately, it’s a time and convenience gain for everyone. Plus, the Connect&GO team is available, attentive and aware of our challenges.”
Future-proofed platforms
The ticketing industry is evolving rapidly to meet the ever-changing demands of visitors and clients. But what should operators be looking for in a new attractions technology platform?
“Make sure your ticketing system offers centralised data management,” recommends Dubé. “Don’t forget that your system is at the heart of your operations. It can help generate invaluable data to better understand your customers’ behaviour and personalise their experience.
“Also, keep an eye on your supplier’s evolution, ask for their roadmap, and make sure they’re investing in innovation. Having a legacy partner can put a damper on your growth.”
Blanchette adds: “Attractions need a ticketing system that not only streamlines operations but also empowers them with actionable insights for quick decision-making and revenue growth. With the current challenge of staffing, it’s crucial for the system to offer time-saving features and revenue-enhancing capabilities, including self-service options like kiosks.
“Essential features should include a unified platform offering comprehensive reporting with exhaustive data points, an integrated CRM for automated engagement with both B2C and B2B customers, flexible pricing options reflected through advanced calendar functionalities, and self-service solutions to cater to the modern consumer’s preference for autonomy.”
