The Royal Television Society held a talk on Stadium Management and Technology with the premise of "using technology to enhance the fans' match-day experience and learning how stadium managers 'monetize' those fans," according to SPORT TECHIE. Not so long back, the "only technology in grounds was a crackly public address system and a scoreboard." But "other demands on fans' wallets and a better live and catch-up TV experience have meant that clubs have had to adapt to survive." It is down to League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion Production Manager Tim Dudding to drive fan engagement and deliver on the club's mission of "making the match-day experience the best it can possibly be, regardless of the match." No easy task, "as football fans are a notoriously demanding lot." Dudding said, "In the early days, I remember when all the screens went black. I was treated to 30,000 people chanting, 'We want our telly back.' Now that's pressure." Things "have moved on a lot since those (literally) dark days." It is increasingly about the personalized fan experience, "driven by the smartphone and enabled by a high-density WiFi network." Dudding: "Over a third of our fans are using our peer-to-peer network, our Seagulls app, for exclusive interviews, commentary and video match highlights." Dudding was "quick to add a caveat." He said, "Technology needs to augment rather than alter the fan experience." Infrastructure firm Huawei Technologies' Ian Rose "pointed out a key cultural difference between U.S. and U.K. fans." Rose: "In the U.S., fans make a day of the sports event -- from the tailgate party to the game itself -- giving clubs plenty of opportunity to engage with them. In the U.K., fans usually arrive half an hour before the game, have a quick pint and then rush to the exit at the final whistle." Changing this "mindset will be central to extending the match-day experience" (SPORT TECHIE, 1/27).
