As part of the Miami HEAT’s commitment to make the AmericanAirlines Arena the premier sports and entertainment venue in South Florida, a wide-spread and secure guest WiFi network has been introduced to enhance the customer experience.
In July 2017, Purple was expertly installed across over 350 access points throughout the AmericanAirlines Arena to help the HEAT elevate the fan experience and encourage return visits.
Matthew Jafarian, Vice President of Digital Strategy and Innovation for the Miami HEAT, said: “Fans want to see video replays and real time statistics, and they want to be able to share their experiences instantly with friends and family. We needed to introduce a WiFi network that could meet those expectations.”
Following a directive to make the Arena’s network “the best WiFi out there”, in early 2017, the Miami HEAT went through an RFP process that looked at WiFi gear providers. Jafarian said: “Purple has provided a platform that has helped us achieve our goal of elevating the fan experience. Not only do fans have easy access to the WiFi throughout the Arena, but with the customer data we are collecting, we are able to personalize our interaction with new and returning guests and send automatic updates and information based on specific demographic criteria.”
Jafarian continued: “Online ticket sales mean that we don’t have the ability to collect as much data as we’d like on our visitors. Whether that’s through one fan buying multiple tickets, or fans purchasing tickets through third party websites; not to mention ticket resales. We miss out on a lot of data. Through the installation of WiFi analytics, we have been able to start bridging that gap.”
Since the installation in July, the Miami HEAT has seen over 230,000 people connect to the WiFi, with an average of over 28,000 visitors connecting each month. The HEAT has also reported that on average, around 20% of attendees are connecting to the WiFi during an event, whether that’s for an NBA game, concert or other activity. These numbers have “far exceeded our expectations”, said Jafarian.
From the data collected, the Miami HEAT has been able to confirm that 90% of people who come to the Arena are singular visitors. The HEAT are using the data collected on these individuals to try and maximize spend through custom splash pages; offering discounts on various food and beverages and merchandise from The Miami HEAT Store.
Jafarian concludes: “The guest experience has been and remains our primary focus and we feel like we have found an organization with similar values in Purple. Their team has been responsive and collaborative and we look forward to continue working with them.”
Gavin Wheeldon, Purple CEO said: “People have come to expect personalized content and experiences, so it is crucial that venues are able to identify and engage with their fans. The amount of data that is being collected is really impressive and I’m excited to see the impact this will have on driving retention and revenue for the Miami HEAT.”
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