Parks department highlights mobile apps, digital ticketing and social media boost

City of Wichita Parks and Recreation officials on April 1 reported adoption metrics and marketing outcomes for two department mobile apps: a golf app (launched in 2016) and a parks-and-recreation app launched in April of the prior year.

Sheena Applehands, marketing and communications director for the department, said the golf app has more than 33,600 downloads to date, with about 9,158 active users and 57% of those users opting into push notifications; the department has sent roughly 290,000 push notifications in the last year. She noted the app’s booking, GPS and standby waitlist features help capture tee-time revenue and reduce staff phone time.

The parks app — which includes single-sign-on from the department’s point-of-sale system and digital admission tickets — has seen more than 3,100 downloads, with 608 active users in the most recent month and a peak of 1,119 users in June. Applehands said going digital for pool admissions eliminated paper ticket costs (previously up to about $30,000) and enabled earlier online pool purchases.

Marketing staff also reported social-media reach gains tied to events such as Fan Fest and Open Streets; a Watson Park spring-break post reached about 20,000 people and the Fan Fest video had more than 20,000 views and significant engagement. Officials said they used paid digital ads, local influencers, facility QR signage and media outreach to support both app launches and major events.

The department is continuing work to integrate credit-card processing into the parks app and to use push notifications for timely promotions. Marketing staff said the apps and digital outreach have improved customer convenience and helped generate event attendance and revenue.