Airspace’s founder and CEO Ian Malone gives his take on NFL’s use of beacon technology at Super Bowl XLIX and how it can transform the events industry.

“The NFL’s use of beacon technology during the Super Bowl XLIX in New York’s Times Square and across The Met Stadium is just another great example from the States of how proximity engagement networks can transform the viewing experience of major sporting events – and any event for that matter.  

Those lucky enough to be watching the game would have received helpful tips from the venue, like which concessions queues were the shortest or which exit was closest, as well receiving targeted promotions and special offers. I would also be very interested to hear how the NFL maximised the fan engagement during downtime between plays because the possibilities are endless. 

What makes proximity engagement networks so effective at events like the Super Bowl, is the fact that the benefits really are two-way and both the venue and the sports fans get something valuable out of the whole experience. The venue is able to analyse a substantial amount of data acquired through those customers using the app and can in turn use this data to create a more personalised and enjoyable experience. 

Looking to the future, the NFL’s use of proximity engagement tools is a sign of things to come.  The ways in which organisers engage with event attendees is a great use for proximity engagement tools and we are already beginning to see this gain real momentum in the UK.  Sky Bet, for example, began trialling beacon technology at Leeds United and Rotherham United’s football stadiums to better engage with football fans towards the end of last year. Over the next year or so we are going to see many more UK sports and entertainment venues begin trailing this technology – and this is very exciting indeed.”

 

Airspace (previously Geemo) is a proximity engagement specialist whose suite of solutions help marketers, brands, retailers and event organisers to better understand their customers and deliver exceptional customer engagement.