Even though it is off-season, it’s time for stadiums to make some upgrades in anticipation of the new season. To offer the best stadium experience, arenas need to stay at the cutting edge of technology. That means incorporating the latest advances in fan experience.
Need help staying ahead of the new stadium technology trends? Read on below to discover what trends are predicted to dominate smart stadium design in 2022 and beyond.
Managed WiFi for World Class Stadiums
A cutting-edge WiFi network serves as the backbone of any smart stadium experience. Fans have come to expect wireless internet connection at football and sports games. Wireless connection allows access to a whole suite of apps, social content, and more. Without reliable connectivity, many features that excite fans about smart stadiums can become tedious, frustrating chores.
Because stadium networks need to support tens of thousands of devices, maintaining stadium internet connectivity is no small task. Dedicated stadium WiFi management, like the solutions provided by our team at Hospitality Network, help keep stadiums online through the biggest games.
Several trends in smart stadium technology tie directly to network connectivity. High-bandwidth WiFi opens the doors to each of these opportunities, allowing for innovation.
Connected, Interactive Social Sharing
Fans love to boast their team pride and show off stadium experiences on social media. High-speed WiFi in stadiums allows fans to share their favorite memories in real-time. From exciting moments like game-winning plays to unexpected bonding amongst rival supporters, wireless connection gives fans every opportunity to go viral.
Smart stadiums can even leverage social media as a substantial part of their fan experience. By implementing hashtags and monitoring social activity, stadiums can track engaging social content from fans. Stadiums can then display hot posts on designated digital signage throughout the stadium. Top content can even make it to the main stadium display, letting the entire arena share the moment.
Well implemented social sharing keeps fans involved and gives them a hands-on way to control the stadium experience. Without internet connectivity, fans lose out on these community-building experiences.
Immersive Virtual Fan Experiences
Virtual experiences add another layer of engagement for all kinds of football fans. Through downloadable AR apps, stadium spectators can view the field with engaging information overlays. These fan experience apps offer a unique mixed reality experience.
Overlays can include in-depth game statistics, instant replays of contentious calls, and in-depth analysis to satisfy hardcore fans. Or, for more casual spectators, augmented reality can entertain by projecting more fantastical animations.
Instant Access to Stadium Concessions
In tight games, fans rarely want to leave their seats to get concessions. Online concession sales solve this problem and keep food revenue flowing throughout the game. By connecting to fan experience software like a website or app, ordering food and drinks online is a simple and painless process that helps prevent fans from missing any unforgettable gameplays.
Connected concession sales also help make it easier to analyze data. Online tracking lets stadium owners know when and what fans want to eat and drink at any point of the game, which can be leveraged to help optimize concessions offerings and increase ROI.
Contactless Stadium Experiences
Contactless stadium experiences have rapidly risen in both popularity and mainstream use. With advances in RFID and NFC technology, guests can now enter stadiums, pay for concessions, and interact with stadium experiences without touching a single part of the physical stadium.
In turn, contactless technology lets guests interact with stadiums on their own terms. Stadium surfaces may be touched by hundreds, sometimes thousands of spectators at every event. By integrating contactless access, guests who prefer to avoid those surfaces can — while more traditional guests can do things the old-fashioned way.
These experiences also allow for greater guest convenience. With holistic, contactless access to every aspect of the stadium, fans that choose contactless options won’t have to worry about carrying cash, credit cards, or paper tickets. Instead, they can access everything they need from their smart devices. Speaking of which…
Convenient, Comprehensive Wearable Devices
Wearable devices offer yet another alternative to traditional ticketing and concession technology. Through accessories like smartwatches, stadium guests can access all contactless experiences, including their tickets, wallet, and more.
These devices offer even further convenience compared to other smart devices, as they’re immediately accessible. Guests don’t even need to take a device out of their pocket; while only saving a few seconds, that time builds up across a guest’s experience to thoroughly streamline their process.
Harness Stadium Technology Trends with Hospitality Network
From efficient WiFi networks to advancements in biometric recognition, the football fan experience is rapidly evolving. As fans desire exciting new experiences, it’s up to stadiums to match expectations.
Hospitality Network can help. Our vast experience helps power IoT football stadium solutions across the United States. We proudly support the biggest games, wherever they are. Contact us today to learn more about our intuitive stadium solutions.
