The Beatles Story tourist attraction in Liverpool has turned to technology normally associated with the retail sector to help keep its teams connected.
Situated at Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, it has introduced a wireless headset system, enabling around 30 employees working across admissions, exhibitions, the Fab4 Store, cafés and guest services to communicate with eachother hands free. The move is designed to help staff respond more quickly to visitor requests and coordinate activity across the attraction without having to leave their work areas or interrupt their interactions with guests.
Andy Kelly, Guest Experience Manager at The Beatles Story, says: “The headsets by Quail Digital have changed the way teams, which previously used an outdated radio system, communicate across the attraction. Introducing the Quail Digital headset system was an important step forward in how we support our teams and serve our guests.”
“Clear, fast communication is essential in a dynamic attraction like ours. We have colleagues working across a number of different areas, and the ability to communicate immediately means we can respond to guest needs more quickly and coordinate support without colleagues having to leave their positions.”
“Just as importantly, it supports our colleagues by making their roles more efficient and connected. We’re constantly looking at ways to improve how we work behind the scenes so that the visitor experience remains seamless. The investment in communication technology is part of that.”
Tom Downes, CEO at Quail Digital, says: “What’s interesting about The Beatles Story is that, while it's a visitor attraction, many of the operational challenges are very similar to those faced by retailers. You have people working in different areas who need to communicate quickly, customers who need assistance and teams that have to coordinate while continuing to focus on the people in front of them. The technology is about making that communication easier without getting in the way of the customer experience.”
“Good communication is one of those things you tend to notice only when it isn't there. When teams can communicate quickly and discreetly, problems can be dealt with before they become visible to the customer. Whether that's in a shop, a hotel or a visitor attraction, that can make a real difference to how an operation performs.”
The Pro12 system provides wireless communication between employees, with speech recognition allowing users to join team calls, respond to messages and communicate with groups hands-free. It can also integrate with other connected technologies, while its safety alert function provides an additional method of notifying colleagues when assistance is required.
The Beatles Story attraction was established at Liverpool's Royal Albert Dock in 1990 and takes visitors through the history of The Beatles using immersive recreations of locations including Hamburg, The Cavern Club and Abbey Road Studios, alongside original memorabilia.
Behind the exhibition, however, is a complex operation involving admissions, visitor services, retail and hospitality teams. Kelly says that keeping those teams connected was ultimately about ensuring visitors experienced the attraction without seeing the operational effort required to deliver it.
“Our guests come to The Beatles Story to immerse themselves in the world of The Beatles,” he adds. “The last thing we want is for the operational side of running the attraction to interfere with that experience. Anything that helps our teams communicate more effectively and respond quickly contributes to making the visitor journey as smooth as possible.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Hospitality and leisure technology will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
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