WaitTime Expands Internationally With Trial At Melbourne Cricket Ground

With a capacity of more than 100,000, the Melbourne Cricket Ground can hold a lot of people for a cricket match, Australian football game or concert. That many people almost always means long lines for food and restrooms — but perhaps not for long.

On Friday, the Melbourne Cricket Club announced a new partnership with WaitTime, a company that helps sports venues track and hopefully shorten the length of lines for concessions and bathrooms. The trial run will be WaitTime‘s first deal made internationally.

New sensors will be installed at MCG takeaway outlets, as part of a trial to track the length of queues and direct crowds to shortest lines. pic.twitter.com/UCCI7RMKRG

— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) July 30, 2017

WaitTime uses a network of sensors and displays powered by artificial intelligence that detect and communicate which concession areas, merchandise stands and restrooms have short or long lines. The system also informs stadium operations executives of crowd movement and other points of information. Fans can catch a glimpse of wait times via the concourse monitors or by checking the mobile app for the venue or the team that plays there.

Melbourne Cricket Ground and other large venues, such as football stadiums in the United States, are especially prone to long lines to get in the stadium and then use its different amenities.

“Queue times are a major challenge for large venues such as the MCG — when you have thousands of people trying to place an order at peak times, you are always going to have some level of delay,” Melbourne Cricket Club CEO Stuart Fox said in a statement.

“This system will not only help to inform MCG patrons about the expected wait time, but also show and direct them to other nearby outlets that they may not have previously considered, and which may result in a quicker service experience.”

Installation of the WaitTime system is underway, according to the announcement, and will focus at first on the ground floor and basement public areas of two areas of MCG. In the United States, WaitTime “broke ground” at the Palace at Auburn Hills, the home arena of the Detroit Pistons, since 2016. Last year, WaitTime was also installed throughout the Indiana Pacers’ Bankers Life Fieldhouse. In March, the company partnered with the Jordan Avakian Group, co-founded by Michael Jordan’s oldest son Jeffrey Jordan.

Now, with a couple of U.S. venues in tow, WaitTime will reach Down Under, where there is a significant fan base for Australian Rules Football and cricket. MCG has also hosted a number of major world events such as the Olympics, visits by international leaders and diplomats, and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, according to its website.

“As an incredibly forward-thinking venue, dedicated to creating amazing experiences for their patrons, MCG is the perfect partner for WaitTime as we debut our technology in the southern hemisphere,” WaitTime CEO Zachary Klima said in a statement.