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Fan Activation

There are many aspects to fan activations and becoming innovative with unique ideas. According to an article by Blair Hughes, Cricket Australia have a ‘fan first approach’ (2019) to fan engagement.

Some examples of how Cricket Australia are catering to their fans at the Gabba Stadium in Brisbane involve:

Free public transport to and from the stadium

Pre-Zone fan

Security

‘Matchday’ app

‘MegaFan’ app

Some of their fan activations include trivia questions on the screens, Colour Crew who do face painting, and they also have a Pool Deck which can hold up to 140 fans at a time. This deck includes a free tropical towel and wristband, and a pool that they are able to use to cool off in and enjoy while watching the cricket game. 

This not only means that fans can enjoy the cricket in a pool, but friends of those fans are more likely to come and be involved in the day whether they like cricket or not.

Pool Deck at the Gabba Stadium (2017)

Tradeable Bits created a detailed fan activation checklist which can assist in the fan experience of an event. Below, the first four points have been discussed in detail (https://tradablebits.com/blog/the-fan-activation-checklist-5-things-to-consider)

1. Listen to your fans and analyze the market Event management must be able to capture the attention of their fans, as well as keeping the activation relevant. Social media can assist managers in understanding what the fans would like to see. They can use polls, simple questions, and even providing an email address for fans to send in their opinions.

2. Be innovative Being innovative means to create an idea that is original, such as Etihad Stadium in Melbourne's CBD who then became Marvel Stadium through a partnership with The Walt Disney Company. Staff are seen to be roaming around the stadium dressed up as the comic characters ‘Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and Captain America’ (The Guardian, 2018).

3. Use corporate sponsorships to diversify your content Allowing sponsors to become involved in activations allows for more diversity. Such as when Milo became a significant partner with Cricket Australia. Through this partnership, they created bucket hats, plastic bats, drink bottles and even the program Milo In2Cricket. 

4. Trigger emotions Such as the above activation with Milo and Cricket Australia, it allows parents to feel as though their child will have a great time in the program. And the yellow colour gives off a sense of happiness, joy and positivity. Yellow and green are also Australian colours which makes participants feel as though they are connected to their country and feeling proud of being involved.  Another way that activations can trigger emotions is through meet and greets with their favourite athletes and teams. This allows them an opportunity to take photos with them and get to know them rather than just seeing them from a distance on the field and in the media.

Milo Cricket (2015)

Guardian Sport. (2018). Marvel-lous idea? Etihad stadium renamed after walt disney deal. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/may/24/marvel-ous-entertainment-etihad-stadium-re-named-after-walt-disney-deal.

Pool Deck at the Gabba Stadium [Photograph]. (2017). https://thegabba.com.au/TheVenue/Latest-News/Cricket-Australia-announces-return-of-pool-deck-at.aspx. 

Hughes, B. (2019). Putting fan engagement to the test. Australian Leisure Management 132(N/A). 50, 52. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy.holmesglen.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.531809337496873. 

Milo Cricket [Photograph]. (2015). https://www.saca.com.au/news/come-and-try-milo-in2cricket/2015-10-07. 

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eSport events

Esports are electronic sports in the form of video games. The industry can be seen to growing as there has been a ‘growth’ over recent years where people have enjoyed watching ‘others play video games’ (Norgaard, 2019, p.56).

In 2016, the esports industry ‘saw revenues of almost $500 million - up 51%’ (Michael, 2017) from 2015. As this shows the industry is growing, the running of events is becoming more important because the fans are wanting more from their experience. Management also needs to monitor the athletes so that everyone is being fair and creating a positive name for the competition. 

There are four main categories for esport competitions and their popular games which are:

PvP: Mortal Kombat

RTS (real time strategy): WarCraft

FPS (first person shooter): Call of Duty

MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena): League of Legends

During the year of 2021, there are many esporting events that are being hosted. These range from the 2021 FIFAe Club World Cup which is a sporting game, to Blast Premier Spring Showdown which is a shooting/action game. The range of games and competitions avaiable means that managment must understand that the fans will be expecting different things in terms of set up and the running of the event. As well as how the scores are calculated and displayed as every game has a different set of rules.

Esport tournament in Stockholm (Helena Kristiansson, 2017)

Sponsorship is an important area for sport, including esport. Some examples of some of these sponsorships are:

Alliance (Swedish esports organisation) with Razer which is a product brand that caters to those wanting chairs, keyboards, and other accessories. 

French organisation Team Vitality is partnered with Renault Group

There are many jobs involved in esports, such as: 

Event manager 

Professional player 

Coach 

Journalist 

Marketing 

Product manager 

Admin/referee 

Broadcasting 

Game development 

Anti-Doping Volunteering

More jobs can be found on the British esports Association (https://britishesports.org/news/getting-a-career-in-esports-what-you-need-to-know-how-to-get-started/) where they also discuss how you can become involved in the sport. 

