Chamber introduces a new, technologically advanced welcome center

OGUNQUIT, Maine — When Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce employees moved to a new office at 20 Shore Road in the heart of downtown, not only did they jump from the previous location to the current one.

They also entered the next decade.

Executive Director Alice Pearce explained the approach she took after relocating the facility from its previous location at 102 Main Street – currently the Police Department’s temporary headquarters as the city campus on School Street is modernized – to its new location last spring.

“We want this to be a welcome center in the 2030s,” Pearce said.

Achieving this goal required more than just renovating the premises, which they did, giving the former store a new floor and ceiling, more open space, and brighter and fresher wall colors.

It involved more than just creating an open space in the back of the stadium where Pearce and her colleagues AJ Kubasti, Torri Jandebeur and Rick Barber could work and greet guests as they entered.

It also involved a major technological leap.

The new office now features a large touchscreen kiosk that allows visitors to navigate the Ogunquit map and find places to dine, shop, enjoy nature and local entertainment. You can even play trivia games at the kiosk that ask questions about Ogunquit and the region.

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The Welcome Center offers new ways to explore Ogunquit

On Tuesday, Kubasti, events and marketing manager for the Ogunquit Chamber, showed off the kiosk by swiping around a map and showing how you can tap here and there to learn about local offerings and view locally produced advertisements.

The new space also features a new widescreen monitor with live webcam footage of the beach and several other Ogunquit attractions. On such a screen, a visitor could go to the top of the beach, check whether the tide is high or low, and plan their trip accordingly.

The new office also has a widescreen monitor displaying advertisements for local businesses and announcements about upcoming events in the city. QR codes are placed throughout the office so visitors can learn more about local restaurants and venues, from menus to opening hours and more.

“We will continue to monitor visitor center trends and always strive to stay ahead of the curve so our members and guests can expect improvements and new ways to discover Ogunquit each year,” Pearce said.

For example, Pearce said he hopes to improve the touchscreen kiosk by adding a “Spin to Win” component that will direct visitors to member businesses and a module that will allow visitors to plan a route and download it directly to their phone.

We assure you that in the new office you will find proven posters and brochures advertising local non-profit organizations and more, carefully displayed on a table placed at the front and center of the office floor.

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The Ogunquit Chamber Welcome Center is ready to serve guests

Currently, the office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. According to Pearce, this schedule will change to seven days a week when the busy summer season returns.

The thing is, even when the office is closed, in some sense it is still open.

For example, a touchscreen kiosk can be slid out of the wall and angled toward a street window, so passersby can see a map of the city and watch video ads for local restaurants and other places. A monitor with local advertisements and announcements, which is located near the counters and desks, is also visible from the street.

Additionally, passersby can use their cell phones to scan several QR codes located on the office’s front door, allowing them to check out dining and shopping options, browse the guest guide, and enjoy surfing social media sites.

Passersby can even purchase Ogunquit Chamber merchandise, as mugs, decals, T-shirts and photos taken by local photographer Rick Barber, a longtime volunteer of the organization, are displayed in the front window.

Pearce said the innovations are new to the region and partly inspired by what’s on offer at chambers she visited while in Europe.

Paul Humphrey, owner of Mornings in Paris, a coffee shop on Main Street in Ogunquit, serves as vice chairman of the Ogunquit Chamber board of directors. In a recent email, he talked enthusiastically about the new office.

“It’s probably the most progressive welcome center in New England – maybe the country,” he said.

This article originally appeared in the Portsmouth Herald: Ogunquit Chamber introduces new high-tech welcome center