This paper affirms that technology is the smallest part of a successful exhibition experience—and that it is only through looking holistically at museum experience design can technology deliver the desired outcomes to and with visitors. The paper describes how the NFC-enhanced paper map was produced, how it was received by our visitors, how it evolved over the run of the exhibition, and how it is influencing future developments at ACMI.

With the Wonderland exhibition now touring internationally to other museums across Asia, Europe, UK and later, North America, this paper also explores how other museums may need to iterate their own operating and logistical models to successfully host and learn from this exhibition—and what lessons might be learned more broadly by the sector.