Related Document: News-Release---GR-Tag-Tour-Launch-02-22-11.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kate Wiltzer
Experience Grand Rapids
(616) 233-3558
kwiltzer@experiencegr.com

COMMUNITY PARTNERS LAUNCH FIRST SMART PHONE TOUR OF DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS
GR Tag Tour uses mobile technology to educate and entertain

Grand Rapids, Mich. (February 22, 2011) - Community partners today announced the
launch of the first smart phone tour of downtown Grand Rapids. Created in collaboration with
Experience Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Historical Commission, Grand Rapids Community Media
Center and Grand Rapids Downtown Alliance, the "GR Tag Tour" is a fun and interactive walking
tour of area historical sites that are accessible on a smart phone with a QR code reader.

"We are very excited to introduce the city's first tour of this kind in collaboration with our
partners. It's another excellent example of how our community works together to make
innovative initiatives a reality," said Experience Grand Rapids President Doug Small. "It's also a
wonderful representation of how Experience Grand Rapids is embracing new technology to
provide visitors with enhanced experiences."

The one-mile tour provides information, historical stories and user submitted photos at 13
locations around downtown, including the Blue Bridge, Lyon Square and the Fire Bell. Developed
by the Community Media Center, the tour provides a scannable barcode for each stop, which
connects visitors with a mobile website containing:

• Facts about the location
• A fun, audio history story related to the location
• A gallery of visitor submitted photos
• Link to the Downtown Grand Rapids mobile site to find places nearby
• Link to the third party mobile check-in application "Four Square"
• Walking map and directions to the next stop

"The tag tour is designed to entertain and educate visitors and residents about our community by using mobile technology to bring location and information together," said Community Media Center Executive Director Laurie Cirivello. "Creating new ways to use technology to support the work of local nonprofit organizations is a core part of the media center's work. This tour is a fun example of how good collaborations can result in innovative solutions for our community."

 A tour map with the scannable codes is available on the GR Tag Tour website, grtagtour.com, or in the Experience Grand Rapids 2011 official visitors guide. This spring, the City of Grand Rapids will post signs with the tags at each stop. The codes are scannable with any QR barcode reader application installed on an Internet enabled smart phone. If a reader is not available, the mobile sites may also be accessed by entering a URL on the phone's web browser.

"We are thrilled to participate in this project. It provides us with a unique opportunity to reach a larger audience and use new technology to share our podcasts and historical stories," said Grand Rapids Historical Commission Chair Diana Barrett. "It's also a wonderful way to preserve our history and share it with generations to come."

The project's partners hope to offer additional tours in the future that might include public sculpture and architecture.

"As the marketing organization for downtown Grand Rapids, we are always looking for new ways to promote the area and are happy to support the first walking ‘tag tour.' It's a fun way to engage visitors and encourage them to explore the central downtown area, while learning about our historical landmarks. We hope this inaugural tour leads to more of its kind," said Downtown Alliance Executive Director Sharon Evoy.

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