Beginning this week, shoppers and diners in Springfield will have the chance to participate in a new
Digital Discovery Pass, which will take the place of the previous Downtown Passport program.
“We started the passport program in the summer of 2019, and we had a tremendously positive response from not only our merchants, but also people in general because they wanted to win prizes and be out and about and more aware of Downtown,” says John Kelly, downtown events programmer for
The Greater Springfield Partnership.
Though the program was up and running in 2020, the pandemic made it a challenge because people weren’t out as much.
For 2021, the Partnership decided to make a shift by switching to a digital platform.
“We wanted to make it more versatile to a larger number of users and make it more accessible,” Kelly says, adding that because the
“Discovery Pass: Sip. Shop. Dine.” will be more user-friendly because people won’t have to try to remember their physical cards when they’re out and about.
In the former passport program, hole punches could only be collected during First Friday events. The new pass program uses Bandwango to allow patrons to show their mobile pass anytime they enter any of the more than 30 participating restaurants and businesses.
Users will receive incentives based on their number of check-ins with their pass and will also have discounts for participating locations at their fingertips.
“It’s all about building experiences for locals and visitors,” Kelly says. “The app is very accessible and super easy to use.”
Learn details about participating businesses, and sign up for your Greater Springfield Discovery Pass
here.
You can also download the pass by scanning a QR code at any of the participating businesses.
It will let you add a pass icon to your mobile homepage for easy access to your pass while you’re shopping or dining.
Check-in at 15 locations, and win a free pair of pint glasses. The more locations you visit, the more you’ll be entered to win dozens of additional prizes, including free merchandise, local gift cards, excursion packages, and a 65” TV.
The Partnership is working to create more passes for the future, including cultural and recreational passes.
“It’s a great way of empowering the user to support local and learn about all the good things going on in Springfield,” Kelly says.
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