Chicago Suburbs 'Virtually Enclosing' Tourists with QR Codes

Six suburbs of Medinah, Illinois, have enlisted local Wood Dale marketing firm AlphaGraphics to create a mobile marketing campaign to 'virtually enclose' tourists during the Ryder Cup golf competition, taking place in the area 25-30 September.

The suburbs hope to keep as many of the 160,000 visitors within their vicinities to boost the local economy.

The mobile campaign includes a QR code linked to a mobile website that serves as a guide to retail and entertainment in the host suburbs. Tourists who snap the code on their mobile device will be directed to a mobile website with information on the town’s various tourist, entertainment and lodging attractions.

“When an international event such as the Ryder Cup comes to town, it can mean a huge boost in tourism and tax dollars – only if the host municipalities can encourage visitors to spend money in their towns,” said Jeff Bittner, owner of AlphaGraphics. “We created a mobile website that serves as a virtual guide for the six suburbs hosting the tournament and tagged it with a QR code so that hotels can distribute it to guests on their physical maps. We hope visitors will find it extremely convenient to find local restaurants, retail shops and entertainment on their smart phones so they won’t even consider leaving the area for other nearby attractions.”