Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex delights guests with 95% satisfaction and 80% app retention

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex replaced its bespoke app with Attractions.io's dynamic mobile platform, achieving a 95% satisfaction rate and an 80% retention rate for app users. With a 30% year-over-year increase in guest adoption, the app ensures guests stay informed and engaged–even once they've left for the day.
95% guest satisfaction
80% retention rate
70% guest reach

About

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex brings to life the epic story of the U.S. space program, offering multiple days of fun, inspiration and educational activities. The facility, has interactive opportunities for guests to learn about the activities of NASA and partners like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Lockheed Martin.

The Challenge

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex used to rely on its website and printed guides to communicate important information to guests. However, the approach had limitations:

  • Finding information via a website added friction and frustrated guests
  • Printed guest guides regularly needed updating, resulting in costly printing fees
  • With a large number of international visitors, running out of guides in specific languages resulted in some guests being left without an essential visit aid

The team initially attempted to develop an in-house mobile app, but it was built around a single developer’s expertise. When that individual left the organisation, the app became difficult to maintain and update. Any content changes required coding knowledge, making it challenging for the marketing team to update information or communicate efficiently with guests.

“We quickly found the app very hard to update because you really needed deep coding skills to manage it,” explained Christine Selby-Reagan, Head of Consumer Marketing and Content. “We tried our best for several years but soon realised we needed a robust app with a CMS that could be updated easily and quickly.”
Digital Marketing Designer, Cole Futch, experienced these frustrations firsthand: "When I first started, I was tasked with managing the app. Simple updates or content changes were really cumbersome because they required technical intervention."

Realising the limitations of their existing system, the team began evaluating alternative mobile solutions.

The Solution

A recommendation from another attraction introduced Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to our mobile app platform. Together, we collaborated on a solution that allowed guests to:

  • Plan their day efficiently with interactive maps and itineraries.
  • Receive real-time updates on events and operational changes via push notifications.
  • Access multilingual support, ensuring international guests have a seamless experience.
  • Order food easily, reducing wait times and improving convenience.
"One of the biggest advantages is the flexibility of the app," Cole notes. "Whether it's a launch delay or an operational change, we can send instant updates to guests. If a launch date moves, we can notify everyone who has the app installed."

As an operational space facility as well as an attraction, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex experiences frequent schedule changes—sometimes with little notice. Push notifications have become a crucial tool for keeping guests informed.

“The CMS is very easy to work with,” explains Cole. “You can see all the information you've shared, track view and conversion rates, and target specific guest segments. We send a lot of push notifications for launch updates, especially when we're selling tickets or offering special viewing opportunities at the Visitor Complex.”

With Attractions.io’s targeting features, the team can filter notifications based on:

  • Language preferences
  • Last visit date to the complex or last login to the app
  • Guest location (e.g., visitors who were on-site in the past eight hours)
“During peak weeks, we use location-based notifications. It helps us target guests who visited recently. Once I’ve selected my filters, I can see the target audience size before sending it, and I can choose to send immediately, schedule the notification, or set it up as a recurring notification.”

The app’s robust analytics also provide valuable insights. "We can see data on when people are launching the app, how it aligns with attendance patterns, and what feedback guests are giving us," Cole adds.

The Results

Attractions.io has significantly enhanced the guest experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. 

  • 95% of guests said they had a great experience using the app in exit surveys
  • 80% retention rate among users, allowing ongoing communication and engagement
  • App adoption is increasing by 30% year-over-year
  • Push notifications improve guest experience, especially for launch updates and real-time operational changes.

"It's been great to see guests actively using the app for navigation and information," said Christine. "Our app reaches around 70% of our guests, who use it to plan their day, find their way around and learn about exhibits."

“We have a really great retention rate: 80% of guests who have downloaded our app keep it installed on their phones, which really helps us to advertise and drive revisitation.” Explains Cole. “Guests want to hear from us, even when they're not here.”
95%
guest satisfaction
80%
retention rate
70%
guest reach

Looking Ahead

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex continues to innovate its digital offerings with Attractions.io. Future enhancements include:

  • Mobile food ordering to improve guest convenience.
  • Native ticket and pass purchasing for special events.
  • Further UI enhancements to improve navigation and usability.
"Attractions.io has been great to work with," Cole shared. "When we had ideas for improving the look and feel of the app, they were very responsive and quick to implement changes. It's been a great partnership, and we're excited to see how we can continue enhancing the guest experience."

95% of our guests tell us they love the app in exit surveys. It makes it easy for them to find things that they want to do throughout the day and learn about our exhibits. It's been an amazing partnership so far.
Howard Schwartz
Senior Director of Marketing & Sales

About Attractions.io

The Attractions.io platform enables real-world businesses to lead in the digital age. Our guest experience apps and powerful platform for operators provide world-renowned attractions like LEGOLAND, San Diego Zoo and Butlin’s with the tools and data they need to deliver better outcomes and experiences. From virtual queuing and interactive maps to enhanced communication with guests, we’ve got the know-how to future proof your attraction for the digital age.

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