Innovation

🎨 Jessica Willig Rosenstein of Fever, at Museum Connections salon, discusses immersive experiences enhancing visitor engagement, especially among 18-35-year-olds. Immersion, paired with interactive content, complements museum visits, with emotional impact significantly affecting visitor memory and experience.

🎨 Tedi Asher, a neuroscientist at Peabody Essex Museum, develops methods to enhance museum experiences by tracking visitor engagement through eye-tracking and biometric measurements. Marc Williams Debono, neuroscientist, advocates for integrating science into artistic projects to foster learning. Analisa Banzi, art historian at CESPEB, University Bicocca in Milan, Italy, conducts projects aimed at reducing stress and anxiety in museums using neuroscience. The collective goal is to improve visitor well-being and create a synergy between neuroscience and museum organization.

📈 At the Net Managers Collection Hiver event in Méribel, the focus was on generative AI and model merging. André-Louis Rochet, Tw3 Partners CEO, highlighted the technique's ability to combine specialized models to enhance system performance. Erwan Simon, Genial CEO, indicated that the AI agent revolution is underway. In tourism, with 2 out of 3 American travelers using AI, France is catching up. Creating an AI agent typically requires 3 months and a budget of 15,000 to 30,000 euros.

💰 Expedia Group and Microsoft Corp. announced a strategic partnership to integrate their loyalty programs, rewarding Bing users with additional benefits for bookings made through Expedia. Travelers can earn Microsoft rewards and also Expedia Group rewards, including One Key travel rewards in the US and UK. Expedia Group, a 2024 Inc. Power Partner, enables over 60,000 businesses with advanced tech solutions like Rapid API and White Label Template, covering the entire traveler journey. The partnership marks the first time Expedia's sector-leading Rapid API technology pairs with One Key rewards, offering Bing users seamless booking access to over 750,000 hotels and vacation rentals globally.

🏨 Mews, a cloud-based hotel management platform, identified 8 pillars for better service, staff availability, and increased revenue in its white paper. Mews was voted Best PMS in 2024 and 2025 by Hotel Tech Report and began in a Prague hotel in 2012. Now serving thousands of hotels worldwide, Mews continues its mission to develop transformative solutions for hotel brands.

🏕 In 2024, Israel recorded 962,000 international visitors, with France being the second-largest source at 130,700 visitors, or 13.6% of the total. Tourism revenues reached approximately 5.7 billion shekels (over 1.5 billion euros), with an average spend of $1,650 per visitor. December 2024 saw 75,900 international arrivals, a 44% increase from December 2023, indicating a recovery and growing confidence, especially among French travelers.

💾 Merim Groupe, a major partner of fast food chains for 25 years, launched QSR Link aiming to become the leading digital brand for quick-service and street food restaurants. By combining Reboot and Symbioz software technologies, QSR Link targets the entire quick-service restaurant market while reinforcing its leadership. The QSR Link team, with extensive industry experience, leverages technological innovations to meet operational needs of restaurant networks.

📖 Claire Fay, Founder of BlinkBook, highlighted the integration of digital technology in cultural institutions at the Museum Connections event. Emphasizing the need for tangible engagement, Fay combines hands-on activities like coloring with digital applications to create personalized animations. This approach aims to provide an interactive and memorable experience for the young audience, balancing the real and virtual worlds to avoid overwhelming children with excessive digital immersion. Digital tools are seen as a means to enhance merchandise and foster shared experiences.

🎨 Dries De Geyter, Co-founder of Lean Mean Learning Machine was interviewed at Museum Connections. Discussed was AI's role in museums, offering personalized interactions with art, information on demand, and communication tailored to visitor profiles including children, adults, experts, or novices. AI also gathers valuable data on visitor interests, aiding museums in enhancing communication and exhibitions. Future developments may include more personalized AI voices and extending AI's role beyond museum walls.

🎨 Jean-Marc Tillé, Directeur Commercial France at Connect&GO, discussed the digital transformation in the leisure and amusement park sector during the Museum Connections trade show. This transformation allows visitors to better prepare for their visits and professionals to improve organization.