Launching today in Australia and the US, helmed by chief executive Andi Mastrosavas, Pladia has plans to scale globally with 33 staff operating out of Australia and the US.

Its executive team is bolstered by Head of Technology Gabriel Iturbe, Head of Customer Experience Lindsey Green and Head of Product and Design Anna Nicholson.

The business, developed by the team at Art Processors using 13 years of insights and innovation, will operate independently as all-inclusive subscription technology for cultural institutions, festivals, events and tourism.

Pladia’s shift away from Art Processors’ portfolio will allow Art Processors to continue to expand its full service experience design offering, while Pladia focuses exclusively on allowing institutions themselves to craft personalised experiences, reduce friction, and understand visitors better than ever before.

At a time when visitor expectations are evolving and the demand for digital integration is growing, Pladia’s mission is to deliver unparalleled utility, empowering its community to craft creative and accessible visitor experiences that leave lasting impressions, cultivate valuable learnings, and ensure long-term success. 

Pladia offers cultural institutions a subscription-based, self-serve platform with two key products:

Pladia Empower: a transformative end-to-end product solution designed to simplify and enhance the visitor experience while providing useful visitor analytics and insights for venues.

The visitor application, delivered through a Progressive Web App (PWA), is designed for rapid configuration, enabling visitors to easily access integrated wayfinding and configurable content on their own mobile devices.

Additionally, the product offers powerful analytics and feedback tools, empowering institutions to shape both tactical actions and strategic goals effectively.

Event Sync: an innovative SaaS product designed to achieve perfect harmony between sight and sound through seamless AV synchronisation.

After undergoing extensive refinement through award-winning collaborations with the Sydney Opera House, Bob Dylan Center, Pentridge Prison Tours, and leading event provider AGB Events, Event Sync delivers high-fidelity audio to visitors’ headphones or personal speaker with seamless synchronisation to visuals on screens, projections, and public displays.

Ideal use cases include drone light shows, laser shows, projection mapping, fireworks displays, and outdoor cinema events.

“We know that the moment that causes museum and institution visitors the most anxiety and least satisfaction is the entry experience,” said chief executive Andi Mastrosavas.

“The moment after a visitor has paid admission and stepped inside an institution can be filled with fear of missing something important, not knowing where to find what they want to see, and not having access to key information.

“And offering a technology solution for these problems has long been a costly exercise for institutions with tight budgets.”

“Pladia is here to bridge the gap for organisations with limited budgets. It’s configurable, easy-to-use and reliable, and most importantly will help visitors find their way simply, from their own device,” they added.

From museums and galleries to events and beyond, Pladia is designed to meet the diverse needs of these venues, ensuring they remain at the forefront of visitor engagement. 

Pladia is the software of choice for the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) due to its extensive experience in the GLAM sector.

“People come to the MCA for all kinds of reasons and connect with the space and contemporary art in different ways. So for the next iteration of our mobile museum guide, we wanted a solution that would enhance our visitors’ experience from entrance to exit, both inside the galleries and around the building,”

“We also needed a platform that would support our team to quickly prepare, update, and preview content so that visitors always have access to the latest happenings at the Museum,” said Julia Prior, Head of Digital Media at MCA,”

“The platform is robust, designed with accessibility in mind, and incredibly user-friendly,” she said.

Pladia’s flagship products Empower and Event Sync are now available for all Australian and US customers through an annual subscription.