Maroochydore – The Bright City Launches Worldwide Facebook First

The new Maroochydore CBD will be the first city in the world to use Facebook Messenger to host a virtual tour guide, exposing the Sunshine Coast hub to up to 900 million internet users every month.

The interactive chatbot will have conversations over Facebook Messenger with people seeking further information about the history and future plans of the new CBD and surrounding area.

It is understood to be the first time Facebook Messenger has been used to communicate with residents, visitors and business about a new city.

The technology has been developed by Xandra Labs, a Sunshine Coast design and technology agency set up by digital entrepreneurs Zach Johnson, Jess Thoms and Madeline Rawlings.

“Our team at Xandra Labs has been working on this for some time now and it’s incredibly exciting to be the first developer to offer an interactive conversation with people about a new city – its vibe, culture and personality – over Facebook,’’ Mr Johnson said.

“Lots of chatbots have been created since Facebook announced earlier this year it would allow its Messenger platform to deliver the technology, but no other city in the world is using it to interact with residents and visitors.”

Built on Pullstring, a professional authoring environment, Mr Johnson said the chatbot would use natural language but would also include artificial intelligence and machine learning to be able to interpret things like synonyms and misspellings.

“The persona of the chatbot is a 20-something professional Australian male,’’ he said.

“He does not have a name but if he were a real person, he would be the single point of contact for all information relating to the city.”

Mr Johnson said a group of 60 select Sunshine Coast stakeholders would today be invited to trial the CBD’s chatbot on Facebook and provide feedback on how the technology – or personality – could be improved.

"These members of the business community and people who work in the digital space are key figures who’ve been hand-picked to trial the tool," he said.

“With their expert feedback we’ll be able to ensure the program is running smoothly before we make it available to the wider public.”

He expected the chatbot to go live by the end of October.

“If you are looking for detailed facts and figures about the city, you will need to go to the website or another source,’’ Mr Johnson said.

“But if you are a current resident of the Sunshine Coast, a visitor or someone considering moving your business to the new CBD and you want to get a sense for the project and its place in Maroochydore as a whole, the chatbot is where you’ll find information around the culture, vibe and personality of the city.”

The new CBD, being developed by SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd, is tipped to be one of the most technologically advanced cities in the country.

“Because it is a greenfield site, we are embedding digital technology into its foundations to create a genuine bright city of the future with super high speed connectivity, smart signage and lighting, and public realm wi-fi,” SunCentral Maroochydore Chief Executive Officer John Knaggs said.

“We have also appointed Zach Johnson as the new city’s entrepreneur-in-residence to ensure the CBD not only appeals to digital start-ups but is also able to deliver the technology they need to see their ideas transform into thriving businesses.”

Mr Johnson said the chatbot would evolve as Maroochydore – The Bright City grew but would start by providing information on the history of the site and the development timeline for key milestones and how it would integrate with the current business community in Maroochydore.

“Once we get the technology right and people start moving into the city, there are limitless possibilities for how this chatbot could be used,’’ he said.

Xandra Labs was launched earlier this year to help businesses and communities engage members and customers through digital solutions.

“Creating a chatbot for the new Maroochydore CBD was a perfect project for our young startup,’’ Mr Johnson said.

Construction officially began in February on Maroochydore – The Bright City which is forecast to create more than 30,000 permanent jobs in the region by 2040 and provide a $5.9 billion boost to the Queensland economy over the project’s 20-year life.

The 53-hectare site on the former Horton Park Golf Club will be transformed over the next two decades to include commercial buildings, destination retail outlets, a premium hotel, civic facilities and an exhibition and convention centre, with 40 per cent of the new city centre site dedicated to waterways and parkland.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Fran Metcalf, Sequel PR – 0417 627 867