This is the story of two companies with a shared goal of advancing the industry from the inside out. Because that’s how every great partnership should start, right? With the objective of making the future a better place using combined values, resources, and expertise.
With that said, we’re excited to share how Attractions.io and SSA Group will be officially partnering to bring a fully digital experience to cultural attraction guests in 2023.
Attractions.io launched in 2009 with a clear mission; to ensure real-world attractions thrive in the digital age. As ex-operators turned enthusiasts with young families, the platform’s founders were acutely aware of the friction that guests encountered during their visits and, as digital natives themselves, saw technology’s potential to eliminate those frustrations and provide a more connected, seamless experience.
During this time, SSA had been primarily excelling through in-person operations and food and retail services. SSA began to see the value digital could bring to the guest experience, by creating seamless interactions, increasing guest spend and providing operational efficiencies to their on-site teams. Since then, both companies have expanded, growing their reach and impact to serve over 155 cultural attractions and millions of guests worldwide.
In 2022, the two companies crossed paths and saw an opportunity to push the cultural attraction industry toward a more digital future together. A deal was struck, and a shared goal was formed.
With the launch of this exciting new partnership, SSA has become an investor in Attractions.io, providing our team with the funds required to accelerate the development of our ambitious roadmap. The agreement also grants the SSA Group exclusive rights as the only Visitor Amenities Provider authorised to bundle Attractions.io's services with its integrated food, retail and ticketing solutions across North America.
With Attractions.io’s proven technology and SSA’s pulse on guests’ wants and needs, this new partnership paves the way for an enhanced guest experience at cultural attractions. For SSA, this means the ability to bring the Attractions.io platform to current and future partnerships, offering a seamless guest experience platform across food, retail, and admissions with data-driven business decisions.
For Attractions.io, the collaboration means new opportunities to connect with SSA’s partner network, and access to their operational expertise to ensure future updates to the platform remain in tune with operators’ ever-evolving needs.
“Finding a partner who shared our vision and commitment to innovation was really important to us, and SSA Group ticked all of the boxes. As well as providing additional capital to help us deliver our ambitious plans, the partnership gives us access to valuable insights and expertise from a leading operator within the industry. We are incredibly excited about the impact this will have on our current and future customers, who will benefit from the accelerated delivery of our roadmap, new integration opportunities, and even stronger results for their venues,” said Mark Locker, Attractions.io Founder and CEO
While bridging the gap between the physical and digital has always been a pain point for our industry, this collaboration also aims to improve that barrier by using this technology to finally change the cultural attraction space at scale and bring us into the future.
“This is how great things happen in our space, by working together to make a lasting and positive impact on guests, partners, and employees. By thinking bigger than ourselves, we strive to advance the industry we are all so passionate about. I’m very excited to see where this partnership leads,” said Sean McNicholas, SSA CEO.
SSA has been working with cultural attractions for over 50 years, with an emphasis on bundling its services across food, retail, and admissions. SSA curates its business model to support all revenue-generating services for the guest journey.
The organisation recently launched its new strategic initiative focused on sustainability, digital innovation, and diversity. The plan, entitled thrive(3), is helping the organisation better assist its cultural attraction partners in reaching their revenue goals while maximising their mission statements. With over 80 partners and counting, SSA is the premiere organisation for cultural attractions across North America.
