Yes, this one device is 100% free.

You will NOT be billed in the future. You NEVER have to buy anything. You NEVER have to enter your credit card information anywhere. There are NO ads on it. There are NO agreements, NO contracts you have to sign.

YES you can use this one device for years and never pay a penny.

The 42Kites AFA Program is designed to make museums across the USA just a little bit more accessible.

We make money if organizations want more devices - but the ONE device we send you through this program is free forever.

Yes, you can reuse this single device for a different exhibit at any time.

To use the device on another exhibit, you would just change the content of the one Experience to include the other exhibits content (removing the first exhibits content) and then physically moving the device to the new location. If you will be moving the device to a new location frequently, we suggest using the adhesive strip (it's included) so you don't make a bunch of holes in your walls.

It's the easiest way to upgrade any museum.

This system has everything you need to create in-museum digital experiences for visitors. It includes the hardware to mount on the wall, the web interface where you can add your digital content (no software or app required) and the almost-too-amazing support that includes copy, video and Photoshop editing services.

There are many ways you can use this platform. The most common way is for museums to layer on more information about their exhibits. Visitors can then tap or scan SmartLinks with their phones, giving them instant access to the digital content you added to the experience.

Videos, photos, 3D models, visitor feedback forms and sponsorship ads are just a few examples of content that can be added. You can even add buttons to give your guests the ability to make a donation while they are standing in front of an exhibit.

The 42Kites platform also includes language translation and visual impairment controls, making your content more inclusive. In a future update we'll be adding text-to-speech functionality, giving visitors the option to make your exhibits talk!

We designed the 42Kites system to be a simple, yet powerful platform. In just a few easy steps you can transform the experience of any (or all) exhibits in your museum. Best of all no technical or design skills are required.

Whether it's an exhibit that has a captivating backstory, a visitor favorite, or even a display that could benefit from more content to boost visitors' interest, the first step is to pick the exhibit(s) in your museum that you would love to expand the amount (and types) of information you share with guests.

• • Login to your 42Kites account to create an Experience and add the digital content related to the exhibit. Maybe it's a video of the painter talking about their piece or photos with arrows that point out interesting markings on a sculpture, etc.
  • Configure a SmartLink to link to that Experience. When prompted by the configuration wizard, enter the secret PIN number that's listed on the back of the card. This will activate the SmartLink.
  • Assemble the holder. Place the SmartLink card inside the holder and attach the holder to the wall near the exhibit. (This step is optional).

  You do NOT need to use the wall-mounted holder to use a SmartLink card. Some exhibits (like small artifacts in a glass case) do not need the wall-mounted holder. You can simply attach the SmartLink card to the inside of the glass case.

  Museum visitors will now be able to tap or scan the SmartLink to see the digital content of that Experience.

  

Here is a diagram of the SmartLink card and the three pieces that make up the wall-mounted holder:

Here are a few photos:

You do NOT need to use the wall-mounted holder to use a SmartLink card. Some exhibits (like small artifacts in a glass case) do not need the wall-mounted holder. You can simply attach the SmartLink card to the inside of the glass case.

The end result of a SmartLink card placed in the wall-mounted holder looks something like this:

See our handy instructions on how to install the wall-mounted SmartLink holder.

The SmartLink card allows visitors to tap or scan their phones to access an Experience. By default the SmartLink card displays a QR Code, but that can be changed. You can easily customize the display by overlaying an image/graphic on top of the SmartLink card.*

Here are a couple of ideas:**

• You could record your museum curator telling stories about each exhibit and then create a "Curator Tour" graphic to use in place of the QR Code.
• Does your museum have a specific theme or mascot? If yes, featuring an image of the mascot could be a fun way to "dress up" the wall-mounted holder.

Here are a few examples of customized overlays:

* Because image / graphic overlays will hide the QR Code, using them will disable the "scan your phone" functionality. However, because the SmartLink cards have built-in NFC Chip functionality, visitors will still be able to tap their phones to access the Experience.

** If you need assistance creating custom SmartLink overlays, we can help design them for you at no additional cost. For more information, see the "What else does this system include?" FAQ listed below.

We created short animated cartoon videos that will show your visitors how to scan the SmartLinks. There are multiple versions of the "How to use SmartLinks" video. We created a collection of videos, each within a different museum setting and with different animated characters. All 42Kites plans include access to all of these videos.

To make sure guests watch it we recommend you display it (on a TV screen, laptop or tablet) near the admission line or download the video and add to your website and / or social media pages.

Here is an example of just one of the videos you will have access to:

Yes! Within the Experience Builder, you can create a shared Header and Footer which will give you a place to easily add info about a sponsor to all your Experiences. You can add a sponsor's logo or even a sponsorship banner ad, both which can (optionally) be set to link to the sponsor's website.

While the shared Header and Footer area can be use to put logos and ads across ALL your Experiences, but you also have the option to display different information on an Experience by Experience basis.

If you plan on featuring sponsors in your experiences, we recommend highlighting this as a benefit in the sponsorship materials you provide to potential sponsors. Here is an example of three Experiences with a banner for a local car dealership located at the top of each Experience.

Yes! You don't need to have any design or technical skills to create Experiences.

You will also have access to lots of tutorials that show how to use the Experience Builder. However, if for any reason you need one-on-one tech support or help creating the visuals for your Experiences, we are here to help. All 42Kites Premium plans include unlimited, free support and resources!

Below are a few screenshots of the main 42Kites account screen:

Yes! You can lock an Experience with a custom PIN number. Here's an example of what the locked Experience will look like when the visitor first scans the SmartLink card:

There are many different ways museums can benefit from using a locked Experience but a few of our favorite ways is to create a "Digital Easter Egg Hunt", "Digital Scavenger Hunt" or "Digital Escape Room".  These types of locked experiences create a fun activity for your guests, while increasing their engagement levels with your exhibits.

Here's an example of how a digital "Digital Scavenger Hunt" could work:

Using the Promo Box feature in the Experience Builder, you can add "clues" to a few of the Experiences you've created for your exhibits. Creating a clue is as simple as adding (let's say) a single letter or number to each Experience that you want to contain a clue.

Let's imagine you have a large collection of different dinosaur fossils with twelve SmartLinks in a large exhibit room:

• One of the SmartLinks (maybe right under the T-Rex) will display the locked Experience from that screenshot above. Visitors will not be able to access the information until they know the answer.
• Seven of the SmartLinks in this big fossil room only has interesting information about the fossil it is next to (video of it being excavated, a map of the location, etc..).
• In addition to the background information about a particular fossil one SmartLink displays a Promo Box that says "The first digit is 1".
• Another SmartLink displays a Promo Box that says "The second digit is 9".
• Another SmartLink displays a Promo Box that says "The third digit is 1".
• and finally the last SmartLink contains a Promo Box that says "The fourth digit is 2".

By having the clues spread over multiple SmartLinks, it will encourage visitors to tap or scan all the the SmartLinks of all your exhibits and read the content. As guests hunt for clues, they will also be learning more about your exhibits in the process.

When setting up something like this, remember that people don't always follow the same path around your museum so make sure that the SmartLinks can be scanned in any order.

Once the visitor finds all of the clues, they will have the complete key to unlock that final locked Experience. As a reward for their effort, the "unlocked" Experience could give them a code for a something like "Free hotdog" from the cafe or "10% off an item" in the gift shop.

PS: Locking an Experience is as easy as adding a custom PIN and question. This is what it looks like in your account: