PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT WINTER 2013/14
TECHNOLOGY PICKS
When there are so many new technologies being marketed to venues, what should be on venues’ priority lists?
S
port, entertainment and technology are intertwined in many different
ways, including commercial tie-ins with consumer brands. A matchday build- up these days might include systems testing of the cable cam which will glide above the players’ heads, of the match analysis software in the team box, of the control room monitoring giant trolleys on the moving roof, and of the irrigation and heating system just below the turf’s surface.
Venue management’s task is to host this technology efficiently and safely.
The big stuff, such as LED screens and moving pitches, is part of the structure and needs pro-active maintenance like other parts of a facility. This equipment provides physical comfort to the fans and audio visual effects on a grand scale that bring in the crowds. It’s expensive to buy and maintain but these costs are part of the calculations when pricing tickets and drawing up marketing plans.
So which of the emerging technologies are the right picks when drawing up the next set of plans? Will wi-fi change the fan experience and attract the sponsor? Or is cash more wisely spent on broadcast systems for in-stadium TV, or will a dose of retail technology better affect the bottom line?
In-stadium content
Ownership of smartphones among fans has brought wi-fi connection to the top of the agenda. Clubs want wi-fi because it enables social media marketing, which looks a great match for fan culture. The fact that Google, Twitter and Facebook have dedicated sports and fan managers demonstrates that these companies see a synergy.
There are different ways of funding wi-fi installation, from straight commissioning ownership to working with a sponsor that has the telecommunications background to do the work or entering into shared risk deals with wi-fi providers who will take a share of future revenue.
Once the second screen is live in your stadium –via 4G or wi-fi – there’s an opportunity to stream on-demand content and to attach commercial propositions, such as links to ecommerce and sponsor messages. For example,
Engage visitors with useful apps
Commissioning useful free apps and social media sites for customers is a new trend. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) launched an enhanced mobile app this year as part of the Unforgettable Collective Memories at HKCEC campaign using an app on the official Facebook fan page to celebrate HKCEC’s 25thanniversary. The app has a way finding function and a listing of today’s events. Visitors can make use of signs bearing QR codes at prominent locations such as exhibition hall entrances, restaurants and lift lobbies to identify their current location.
Yahoo! will be the exclusive online sports content, social networking, and photo and video sharing partner for Levi’s Stadium and the San Francisco 49ers through the 2023 season.
When it comes to video content, there’s an existing source of content on stadium’s doorsteps. “Our servers allow people at home or anywhere to access the content. The next step is to implement this into stadiums so that they can offer their own extra content to fans,” says Nicholas Bourdon, SVP Marketing at EVS. EVS’ live video production servers are in most outside broadcast trucks and production facilities at sports venues. The company is currently
Outside broadcast footage can be re-purposed for second screen consumption.
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