As theme park technology and consumer adoption continues to advance at rapid pace, parks that fail to embrace the digital revolution will risk forfeiting half their revenues by 2020.

That was the message from Picsolve CEO Jeff Kelisky during his address as the IAAPA Conference in Florida, which kicked off today (17 November). The image capture chief predicted that print photography will be obsolete in parks by the end of the decade, with 75 per cent of global parks only expected to be offering digital photography packages, driven by consumer demand and environmental concerns.

As the adoption of smart wristbands - such as Disney’s Magicbands - for park visitors increases, the scope for ‘all-inclusive’ retail solutions offering unlimited digital photography throughout parks for a one-off fee will also broaden. For example, roaming staff or in-ride photography will capture high-quality images which can be saved to a user’s wristband for collection anywhere in the attraction, while also being available for download on mobile devices.

Kelisky highlighted the growing role that consumers’ photo sharing via social media during park visits is becoming a key marketing tool. He predicted that being equipped to provide digital photography packages will fuel a ‘social media explosion’ within theme parks, whereby visitors become key promoters, and added that attractions must facilitate this behaviour through the provision of Wi-Fi if they wish to fully capitalise.

Kelisky’s forecasts are based on consumer behaviour research by Picsolve, which found 65 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds share their pictures of theme park adventures or visits directly on social media.

“We know over a third of guests choose to purchase theme park photos to capture their experience, yet this figure could be considerably higher if convenient solutions were put in place,” said Kelisky.

“We have been investing heavily in easy-to-use digital solutions, such as our digital platform and all-inclusive price packages, to help our theme park partners stay abreast with these trends and future-proof their image-related revenues.”

Attractions Management and AM2 will both be on hand at the event throughout the week, providing the latest news and updates from the industry’s key players.