Greater Springfield Partnership launches digital passport to showcase local businesses

Exclusive discounts, incentives will be offered through app.

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

The travel and tourism arm of the Greater Springfield Partnership is launching a Digital Experience Passport as a way to attract more people to dozens of establishments in downtown Springfield.

The Digital Experience Passport will be launched on Wednesday and will offer exclusive discounts and incentives while encouraging people to patronize more than 30 downtown Springfield businesses.

The new online passport will be in the form of an app and will be known as “Discovery Pass: Sip.Shop.Dine,” according to a news release from the Greater Springfield Partnership.

Those wishing to participate can also sign up for the digital passport by visiting discover.greaterspringfield.com.

“We have been looking at creative ways to provide exposure for our downtown merchants,” said John Kelly, the downtown events programmer for the Partnership.

“After experiencing success with our printed downtown passport for the past couple of years, this digital version is the next logical step,” he added.

Once launched, users will be able to visit a dedicated mobile passport landing page where they can sign up by providing their name, email address and phone number, according to the news release.

The passport is a result of a partnership with the digital segment leader, Bandwango. Establishments that are participating will have a four-digit pin that can be entered in the app to access discounts as well as earn incentives.

“Through this collaboration with Bandwango the Greater Springfield Partnership is able to offer a new experiential resource to our community,” said Chris Schutte, the vice-president of destination marketing for the Greater Springfield Partnership.

“This first pass featuring downtown merchants is just the kick-off to a series that will eventually include cultural, recreational and Partnership investor passes,” he added.

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