Today I was walking around downtown Vancouver and noticed that FIFA events were still scattered around the city, though the energy was obviously lower without any home games at BC Place. One of the main attractions happening was the Vancouver Jazz Festival. As someone just passing through, I found it surprisingly unclear what was free, what required tickets, and where everything was actually happening. I walked past signs indicating that a performance was starting in about fifteen minutes, so I decided to kill some time exploring the area. That’s when I stumbled across another section behind the art gallery where student orchestras were performing. The surprising part? Many people walking around had no idea it was even there even though signs technically existed.
It made me realize how easily events can get lost when navigation and signage aren’t clear. When you have multiple stages, performances, and venues spread across an area, simply putting up a few signs isn’t enough. If everything isn’t clearly mapped and prominently displayed with some kind of central directory or navigation system you risk people missing entire parts of the event. Think about how malls handle this. Most people don’t study the directory when they arrive, they just start walking. That’s exactly why many stores get overlooked. The same thing happened here. They did have QR codes, which made me wonder why they didn’t take it further. A simple app or even a basic web tool that uses your location to show “what’s happening right now” could dramatically increase exposure.
It could highlight nearby events, tell you if they’re free, and guide people with a map. I understand that years ago this would’ve required hiring developers and been expensive. But today, with AI tools making app creation so much easier, there’s really no excuse. Even for free community events with limited budgets, basic digital navigation has become very accessible.
But regardless of budget, investing in proper mapping and navigation seems like one of the highest-ROI improvements they could make. Those student orchestras deserved an audience and many people would’ve happily gone to see them if they had simply known they were there. The big stage with all the advertisements naturally draws everyone’s attention, so without clear guidance, people assume that’s the only thing happening. Better planning and visibility could change that completely.