From the Super Bowl to the Olympics, Connect&GO looks back at the milestones and evolution of their attractions management platform over the past 10 years.
January 26, 2023 – Montreal, Quebec — Attractions technology firm Connect&GO celebrates its 10th anniversary of helping operators drive revenue and simplify operations through frictionless technology. Over the past decade, the company has helped pioneer the use of RFID technology in live events around the world, before setting out to innovate the most flexible all-in-one management platform for the attractions industry.
“The journey of the past 10 years has truly been inspiring,” said Dominic Gagnon, Connect&GO CEO and co-founder. “We are humbled to have worked with some of the largest brands in the world, with each partnership teaching us something new about the unique challenges that operators face in creating a seamless guest experience.”
Connect&GO’s integrated technology solutions have helped increase revenue and engagement at some of the largest events around the world including the Super Bowl, the Olympics, Visa, Comic Con, SXSW, Osheaga Music and Arts festival, Formula One and more.
The company was founded in 2013 when Gagnon, a serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing and events, and Anthony Palermo, an expert in RFID technology, developed a program to increase guest engagement at Saputo Stadium in Montreal. There, the two launched the pilot project called “The Key to the Stadium,” that incorporated RFID media, access control, cashless payments, photo and F&B integrations and more.
“The concept immediately took off,” said Palermo, “Within the first couple of months we had partnered with the largest music festival in Canada and the largest tech conference in Canada, and within a matter of years, the Connect&GO platform had powered access control, cashless payments and experiential activations on nearly every continent around the world.”
After helping to innovate the events industry, the co-founders made a timely pivot toward attractions such as theme parks, water parks, zoos and family entertainment centers, after recognizing the need for such a platform in the industry.
“The attractions industry is a little behind other industries regarding their use of technology. We find that many venues use multiple systems that lack customization and don’t speak to one another. Data is siloed and difficult to access, leading to long lines, slow and inefficient processes, and lack of spending,” said Gagnon. “This causes friction for guests and for operations teams that are already stretched thin in an era of staffing shortages.”
In 2018, Connect&GO set out on a new mission—to create the most flexible and easy-to-use attractions management platform that gives operators the real-time data they need to drive revenue and maximize guest engagement. The team developed their core modules (access control, cashless and experiential activations) to include a robust ticketing point-of-sale software with integrated eCommerce, season pass management and more. In 2020, they officially launched their Konnect platform, a cloud-based management platform designed to replace up to 10 separate systems.
Konnect seamlessly combines eCommerce ticketing, point-of-sale, food & beverage, RFID access control and cashless payments using a proprietary Virtual Wallet to compile all guest data in one place. With its unique data ecosystem and virtual wallet technology, operators can give guests a frictionless way to pay on RFID wearables or with QR codes. With over a dozen integrations to providers like Alvarado gates, Intercard and ActiveCampaign, the platform easily connects the entire guest experience with data flowing freely in real time.
“Having access to integrated, real-time data is a game-changer in the attractions industry,” said Palermo. “It creates so many opportunities to deliver better experiences, maximize ROI and foster stronger connections with guests.”
Connect&GO recently completed its Series A funding round with 17$ Million raised (CAD) and has expanded their team with 31 new hires in the past 18 months alone. Today, Connect&GO technology can be seen at water parks, family entertainment centers, zoos and attractions throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe.
“Our goal is to help attractions operators embrace technology that can help solve the pain points of today while unlocking new opportunities to grow guest engagement, revenue and ROI. We’re thrilled to have helped our clients accomplish just that over the past 10 years and can’t wait for the next decade,” said Palermo.
“We set out to build a platform that will truly disrupt the attractions industry, and we know that change won’t happen overnight,” said Gagnon, “We are dedicated to helping our clients take the first steps toward a connected experience, and to helping them grow and evolve for many years to come.”
About Connect&GO
Connect&GO is a global leader in guest and attractions management technology with the flexible and easy-to-use operations management platform for the attractions industry. Our all-in-one management platform seamlessly integrates eCommerce, point-of-sale, food & beverage, RFID access control and cashless payments using our Virtual Wallet to give you all your data in one place. We help you drive revenue and maximize guest engagement with valuable data insights all in real-time. Connect&GO serves amusement and water parks, family entertainment centers, zoos & aquariums, festivals, and sporting events around the world to integrate easy-to-use wearable technology into incredible experiences.
To learn more, visit: www.connectngo.com
For more details, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Katie Reilly, Director of Marketing
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