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ETAG Technology Conference 2015 Shine the light technology

Video of speakers from Edinburgh Napier, Digimakit and Spider Online



This video called ‘Shine the light technology’ was filmed at the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) event - Technology Solutions For Tourism Conference 2015.


The event which is now its fifth year brings technology and tourism businesses together to identify opportunities to use technology to ensure they meet the changing expectations of Scotland’s digital tourist.


Speakers include Dr Samantha Forster works in school of Design at Edinburgh Napier University.


Dr Forster explained the Digimakit, a project bringing together two schools (The School of Creative Industries and The School of Marketing, Tourism and Languages) at Edinburgh Napier University and individuals working in connection with historic organisations and archives.


Currently Digimakit are working with Historic Scotland to measure the effectiveness and design possibilities of 3D printing as an interactive tool for the production of personalised souvenirs for visitors.


John Campbell from Spider Online an agency specialising in mobile and app development including apps for e-ticketing and m-ticketing explains the benefits of digital tickets for tourism businesses.


m-ticket app business benefits:

  • Time to market

  • Low cost rollout

  • Revenue opportunity

  • Reduce the cost of sales

  • Reduce cash in operations

  • Smart ticketing without the ticket


Passenger benefits

  • No more queues

  • Never stuck without change

  • No more crumpled tickets

  • Pay for travel in seconds

  • Purchase anywhere and anytime

  • Free app to customer  


Gavin Neate who created the ‘Neatebox’ application explains how it delivers personalised information to the attraction visitor, through their phone using local beacon technology, based simply on their proximity to a specific exhibit. As the system does not require an internet connection Gavin believes this could be beneficial to venues which struggle with connectivity such as underground venues or inside castles.   


Jeremy Copp from eeGeo  discusses 3D interactive mapping where the visitor has a much more immersive interactive experience and their own data shows visitors spend longer and return more frequently to 3D maps.


Functions on the 3D interactive mapping can include being able to:

  • Control the weather, time of day, season

  • Create animations based on real-time data

  • Build games based on real-world positioning

  • Display geo-data in a more engaging way

For information on how to develop your online presence and to help you identify the next steps in your digital journey check out the TIS Shine Online resource.