Broadway Voice Teams with Gimbal and Urban Airship to Power Contextual Mobile Engagement with Broadway Audiences
Iconic, 130-year-old Playbill brand gains mobile companion to Broadway Playbill programs, now available for all 41 Broadway shows and theatres
NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2016 — Broadway Voice, a global media and mobile technology company, today announced that Playbill® Passport is now available in all Broadway theatres serviced by the classic Playbill magazine, offering a mobile, interactive companion to address the entire theatre-going experience.
Broadway Voice has partnered with the iconic Playbill® brand to deliver the Playbill Passport app, which uses Gimbal’s location and proximity-technology and Urban Airship’s mobile engagement platform to message Broadway audiences when they are in the theatre, before the show, during intermission and after the curtain comes down.
“Playbill Passport allows us to expand on the services we’ve been offering to Broadway audiences for over 130 years,” says Philip Birsh, President and CEO of Playbill. “Broadway just had its best-attended and highest-grossing year to date. We are in the midst of an exciting theatrical renaissance. Times Square is booming with new businesses, thousands of offerings and no real touchstone to maximize the experience. Theatregoers have come to rely on their Playbill and the information therein for over a century. Playbill Passport will expand on that service by giving audiences a way to learn and interact with the show they are seeing, attend other shows of interest, obtain practical theatre-related information, use discounts and take advantage of all Times Square has to offer.”
A combination of Gimbal proximity location services and technology around the 41 Broadway theatres trigger Urban Airship’s platform to deliver a variety of messaging experiences, welcoming theatregoers, providing content personalized to their interests and the show they are seeing, as well as nearby entertainment offers spanning restaurants, bars and other venues.
Playbill Passport is designed to service those planning their upcoming theatre experiences providing ticketing information, local travel and reservation services for nearby restaurants and attractions. Inside the theatre, users have the ability to scan their Playbill cover to access premium show content (its players, creators, photos and videos) and can access this content at any time afterward, in addition to sharing their memories on all social platforms. Through the app, users also have access to essential and fun show and theatre information including run time, intermission, concession and other services available in the theatre.
“We are thrilled to be working with Playbill to help bring Playbill Passport to Broadway audiences. The strength of Playbill’s brand and content coupled with our location and proximity and mobile engagement technology provided by Gimbal and Urban Airship is a real game changer for the Broadway Industry. It changes the way that theatregoers experience and engage in the entire theatre experience,” said Anhthu Nguyen, Chief Operating Officer of Broadway Voice.
Playbill Passport is currently available in the iTunes app store and can be downloaded at www.playbill.com/getapp. An Android version will be released in 2016.
About Broadway Voice
Broadway Voice is a technology media company that provides state-of-the-art mobile solutions to the live theatre industry. Using a complete suite of integrated technologies for Apple iOS and Google Android, Broadway Voice seeks to engage Broadway theatregoers in an amazing, social infotainment experience creating a one-of-a-kind, and all immersive, contextual and personal mobile interaction that drives significant social engagement and entirely changes how audiences view live theatre. Visit wwww.bwayvoice.com for more information.
About Gimbal
Gimbal, Inc. is connecting enterprises with their customers in exciting new ways by providing leading-edge mobile technologies and solutions. With advanced geofencing, the world’s largest deployment of industry-leading Bluetooth Smart beacons, location-based engagement, analytics, unmatched security features and privacy controls, the Gimbal platform helps drive mobile app engagement and loyalty. Visit www.gimbal.com for more information.
About Urban Airship
Urban Airship is leading the movement of mobile innovators, helping them build high-value relationships through mobile apps and mobile wallets. Its mobile engagement and insight products mobilize all aspects of a business, powering exceptional mobile and omnichannel customer experiences. Studies have found that Urban Airship’s engagement solutions can drive an 878 percent return on investment for customers and overcome APPathy by increasing app user engagement 4X and doubling retention. Thousands of companies and some of the most demanding brands in retail, media & entertainment, sports and travel & hospitality, trust Urban Airship to deliver the mobile moments that matter to their customers and their business. For more information, visit www.urbanairship.com and follow us on Twitter @urbanairship.
About Playbill®, Inc.
Since its inception in 1884, PLAYBILL has become synonymous with the legitimate theatre and is an internationally known trademark and symbol of the arts. Playbill Magazine, which can be found in theatres and classical arts venues throughout the country, proudly serves every Broadway house as well as the country’s most prestigious fine arts institutions, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. In 2016 Playbill presses will roll out 3.5 million programs monthly for nearly 100 theatres in 24 cities. Playbill.com was established in 1994, and has since grown to become the leading source of theatre information on the web and has expanded to a suite of online offerings including Playbill Vault, Playbill EDU, Playbillder, and more. Visit www.playbill.com for more information.