Recent ASVA Sessions: Marketing, technology and visitor experience
Added: 18 Jun 2026
Insights Strategy & Marketing Exchange
The presentation explored how Dovecot Studios delivered IKEA Museum’s first touring exhibition outside Sweden. The exhibition showcased 180 textile patterns and attracted more than 40,000 visitors, generating extensive media coverage.
Key themes discussed included:
- Building partnerships with major global brands and navigating complex approval processes.
- Managing licensing, copyright and brand restrictions while maintaining creativity and audience appeal.
- Delivering integrated marketing campaigns, including media partnerships, influencer engagement and outdoor marketing activity.
- Measuring return on investment and evaluating the impact of major exhibitions.
- The growing importance of AI search and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), with discussion around how attractions can improve their discoverability through AI tools.
- Strategies for engaging local audiences, including geo-targeted advertising, transport advertising, community partnerships, competitions and collaborative campaigns.
The discussion that followed provided valuable insights from members across the sector, including experiences working with major brands such as Aardman and Mattel, as well as practical examples of local audience development.
Watch the recording: www.asva.co.uk/dashboard
What’s Next in Tech for Visitor Attractions
The session featured Josh Ryan-Saha, who explored how AI is changing the way visitors discover attractions online, covering topics such as AI-powered search, agentic AI, and practical examples of AI being used across the tourism and visitor attraction sector. Josh also discussed the growing importance of ensuring attraction websites are visible and understandable to AI platforms.
We also heard from Andrew Johnson and Claire Riddoch from Camera Obscura, who shared their experience of improving the attraction’s website visibility and performance. Following an independent audit, they identified a number of technical issues affecting discoverability and search rankings. Through a programme of website improvements and the introduction of an AI chatbot, Camera Obscura achieved a 69% increase in website sessions, highlighting the importance of regularly reviewing website performance and AI readiness.
Watch the recording: www.asva.co.uk/dashboard
ASVA Visitor Experience & Engagement Ideas Exchange
The session featured a case study from Christina Dobbie from Glen Garioch Distillery, who shared how her team has developed an award-winning visitor experience through a focus on people, authenticity and collaboration.
Christina spoke about the importance of creating a warm welcome, investing in staff training and ensuring visitors feel valued as individuals rather than simply part of a tour group. She also shared examples of how memorable experiences can be created through thoughtful, low-cost enhancements, authentic storytelling and opportunities that help visitors connect more deeply with a place and its heritage.
The discussion explored the growing demand for premium and bespoke experiences, with visitors increasingly seeking exclusive access, behind-the-scenes opportunities and more personalised experiences. There was also valuable conversation around the role of local partnerships, with examples of how collaboration with accommodation providers, food and drink businesses, tourism organisations and other local partners can enhance the visitor offer while supporting the wider destination.
Accessibility and inclusivity were highlighted as important considerations, alongside the value of continually reviewing and refining the visitor journey to ensure guests feel welcomed, engaged and valued throughout their visit.
A recurring message from the session was that outstanding visitor experiences are often built through people, partnerships and creativity rather than large budgets, and that even small changes can have a significant impact on how visitors remember and talk about an attraction.
Watch the recording: www.asva.co.uk/dashboard
