Picture walking into a stadium where digital signage enhances every moment, providing real-time updates on player stats, event schedules, and amenities. This technology not only navigates fans through the excitement but also enriches their experience by providing engaging messages and making product purchasing easier.
Additionally, digital signage in stadiums provides crucial insights into spectator behaviour and preferences. By examining interaction trends and purchasing data based on actions and/or usage, these systems can refine future events and promotions, guaranteeing each match or concert is more exciting and responsive for the audience.
What Is Digital Stadium Signage?
Digital signage enhances both large and small venues, offering benefits beyond scale. In local stadiums and events, eye-catching displays and interactive kiosks can significantly improve the fan experience, adding a level of professionalism and engagement comparable to larger venues.
7 Ways to Engage With Fans Through Stadium Signage
Traditionally, digital signs are seen as information displays. But new technology allows stadiums to use electronic screens as a method to interact and engage with fans in an entirely new way.
Here is how we would use digital signage software to engage with fans.
Introduce Relevant Brands
Stadiums are perfect platforms for marketing. After all, how often do you get tens of thousands of people in the same room?
The Freeman Trust Report found that 77% of consumers say their trust in a brand increased following interactions at a live event, and 64% say the halo effects of the interaction lasted for at least a month. Given the stats, it is no surprise that so many brands are investing in live signage for stadiums.
Arenas in the UK have really run with the idea of in-game marketing on live billboards. Ricoh Arena in Coventry is a great example; by installing a massive digital screen that displays match statistics, this arena has created a new avenue to communicate with fans. When visitors engage with the signage, they also see adverts for Heineken, Twitter, and whichever brand has rented out space on the billboard.
Strategic partnerships not only engage with fans, but they also add a new (often lucrative) revenue stream to your budget.
Gather Data
Interactive kiosks in stadiums provide fans the opportunity to interact with a live display that enhances their experience. They can also provide stadium managers and event organisers with valuable data. Polls, questionnaires and feedback forms encourage fans to express their opinions, allowing stadiums to gather market research in a cost-effective and user-friendly way.
Once you have the data, you can act on customer feedback and make informed decisions for future events.
Invest in Sports Stadium Wayfinding
Interactive kiosks are ideal for digital wayfinding. Visitors can use interactive maps to find directions to seats, help desks, merchandise stands, and more.
With interactive kiosks, you can create catch-all digital maps that visitors can use to navigate and find directions. Sports stadium wayfinding can also be used as an effective crowd control method. Digital signage can be used to display messages that reduce crowds and ‘bottlenecks’, which are often a big safety concern in stadiums.
Streamline Purchases
Weโve all seen merchandise stands in stadiums; they are usually busy and disorganised. The crowd is enough to stop diehard fans from queuing for hoodies, cups, and other memorabilia.
Interactive kiosks are great for fans who want to buy their merchandise as soon as possible. Once the purchase is complete, they can take their receipt to the merchandise stall and collect their goods immediately. No stress, no fuss, and absolutely no long lines.
If interactive kiosks arenโt within your budget, you can simply upload digital menu boards to static screens.
Emphasise Safety
Emergency and safety signage, also known as crisis signage, is essential for the well-being of fans. Given that emergencies can happen at any time, well-placed digital signage in stadiums can proactively display urgent safety information to attendees and keep everyone moving safely.
In extreme situations, communication is the first thing to break down. Luckily, stadium signage can save the day. Digital signage is an effective way to communicate with thousands of people in a split second.
Digital signs have the added benefit of conveying real-time updates, directions, and information about the unfolding emergency. Effective arena digital signage encourages fans to stay calm and navigate the crisis in a clear frame of mind.
Increase Visibility
Of course, digital signs play a big role in visibility. You can install digital perimeter boards above a concert, comedy event, or sports game to make sure that no one misses the action.
Modern fans expect to see every second of the show, whether they are in the front row or the last row. By installing screens and uploading real-time footage, you’re making sure every fan sees all of the action.
Connect With Fans Outside the Event
Fans often miss moments when leaving their seats. Digital signage with live TV in bars and food stands keeps fans connected even when theyโre away from the action. To go a step further, you could even place signage outside the stadium. You can keep attendees updated, even when they are outside the stadium.
Of course, this type of digital sign is also ideal for promotional content for merchandise, external adverts that drive revenue, and sports stadium wayfinding information. Through our scheduling tool, you can automatically switch between live coverage of the event and promotional content during the breaks.
3 Ways Stadium Signage Benefits Internal Teams
Digital signage screens are great for communicating, so why not use them to strengthen your internal team?
Post the Daily Schedule
When a football game or concert is only hours away, itโs worth investing in an immediate communication tool that can clearly convey key information in seconds.
You can post the daily schedule on digital screens in break rooms and other staff-only areas to keep your employees up-to-date. Live TVs can also communicate time updates effectively, keeping schedules tight and organised.
Applaud Employees
Recognise and motivate employees by showcasing achievements, messages from managers, and motivational quotes on digital screens.
According to Deloitte, employee engagement, productivity, and performance are 14% higher in organisations with recognition programs than those without. Countless other studies have proven that a little recognition goes a long way.
Here are a few of the ways you can recognise employees.
- Upload a picture of the employee of the monthย
- Ask managers to upload a message for their teams
- Upload motivational quotes ahead of a big game or event
Alert Employees to Safety Concerns
In emergencies, instant communication is necessary for the safety of staff and fans. Internal signs can remind staff of safety protocols and provide real-time updates, ensuring everyone knows the next steps.
One study analysed 32 papers on communication in sudden-onset major incidents. 78.1% of the papers reported communication breakdowns, 56.3% highlighted inter-authority communication challenges, and 28.1% mentioned system overload.
In these situations, walkie-talkies just donโt cut it. To reinforce safety protocols, we encourage stadiums to invest in clear visual cues. Internal stadium signs can remind employees about their next steps, and also display real-time updates on the unfolding emergency.
TrouDigital: Improve the Fan Experience
Digital signage software is the all-in-one solution for savvy stadium managers. Create content quickly, connect to your favourite apps, and update all screens from one dashboard. No other product meets these needs so comprehensively, serving as a dynamic, appealing and effective communication channel for both employees and fans.
Request a demo to see what TrouDigital can do for your stadium, arena, or venue.
