I just returned from one of the most spectacular conferences I’ve had the pleasure to attend as part of the concept3D team.
IAVM’s Arena Management Conference in Tampa, Florida brought together not only the industry’s top players, but also provided the opportunity to interact with many of the vendors and platforms that are driving the arena management industry in the digital age.
A big thank you to IAVM and all of the people who welcomed us to Tampa and showed us some of the premier venues and entertainment facilities Tampa has to offer.
Perhaps the best experience for me was furthering my understanding of how an arena works and how our solutions can help create a lasting impression on visitors. Whether publicly funded or owned by a state or county, it was enlightening to hear about the challenges of day-to-day ops and how they are handled, and to hear about the innovation that’s helping arena professionals move forward.
People were very receptive to our atlas3D platform, designed to create immersive experiences for guests, help improve arena workflows between the owner and the management company, and ultimately to improve the guest and customer experience.
But we also learned more about where atlas3D needs to go to better support arena management professionals, and we’re excited to be taking atlas3D in that direction.
Here are a few of my top takeaways from AMC 2016:
Compatibility is Key
At the AMC conference, there was a massive video wall. It captivated us! We must have talked about it for 20 minutes straight. As a technology vendor with the ability to reach guests on desktops, mobile, kiosks and big screens alike, it’s clear that any technology must “play nice” with existing technologies. What’s more, unless they can prove big value, small niche technologies are going to be challenged. After learning about the companies and offerings at the AMC, I believe what makes atlas3D stand out is that it’s an all-encompassing tool that can be used to engage, inform and delight your arena visitors..
The Digital Details Matter
Arena management and promotions companies are looking for ways to expand the micro side of the business online. This is already happening to some degree with online ticketing but can be taken further so a digital experience can include merchandising and vendor sales, upsells, and other opportunities. atlas3D looks beyond the seat map to the entire arena experience. Things like finding concession stands and restrooms are top-of-mind for guests and our platform not only makes things easier but can also be fun
It’s All About Immersive Media
Stagnant digital experiences and maps are out! People want to be in the moment. They want AR and VR. And arena professionals want this, too, because it creates huge new opportunities to engage customers before, during and after events. But the technology needs to offer seamless integration with other vendors – whether they are on site or just serving up media – to create an engaging and memorable experience.
No Wi-Fi?
This concert is great…sure wish I could Snapchat right now…
The simple fact is that Wi-Fi is not optional. Sure, it can be a big cost. But having thousands of people sharing images, videos and links to your media is a lot of free PR that you can’t afford to lose. And, Wi-Fi can be used to offer guests an augmented app that allows them to view players and their stats, order food and drinks and have them delivered right to their seat. Maybe even send a push notification on their way out the door offering a discount on an upcoming event!
atlas3D and Arena Management Technology – The Future
atlas3D was built to help the arena management industry take advantage of many of these technology trends, and tie them together to create a powerful and immersive digital experience. It will be fun. It will be helpful. And it will be invaluable to venues, event professionals and guests.
I highly recommend checking out the IAVM website and learning about AMC and the organization’s other events throughout the year.
Thanks again for welcoming us into your industry- we can’t wait to come back next year!
Interested in learning more about atlas3D? Contact us here.
