DuPage County bureau offers augmented reality with new visitor's guide
The Oak Brook-based DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau is giving new life to its visitor's guide. In fact, it could change before your eyes.
The DuPage County Visitors Guide for 2014 offers augmented reality, a technology that allows users with the free app to scan certain images in printed materials, including the bureau's guide, and then watch those images turn into videos.
This is the first time the bureau is using Aurasma, an augmented reality app, said bureau spokesman Brent Edwards.
"I first heard of augmented reality in mid- to late-2012," Edwards said. "I was intrigued so I started doing research on the various apps and how we could implement it into the bureau's marketing plan. I then saw a 'call out' about Aurasma in a 2013 issue of a meetings magazine … it had to do with new technology for conventions. The app, Aurasma, was mentioned so that is the one I gravitated toward. That is when we decided to use it for the 2014 launch of the visitors guide."
The Aurasma app is free and visitors or convention attendees just need to use their smartphones. The videos play on Android and iPhone platforms, Edwards said.
The bureau developed six videos that can be accessed through various spots in the guide. Once a video is playing, the viewer can watch it on the page, double tap the video to play it full screen, or single tap it to access a related page on the bureau's website, he said.
The bureau also plans to overlay coupons and other special offers in the future, he said.
In addition, the group plans to use the augmented reality on some direct mail pieces targeted to meeting and convention planners, offer them the change to customize videos from the bureau's sales team with a welcome message to attendees, he said.
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