Honor of Kings World Championship Cup (N/A)

To prepare for an esports tournament, management must have all the equipment necessary for the athletes to compete with limited to no issues. Some important equipment to consider is: 

Gaming monitors 

Consoles

Webcam

Mouse 

Mouse Pad 

Keyboard 

Headset 

Seats 

Speakers  

Big screen/s for fans 

Lighting

Honor of Kinds World Championship Cup [Photograph]. (N/A). https://clutchpoints.com/5-biggest-esports-tournaments/. 

Kristiansson, H. (2017). Esport tournament in Stockholm[Photograph]. Joseph Michael. https://medium.com/@josephstockholm/the-e-sport-industry-in-stockholm-d5cf04784946. 

Michael, J. (2017. March 16). The esport industry in Stockholm. https://medium.com/@josephstockholm/the-e-sport-industry-in-stockholm-d5cf04784946.

Norgaard, S. (2019, August). A sporting chance. Connected House. 56-58. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy.holmesglen.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.791068499117806. 

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Fan experience, media, and enhancement of the venue

Fan Experience Venues such as the Mercedes Benz understand the importance of fan experience and wanted to provide a stadium with new opportunities. When designing the stadium, they included a ‘halo board’ (Design Build Network, 2017) 360-degree LED screen around the top of the stadium so fans could see information no matter where they were seated. This feature accommodates to all fans, whether they want to stay updated with statistics or just want to enjoy the facility and what it has to offer.

There are many other ways that a venue can enhance customer satisfaction. They can hold giveaways, special guests roaming the facility, half-time entertainment, and pre and post-game activities. The Eden Park Stadium in New Zealand offers experiences such as a rooftop tour, glamping, golf course, and even a zipline. 

(Inside of Mercedes Benze stadium, 2017)

Media There are many types of media that can be utilised to create experiences for fans, such as:

Print: Stadiums are able to partner with local and state-wide newspapers to promote games and results. This allows local photographers to have their photos of the athletes be seen by communities and gain exposure. It also allows for fans to stay updated and look back at the results. 

Broadcast: TV shows and radio hosts are able to promote stadiums and incentives to attending a game at that particular venue.    EXAMPLE: The Mercedes Benz stadium will be handing out a free drink bottle     to every participant who can find the hidden stand somewhere on the west           side of level 2 within the stadium.    Fans are also able to ‘access the content at their leisure [and] set instant notifications for messages sent by selected sources’ (Wakefield & Bennett, 2018, p.149) throughout and after the game.

Internet: Stadiums, teams, and public figures are able to promote themselves and upcoming games through their social media channels and websites. This allows them to gain exposure and their fans can interact with their posts and ‘gauge public opinion’ (Schweidel & Moe, 2014, p.387) on ideas around the venue.

Enhancement The definition of enhancements is to increase or improve in quality or value and the Mercedes Benz Stadium has done so through these features:

Roughly 2,000 wireless access points throughout the facility

2500+ television displays

Stadium phone app

The Stadium roof opens in roughly 8 quick minutes

Eden Park is a close competition with its features which include:

Composting

LED lighting

Water restrictions

Local artwork around the ground such as Tekoteko

Venues need to enhance their facilities to create a healthy competition with others in the area, and even globally. Mercedes Benz and Eden Park Stadium in New Zealand are ahead of the game with creating fascinating venues that cater to different types of fans.

Design Build Network. (2017). Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia. https://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/mercedes-benz-stadium-atlanta-georgia/#:~:text=The%20interior%20of%20the%20Mercedes,and%20a%20100%2Dyard%20bar.

Inside of Mercedes Benze stadium [Photograph]. (2017). http://www.archmarathon.com/en/mercedes-benz-stadium/. 

Schweidel, D, Moe, W. (2014). Listening in on social media: a joint model of sentiment and venue format choice. Journal of Marketing Research, 1(N/A). 387-402. https://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=7179f358-2220-46da-b970-de4e334376d3%40pdc-v-sessmgr02. 

