Cultural heritage is evolving fast thanks to digital technologies. The momentum is to preserve cultural legacy and guide it to the digital decade. Read the interview between Mentor and Mentee on a mentoring session.

[Interview with Mentor Ivona Gudelj and Mentee Startup Hi.Stories]


Cultural heritage
is evolving fast thanks to digital technologies. The momentum is to preserve cultural legacy and guide it to the digital decade.

 

In the cultural world, we have witnessed unprecedented opportunities that technologies can trigger. 3D and AI can bring cultural heritages sites back to life again, virtual museum paths can lead the users to see and experience works of art and architecture masterpieces which are not accessible to the public. 


We’ve been talking about these breakthroughs with
Luna Meli, co-founder of a cutting-edge Italian startup Hi.Stories who took part into EUDigiTOUR mentorship program. Its mentor Ivona Gudelj Conversational AI expert at CDI Services, joined the conversation and explained to us how this initiative could be pivotal to foster digitalization in the tourism sector. 


Let’s meet them!

Mentee 

Hi.Stories is an innovative startup focused on integrating digital technologies in the Italian cultural heritage.  The company was established following the application for the Cultura Crea Call. The co-funded project is "Sicily Histories," a mobile application available for iOS and Android released on store in July 2018. The app enhances the Sicilian territory and its historical and artistic heritage through gamification and storytelling. 

In addition to the Sicily project, Hi.Stories also offers 3D modeling and printing services, webapp creation, virtual tours, design and cultural and museum consulting. 


The startup was founded by Riccardo Bonina, CEO and co-founder Luna Meli, both focused on the cultural promotion of Sicilian heritage. Luna was also speaker at TEDx Catania, where she introduced digital as a means of promoting culture among young people.


Mentor
 

Ivona Gudelj is a Conversational AI expert at CDI Services. Her mission is to ensure that everything from the brand, tone of voice, design flows and interactions, enable enterprises to create transformational customer experiences. She's passionate about overcoming challenges for the benefit of customers and society and committed to helping others to unleash their potential and grow.


CDI Services is a global conversational AI strategy and delivery firm that creates state-of-the-art AI assistants. Our consultants can develop a clear strategy with a strong underlying business case, upskill a team through hands-on training and certification, or simply design, build, and optimize chat and voice solutions.


[Question to Luna - Hi.Stories] 

After this inspiring introduction, what expectations were linked to the mentoring session?


As startup we have the constant need to think out of the box, also beyond our Italian borders and strive for innovation. We keep updated with market research papers in our industry but having the opportunity to talk directly to someone and address our thoughts and doubts was pivotal to us. Ivona provided us with the human touch that is needed when talking about digital technologies and at the same time delivering best practices and recommendations. A kind of “compass” to move our projects forward. 


What are your main goals for the future?


Our main objective is to expand our business model and consolidate our brand awareness. Working in the cultural heritage industry, we normally get in touch with public authorities. We  are applying digital technologies, which in our field is something still overlooked and not properly valued, so we need to be trustworthy and gain authority to become the
leading cultural heritage startup to foster digitalization. 


[Question to Ivona - CDI Services] 


How did you meet EUDigiTOUR - what are the main pros related to organizing mentoring sessions? 


I’ve got to know EUDigiTOUR through the Association Croai AI. It’s really mind-blowing to meet all tourism SMEs to get in touch together, explore their issues and provide solutions to their challenges. Especially in the AI field related to conversation and to improve their services across Europe. 


What was the main outcome of the mentoring session?


Our session covered the topic
Conversational AI in-depth, and then we went through real market examples and some of the key challenges to improve products in the future.

We explored business opportunities in the indoor and outdoor Attractions, and apps that exploit automation power and design principles which are at the base of conversational AI. 


The channel
Google Business Message and Apple Business Chat with a simple sensor interface opens up different opportunities in the promotion of cultural heritage. It can be placed at a museum location, in retail shops and when you are exploring locations on the map, you can see a pop-up chat and get in touch with the museum. You can combine it then with augmented reality. 


[Question to both Mentor and Mentee] 


What could be the impact of digitalization in the cultural heritage (and in tourism) in the future?


Mentor

The impact could be huge especially in the tourism industry across the other ones, the formula is combining digital transformation players and tools in the right way. To this extent, SMEs and startups are the main lifeblood of this change. That’s why connection is meaningful and resources can be indeed shared. It broadens up whole new perspectives, and I’m happy to be part of it!


Mentee

We will definitely follow the suggestions arisen from the mentoring session, especially related to Google Business Chat. For our clients, creating a communication flow in distance is paramount. Startups are important to engage and create endless opportunities. In the future digitalization will help us to address more and more cultural providers and the hospitality sector. 


Thank you for the fruitful exchange! 


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