First Direct Arena connectivity smooth sail

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Lauren Tones always wears a smile on her face. A person with a very jovial nature she is the UK Partnerships Director at the leading venue management company ASM Global.

Tones work with a lot of venues in the United Kingdom – the 21,000-capacity AO Arena in Manchester, the 13,781-capacity First Direct Arena in Leeds and the 12,500-capacity OVO Arena in Wembley.

Lauren Tones, Partnerships Director, ASM Global, UK, shares great insights with ‘Coliseum’ on the importance of digital connectivity and why it is a game-changer in the sports and entertainment world. She also presents a case study on a real-life digital connectivity at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England (UK). She further informs that “fan engagement is absolutely on the top of the agenda at ASM Global” and also talks about how the fan experience is paramount and an enthralling spectator in-venue experience also opens up new revenue opportunities and a strong connectivity value-add to a venue.
 

ASM Global

Los Angeles (US)-based ASM Global is the world’s leading venue management company and producer of live event experiences. With over 400+ premier venues spanning worldwide they operate and invest in the world’s most important stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theaters including the entertainment districts and mixed-use developments.

Lauren Tones began by stating that she specializes in the activation of partnerships and developing them “and that’s how I started working with the Boldyn Networks because we are working on increasing connectivity in our venues in the United Kingdom and Europe”.
 

Boldyn Networks

London (UK)-based the Boldyn Networks delivers the advanced shared network infrastructures needed for a smart, inclusive and sustainable future. At Boldyn Networks they unlock the power of an interconnected future. Building shared communications infrastructure that enables new possibilities for connected transit, venues, enterprise, next-generation networks, and Smart Cities.

Visitors to the venues today expect faster, more reliable connectivity and the venue owners/operators will have to go with the tide and invest in their network or risk falling behind.

As Tones averred, “Digital connectivity is absolutely fundamental to our venues for a great connectivity, business objectives and customer experience. A robust connection is what the fans expect when they walk into the venue. Secondly, it allows us to operate more efficiently and thirdly kind of unlocks new revenue streams especially around food and beverage (F&B). And then finally it helps us to be more sustainable.”
 

Case Study (First Direct Arena)

 

First Direct Arena

The 13,781-capacity First Direct Arena is an entertainment-focused indoor arena located in the Arena Quarter of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England (UK). It is the first in the United Kingdom to have a fan-shaped orientation. The arena officially opened on September 4^th, 2013.

The Boldyn Networks and the ASM Global project at the First Direct Arena led to the creation of the first 5G neutral host arena in the United Kingdom.

Neutral host is a way of bringing in mobile connectivity with one set of infrastructure instead of having to have four sets for each individual mobile network operator. The one infrastructure that can be shared by the entire major mobile network operators and regardless of what network the guests are on they will still be assured of great connectivity and having one set means one footprint for one set of equipment so it is less space, less intrusive and, of course, it is less power because it is just one piece of equipment power up.

She further asserted that the fans need a seamless and frictionless experience to get into the venue and this is where good connectivity comes in handy – “A sturdy connectivity plays a massive role in operational aspects and operational efficiency. It allowed us to start to explore ways to get real-time data by using the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors which is beneficial when I am talking about waste management. In terms of security we don’t need to use talk radios all the time. We can actually use more mobile phones and send videos and send pictures to the teams deployed in all parts of the First Direct Arena which results in greater efficiency.”

Tones further explained that sturdy network in a venue shows the intention on the part of the venue operator/owner to grow and develop the customer experience – “The First Direct Arena is a fantastic venue and the acoustics is fantastic. But the mobile signal part was poor. So, a neutral host really solved a lot of problems for us and operationally it is kind of a really big game changer for us.”

She showered effusive praise on the team of Boldyn Networks and stated, “We did not have to cancel any shows or annoy any of the artistes which are a massive win in our world. Working with the team of Boldyn Networks was a breeze.”

The new 5G multi carrier wireless network in the First Direct Arena is a shot in the arm to the guest experience and also benefits venue operations and logistics.
 

Wrap-up

Lauren Tones ended by emphasizing, “The right digital infrastructure connectivity helps. We have few new venues in the pipeline but we don’t know what the world is going to look like in two-three years time from now. What is going to be the latest trends in technology we just don’t know so we have to make sure that the infrastructure is there to be able to support all of these ideas that are going to come down the pipeline in few years time.”

“And last but not the least, food and beverage (F&B) is a huge focus at ASM Global and speed of service is massive for us and this is what the fans desire. After all, it is all about enhancing the customer experience.”

The Boldyn Networks-ASM Global initiative – the neutral host network model at the First Direct Arena help the visitors to stay connected and benefit from more interactive, digitally enabled facilities and services. From enhancing the ticketing processes, enabling more efficient entry for the visitors, and navigating around the venue, to speeding up the browsing and ordering from the range of food and beverage options, the fast, reliable mobile network will streamline operations and commercial activity within the venue.

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