Smart Stadion

FortressGB/ UK is the global leader and BUYTEC AS is the Nordic leader in Customer Management Solutions for Stadiums and Entertainment Venues. Each Smart Stadium technology is designed to enable clients to take control of their own customer base and deliver an integrated suite of match-day services. Proven in over 112 Stadiums and Venues worldwide, Smart Stadium today powers the customer operations of many of the world's leading sports stadiums - bringing teams closer to their supporter base, boosting operational performance and increasing customer revenues.

Smart Stadium delivers this convergence through the integration and processing of touch point technology, such as a contactless smart card, and in doing so enables a stadium or venue to:

• Know who their customers are, what they are buying, and why & where they are buying.
• Deliver improved stadia related services - ticketing, access, hospitality, security, retail and facilitate ease of purchase, ease of access - and thereby deliver a unique world class match day experience.
• Get more interactive and personal with each customer.
• Build on customer transactions and revenues - boost sale of tickets, merchandise, beers and hotdogs.
• Add value to your sponsors and key partner relationships. Now a sponsor can create a direct link between his brand association and shop floor sales.

 

The intelligent customer management solution for stadiums & venues

Stored Value Touchpoint Technology

Smart Stadium technology is a powerful multi-application processing solution using Fortress touchpoint technology such as contactless smartcards and NFC mobile phones. It integrates with many of the industries leading ticketing, retail, hospitality, concession, CRM systems to create an integrated operating platform, where the card is your customer's primary means of interacting with the Sports Team & Venue. Fans can manage their accounts remotely online via a website or on their mobile phone to check that their card has been activated with tickets, to transfer tickets, review transactions, subscribe to new services, check their loyalty status and rewards, and to load funds to the card.

Modules & Functionality

The Fortress Smart Stadium solution is a web based modular enterprise level solution for customer and stadium management. Our touch point technology is designed with open links (API) to seamlessly integrate with all the traditional operational sub-systems one finds within a modern stadium - ticketing, turnstiles, EPOS, retail software, concession software, CRM software. The solution works in a standard, SQL, Windows, .Net environment, with all management operations controlled through our web-based inSite control panel.

Digital Ticketing & Access Control Module

A core Customer Access Control. This automates the ticket validation and access process for the fans. Often our work starts here simply because the ticket collection and stadium access process is the most public and sometimes frustrating element of the whole match day experience for fans.

Stadium Command & Control Module

Fast processing is just one of many features that Smart Stadium delivers. The solution provides the Stadium Operator with complete visibility and control over their stadium. Each entry is reported in real time. The stadium controller can see who is coming into the stadium and when, where they are coming in, where the queues are forming and which sections are filling up. He has a real time visual count of his stadium and the flow rates down to the turnstile level. He can regulate flows, open/close turnstiles; reallocate tickets to alternative turnstiles, and in real time. He can evacuate all or parts of his stadium, reset the system (in approximately 15 secs) and re-enter the fans using their same ticket. Our SAI module provides real time system diagnostics, showing the operational status of each component of the access control solution. Total control, security and visibility.

Yield Management - Advanced customer services

How do I build brand value - this is the strategic question being asked in the board rooms of many Sports and Entertainment enterprises. In a world where ticket prices, sponsorship and broadcast revenues are under increasing pressure, the answer to building brand value has sharply focused on the customer / fan base. How do you get the customer to come more often, stay longer and spend more money whilst they are here? How do I turn the unknown customer into a known customer with the aim of increasing occupancy and maximising fan base revenues?
Teams to "IDENTIFY, build INSIGHT, INTERACT and TRANSACT" with their customer base. The Fortress smartcard/NFC processing platform is a highly successful tool for delivering this vision.

Card Management Module

The yield management strategy starts with the Fan Card Concept. In some Sports Teams this is based around a membership scheme. Fans are encouraged to become a cardholder of the Sports Team . In return for their data they are given (and in most cases purchase) a Team Card (Fortress Smartcard) - their Team membership card. The benefits attributed to being a cardholder vary from team to team (venue to venue), but often include priority to buy, priority to upgrade, enrolment in loyalty schemes, enrolment in rewards schemes - such as "Club Cash", access to special events etc. On a pure functional level the member can now purchase tickets, transfer a ticket and access the stadium in a much simpler way. He no longer has to wait for paper tickets. He simply phones up, or goes online, purchases a ticket quoting his card number and his card is activated for that game. He arrives at the Stadium and walks in, using his card as his ticket - simple, easy and highly effective. In return the Sports Team has the benefit of building the database of their fans: One card per fan. One such case study would be, Manchester City FC (UK), their database grew in one season from 34,000 season ticket fans to 140,000 fans. Arsenal FC today has some 500,000 members across 10 or so membership tiers. Using this card holder data our clients have achieved increases in ticket sales and occupancy of over 30% across the season. The US Sports Teams such as Red Bulls are launching such schemes.

