TECHNOLOGY
to beat the queues in busy bars and cafés by placing their order and paying through a smartphone. The idea is simple – a spectator places and pays for an order and will then be notified when the order is ready to collect. One of these services, Q App, is already
widely used within the hospitality sector and the company recently signed a partnership deal with technology and sports consultancy Sports Fusion, which will focus on evolving and tailoring the application and making it applicable to a range of major sports venues. Tim Bichara, Q App’s business
development director, said: “The sports segment is perfectly suited to mobile ordering. We feel the service we offer has the potential to enhance the overall customer experience, while allowing stadia and arenas to significantly increase the number of customer orders processed, up-sell additional products and gain useful insights into their customers’ behaviour.”
PUT IT ON THE SCREEN Large video screens have been present at major sporting venues for a while now, but some premium products,
(Below) Q App is already widely used in the hospitality industry and is making inroads into the sports sector
The control room at Twickenham – a venue which recently spent £75m upgrading its facilities
While having a main screen inside the stadium remains the standard, game-time broadcasting is becoming available throughout venues
including high definition (HD) solutions have remained out of reach for many small and medium-sized venues until recently. The rapid advances made in HD technology over the past five years however, means that the price of installation of stadium-wide HD experiences – including large and super-sized LED stadium screens – have decreased significantly. While having one or two large, “main”
screens inside the stadium remains the standard, stadia are increasingly looking to make game-time broadcasting available everywhere in the stadium. With a fully internet-based (IP) network, designed to stream high volumes of media at once, it’s now possible to make HD video available on hundreds of digital displays throughout the stadium, creating a more immersive experience for all. This means that replays or alternate camera angles are no longer confided to the one main screen (or scoreboard), but can be shown on TV displays throughout the stands, press area, premium clubs and on the concourses to entertain fans queuing for refreshments. An example of
a stadium which is investing heavily in such systems is Twickenham in
40 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital
London, UK – the home of rugby and main venue for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The stadium’s owner, the Rugby Football Union, decided to invest £75m in upgrading the venue, with a large chunk spent on a comprehensive technical upgrade, transforming an iconic rugby stadium into one of the most technologically advanced arenas. Working with consultants Sports
Revolution, the RFU decided on a 1km-long, mid-tier ribbon LED system, stretching around the circumference of the bowl. While becoming a standard in the US, the system is the first of its kind in Europe and is used to increase fan engagement by simple yet effective messaging that can be changed and edited in real time. Elsewhere, the King Power stadium,
home of Leicester City FC (LCFC), boasts some of the highest resolution screens in UK football. The club partnered with digital specialist ADI to install two Virtuality v8 30sq m screens as part of a comprehensive matchday broadcast solution. LCFC has also invested in its in-house media department and is able to create and manage content and programming independently. So while the techonological advances
have revolutionised the at-home experience of sport and entertainment, venues are fighting back with their own solutions for fan engagement. It could be only a matter of time before the balance is tipped back in favour of the live in- game experience.
Issue 4 2013 © cybertrek 2013
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