Wakefield, L, Bennett, G. (2018). Sports fan experience: Electronic word-of-mouth in ephemeral social media. Sport Management Review, 21(2). 147-159. https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/277345/1-s2.0-S1441352318X00023/1-s2.0-S144135231730044X/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEK7%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIQCipG46K0%2B8U6wJLpYQEeeJB5qcvUQ4XkUkQ03rUkaO7AIgbcOA2OVmDKXZMqNbpMom%2FYR7eI%2Fd9n5GThO0CVWTgHUqtAMINxADGgwwNTkwMDM1NDY4NjUiDIHZ2kILjegSkCqIpSqRA23jnW8koR3Cuw359hN2JG9OG6%2FEt8lleVBJrsYyZyTLTCiJzfuv4p1YbacTK4TCInUEL6sf%2FFlce%2BTTBZTj1TtARjU%2F6Xr2rrjYvCV2TKKRDoGwUH3CkjPqA%2FfJ9y9o72N38TwPKiTdnGa7pmb%2Fe%2FlkILySC3Ds13Vu2Y8dRwiVDlSuo%2BmnGtjW5YPc6Mzo884BSqNdjvrBNIgMeypDBCLPQcuMdiLQXMneK1JrORwvIJTT2xlaKKP%2BWwxlQ5cplQ4xFRKO6ZShBEKCgrqNEEcPYMgA3UwxaOWym3XkGRYZn98TtOy%2BrJ%2FhjUoX3LS7zy86gJMm0eNJbLNjO%2FxjF6Kf%2FHu9Ais0DNJs5Hgk20S6ExLt8FjHQJW9EwmnY7OqeqcVCQ4AnfIrAzmvFMJGIFYbuU%2BK4ITb%2FaICYu%2BS75F7IjLB5qHYYDzuw0MpilattxLHzZhBOvrgyjJxD22cPiS0yrL86roKWcPt4lIIGF8egJ%2FPZamzQVxsQM38SLK0xFuq1JoXdYVXodE6LtbgiOxcMKrL0YQGOusBY%2FKKdT9Zhtc%2FYVqcQv8fSi9PjhtzpJCJD%2F7j5pIJarvwJFkKACldAK0P3YnLditfpEvzrXqcGlfSvRKSMN9fHALYeFJfUGZ29cG0fihiADScT8JisWJ8bYb6UWJlads267r6dNe9k2jAENq32uShkTXEL8o813CNBUUl4BHF3Kdb%2ByIbOtu9PdEduKqC5V9V1PH77cGxQ5pllk26l%2B%2F9LkgFolPIG00Z29iu5o8qnUxM8ILSxkN1o1nQGaETMHqR%2BqpbTy8MgrfhdLkqIrduqtkxoibcU3oB0R70xDSpfDaRPXA6HNffcQnvMw%3D%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20210506T220234Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQ3PHCVTYWPN4X3H3%2F20210506%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=762818b75c141c7fce9dc4ef622d78f6ed946750905944bb229675a407d1eb48&hash=e36f07f24a2baa2771c3c5e83c5e8a81c46c332e9b08a063a98cca58ee558717&host=68042c943591013ac2b2430a89b270f6af2c76d8dfd086a07176afe7c76c2c61&pii=S144135231730044X&tid=spdf-e08a3853-9f59-426a-af04-4b3af04e7584&sid=ea05fdea8942304ce158c0a8c5c77a4a5795gxrqa&type=client.  

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Sustainability Practices

(5 Best Practices of Green Venues, 2016)

Venues and stadiums consume quite a bit of energy as it is, such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) who on average ‘[consume] around 1.6 million kWh of electricity’ (MCG, 2018) during the month of September in 2017. 

Venues must be able to understand the importance of sustainability and be able to balance it with fan satisfaction. Sustainability is important to the future of sport and communities because the more sustainable they can be, the more they are contributing to a healthy environment with less pollution. Methods such as recycled water, renewable energy and even sorting waste appropriately can save money and contribute to a better environment. 

The MCG ‘recycles 83 percent of waste generated’ throughout the stadium and has ‘reduced’ their ‘annual carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent’ (MCG, 2018). They realised that something needed to be done to help promote positive energy and a greener way of running an event. 

'Emerging technology is having an all-encompassing impact on stadium design’ which means that venues are able to become ‘more sustainable’. Technology that can assist in sustainability can include light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and renewable energy such as solar panels and water recycling. 

Sporting stadiums such as Eden Park in New Zealand are a great example of sustainability. Eden Park uses recycled water for the field, environmentally friendly cutlery and packaging, gardens, and beehives around the facility, and even has a group who go through and sort the rubbish into groups. They also changed all their globes to LED lighting to reduce the cost in the long run.

Some ideas to reduce energy consumption from the website evntACT (https://evntact.com/how-to-optimize-energy-consumption-for-indoor-events/)  include:

- Energy-efficient equipment - Financial incentives or penalties relating to energy consumption - Conduct a ‘Switch Off’ campaign

These ideas help to monitor and and ‘analyse usage patterns’ (EvntACT, 2018) for future events.

(Switch Off, 2019)

Sporting venues must take sustainable practice into consideration for the future of not only the event but local communities as well. It is unfortunately easy for management and architecture to forget the importance of the environment when there is a major stadium or event to be held. 

5 best practices of green venues. [Image]. (2016). https://ungerboeck.com/resources/best-practices-of-green-venues.

EvntACT. (2018). How to optimise energy consumption for indoor events. https://evntact.com/how-to-optimize-energy-consumption-for-indoor-events/. 

MCG. (2018). Home of sport is (carbon) neutral territory for September. https://www.mcg.org.au/whats-on/latest-news/2018/september/mcg-goes-carbon-neutral#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20MCG%20precinct,the%20EnergyAustralia%20carbon%20neutral%20movement.

Sherlock, G. (2013). The intelligent venue. Australian Leisure Management, (N/A)98. 44, 46-47.

Switch Off. [Image]. 2019. https://www.goto.energy/switchitoff-seven-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-at-home-136.php.