Cardiff Blues have today unveiled state-of-the-art iBeacon technology at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park ready for the start of the 2016-17 season.
In their quest to offer an enhanced fan experience the marketing team at Wales’ Capital Region turned to Newport-based iBeacon manufacturer GCell to supply and install a network of solar powered iBeacon.
These small iBeacon devices emit a Bluetooth signal that can be received by fans with the Cardiff Blues app installed on their smartphone.
When a fan comes into range of the iBeacon they can receive a notification relevant to their location and time at the stadium.
Cardiff Blues Commercial Director, and Former Wales International, Rhys Williams said: “Cardiff Blues are in the entertainment business and that not only means good performances on the pitch, but also offering content-rich experiences off the pitch too.”
“Social media and smartphones have become an increasingly important way to communicate and engage with our fans. Our new match-day app and introduction of iBeacon means we can capitalise on this infrastructure as part of our match-day experience.”
Initially, the network of iBeacon at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park will be used to deliver welcome messages to fans as they arrive at the ground, discount coupons at the club store and reminders to vote for the fans man of the match.
Barry Jenkins of GCell commented “We piloted iBeacon with a small group of Cardiff Blues fans at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park during the fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons in April. We are delighted that it works well in this arena.”
The adoption of iBeacon in the US has been a big hit, as Jenkins explains: “The installation of iBeacon technology has become standard at Major League Baseball (93%) and NFL (75%) stadiums. Teams that have deployed iBeacon and proximity technologies have seen a return on investment (ROI) as big as 40x from incremental merchant revenues alone within one season.”
Williams added: “Like any business we’re interested in better understanding our fans on metrics such as how frequently a fan attends a game. iBeacon and the Cardiff Blues match-day app is the perfect vehicle to measure and reward fans with loyalty.”
The Cardiff Blues match-day app can be downloaded free of charge from the Appstore and Google Play.
About GCell
GCell is the brand leader in the design, manufacture and introduction of disruptive technologies for use in portable consumer electronics, wireless sensing and autonomous beaconing devices.
GCell is making disposable batteries obsolete with the use of energy harvesting, ultra-low power electronics and hybrid energy solutions. GCell’s commitment to innovation in autonomous ambient intelligence gives users the freedom to disconnect from mains power and not be restricted by the limitations of batteries.