Fluwel’s Tulpenland educates visitors on the history of the tulip, and with the help of iBeacon technology and a new mobile application, the theme park will be able to better engage these visitors. Fluwel’s Tulpenland worked with the Amsterdam-based startup LabWerk to create the new technology.

“IBeacon technology will completely change how visitors experience Tulpenland,” said Floris Boekel, CEO of LabWerk, Amsterdam. “Through the use of iBeacon and iOS app technologies, visitors to  Tupenland will be able to experience the story of the tulip through access to interactive content in a diverse range of formats and added functionality like quizzes, location pin-pointing and rewards.

“In Tulpenland’s initial brief they highlighted the broad range of visitors the park receives from the highly-engaged visitors who are looking for an information rich experience, to younger visitors who are less engaged,” he said.

“Integrating physical displays with interactive content delivered through the Tulpenland app means there is something for everyone – access to deeper content for those that desire that through further reading, audio, videos and images through to lighter, activity based activities such as a quiz.”

Engaging tulips
Fluwel’s Tulpenland is open daily from April through October and provides an education experience for visitors who are interested in the story behind the tulip. The theme park is located in Sint Maartensvlotbrug, North Holland.

With the new technology, visitors will be able to better understand what they are looking at throughout the park. Visitors will be able to download an app that connects with iBeacons to explain what they are seeing at any given time.

The iBeacons will trigger messages to appear on the app as visitors pass through specific areas. This will take the visit beyond traditional signs and text to help visitors be able to experience the story behind the tulip in a more exciting way.

The app will also present quiz questions to engage visitors as they complete each chapter of the tulip’s story.

Visitors will be able to earn rewards, coupons or rebates for answering quiz questions. These rewards will be integrated with Apple’s Passbook.

Additionally, the iBeacon technology will help visitors navigate the park, showing them their current location and directing them to other interactive locations in the park.

The new technology is set to roll out in April.

Interactive experience
Fluwel’s Tulpenland is hoping that the technology will be especially exciting for younger visitors. The theme park also plans to incorporate more audio and video within the technology in the future.

The traditional theme park experience of wandering around and reading plaques may get boring, especially for younger visitors. The interactivity that the iBeacon offers can make the visit more exciting, especially with quizzes, games and rewards.

“Beacon technology is just the beginning of a trend I think we’ll see grow over coming years where the online and offline worlds become more integrated,” Mr. Boekel said. “Beacon technology is a good example of communicating digitally to engage with customers in a real world environment.

“IBeacon technology fits perfectly in a theme park and museum setting with their ability to trigger an app to display content based on a visitor’s physical location,” he said.

“As a visitor makes their way around the park, they will be notified of additional content relating to what they are seeing. It is the audio guide taken to a whole new level.”

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York