We want to remove the barriers and limitations of physical space — whether it be retail, hospitals, sporting arenas or other venues. Through digitalization, we can revolutionize how companies interact with consumers, patrons, patients, and fans in physical locations and online to allow them to create new blended experiences.
Creating exceptional experiences in a venue requires frictionless interactions. The New Yorker described frictionless technology as so “beautifully designed that using it is intuitive, and it evokes a fantasy in which all inefficiencies, annoyances, and grievances have been smoothed out of existence”.
A common example is when paying for your groceries instantly with your smartphone, rather than having to enter your credit card and pin number. In many cases this will mean creating an omnichannel experience, where regardless of how your customer or patron interacts with your organization, you’re able to know where they are in their own journey, and provide the intuitive next step.
Think of when switching from watching Netflix on your laptop on the train, to your home TV – Netflix picks up exactly where you left off.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – these were the words of author, Arthur C. Clarke.
And you’re going to need digital magic to encourage participation and to generate long-term memories. Great examples have often involved the latest in extended reality.
For example, Royal Caribbean cruise ships have made it possible for passengers to “look through walls” and see what the captain is up to on the ship’s bridge. You simply point your phone at a special place on a wall, and up-pops a live stream.
Meanwhile Disney blends the physical and the digital at their theme parks. Visitors can use their cell phone while waiting to board Peter Pan’s flight ride at Disneyland, and Tinkerbell appears inside a lantern. Or you can interact with Droids to create a personal Star Wars experience.
Data is the pesto to your pasta. Without it, you simply can’t deliver the personalized moments that people want and expect. What does this mean in practice?
At its core, firstly, you need the ability to respond in real-time to issues. As you walk into an airport, your phone automatically provides you with a virtual map showing where your check-in desk is.
Secondly, you need the ability to provide recommendations based on peoples’ preferences. At the airport, this might mean suggesting a particular restaurant based on what someone typically likes to eat
And thirdly, the data collected by these systems can generate new insights and business opportunities. For example, by using data intelligently, it’s possible for brands to provide offers for products and services at the exact moment in time a customer will be most likely to make a purchase.
As the world returns gradually to normality, a key priority is how to hold in-person events again safely and securely. Technology will play a key role.
This may include checking Covid-19 vaccination or test certificates, to ensuring social distancing. But it also goes much beyond this. We can use the advances in technology to better manage events.
For example, reducing the environmental impact by improving traffic management in the areas around the venue at peak times. Venues can reduce their energy consumption by disabling lights and other equipment automatically.
A smart building with integrated systems can realize 30–50% [energy] savings in existing buildings that are otherwise inefficient
(energy saving)
Report: Smart Buildings: Using Smart Technology to Save Energy in Existing Buildings
We’re partnering with companies across industries to completely
reimagine the consumer experience and enhance their competitiveness
in this new digital era.
