Don Joos, the chief executive of US-based telecoms company ShoreTel, believes advances in digital technology have led to a much more personalised in-stadium experience for fans at sporting events.
ShoreTel has worked with NBA basketball franchise the Golden State Warriors, NFL American football team the Carolina Panthers and Major League Baseball outfit the Boston Red Sox on taking advantage of digital trends to improve the overall game-day experience for supporters.
In an interview with the CRN technology news website, Joos suggested that sports clubs have become increasingly aware of how much information they can gather, which has led to each fan been catered to individually.
“They (stadiums) can alert you and say, 'We know what you've done from a movement perspective, so I'll give you an alert when the lines are shorter at this particular concession stand.' Or 'Hey, we have a sale on merchandise that you seem to be looking at on a regular basis’,” he said. “Or 'We know where you like to sit and there's opening in seats in areas where you typically like to sit within the stadium. You may be interested that there's some availability right now even though you haven't bought tickets yet.' Ultimately, what they're doing is trying to get you to buy more.
“I don’t feel like I'm one of just the masses at a game anymore. That's what users are looking for as part of their experience; it's not just simply seeing a game.”
Joos predicts that stadium intelligence will continue to increase in the near future. “The overarching (theme) is that your presence is now recognised in the environment and it can now start to be tailored to you,” he said.
“We’re seeing more and more dynamic ways that that’s being used on almost a daily basis … Over a 10-year period, this fan experience is going to look drastically different just based on that single concept that we know you’re in the stadium.”
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