Data Analytics Module

Beyond the use of the card for access & ticketing, the Fortress processing platform and smart card are true multi-functional, multi-application devices that can communicate and transact with multiple sub-systems in and around the stadium.

Loyalty & Rewards Module

Armed with this data the Smart Stadium Loyalty & Rewards Module enables the Sports Team to reward the fan with Tier points and / or "Club Cash" or "Credits" each time they purchase. Tier Points is a points' based loyalty mechanism where different point values can be attributed to different transaction types. The more points the fan earns the greater his reward. Your tier level is often used to determine you priority to buy tickets. The Club Cash/Reward Concept is a loyalty scheme that delivers cashback (stored value) onto the fans card fan for every $£? spent with the Club. Cashback (stored value) is an effective way of rewarding the customer but keeping the spend within the Club.

Campaign Manager

It's all very well having the data - but how do you make the data work for you? This is traditionally where most CRM programmes are weak. The Fortress Campaign Manager is an application built into the Smart Stadium solution that enables the Sports Team to run real time interactive campaigns with their fans in the Stadium.

The Campaign Manager is a web-based application, easy to use, wizard driven interface that enables the Sports Team to build real time match day and non match day campaigns using the data stored within the Smart Stadium servers. CRM solutions traditionally focus on data capture and analysis. Campaign manager turns the focus back to driving real time interactions. No longer do you need large scale marketing teams trawling data and activating campaigns. The Campaign manager automates the process of customer management in a way that best optimises your relationship with the customer. The results can be staggering.

Cashless Payments

Each Fortress smart card carries the complete suite of applications including an e-Money application, and the Smart Stadium solution has an integrated "QuickPay" Module that enables the Stadium to run as a fully or partially cashless stadium.

Customer Portal

One of the most powerful features of the Fortress solution is the dedicated customer portal. This online service provides each Customer/Member/Card Holder/Fan with their own unique online space where they can view & manage their affairs with their Sports Team. A fan can go online, login and see their ticketing transactions, transfer a ticket, retail transactions, points/club cash total & their e-Money balance via the hosted customer portal (integrated into the Team's website). Not only can they view their history with the Club, but they can also use this single space to interact with the Club. Using their online account they have access to the following advanced services:

• Advanced ticketing Services - solve everyday problems by simply log-in on:
  • Want to check that your card is active and you seat details? - log-on and check which tickets they have available and that their card is active for the game.
  • Want to link your card with your family members and friends? - simply link cards together with friends and family and transfer tickets from card to card in a single click
  • Can't come to the game but want to transfer a ticket to your friend? - Transfer a ticket to a non-card holder by simply entering his email address. Once your guest has verified his acceptance of the transfer Smart Stadium will issue them with a unique A4 Print@Home ticket. The Sports Team keeps track of all ticket transfers and has a new customer in their database.
  • Left your card at home? simply request a A4 Print@Home ticket replacement and you card will be deactivated for that match and you can print a new ticket for the game from the comfort of your desk.
  • Want to resell your ticket? simply select the resell button and your ticket is offered for sale to other card holders. When they purchase your ticket, the purchase value is loaded to your card to spend in the stadium.
• Transaction View - check all your transactions, your money balance and your loyalty points. See how your loyalty was calculated.
• E-Money management - Check your current balance and review your transactions. Top-up your card with funds, set-up auto top up, assign a mobile number and pin code to enable top-up via SMS.
• Loyalty - check your tier point status and you loyalty points. See what offers and promotions are available to you today. Link in your Sponsors and Partners to add value to their relationship.
• Edit my details - update your details and preferences, so that the Sports Team can provide you with personalized and relevant offers and promotions.
• Link your Facebook and Twitter account to your card. Update your profile in real time when you enter the stadium.
• Opt in for additional services - match day team sheet, post match video downloads to your PC, iPhone or mobile, general new and information.