PTI Digital: The catalyst behind venue operations

London Stadium

Venues have become much more than just a place for a football match on a Sunday. They are in use now more than ever, for concerts, functions, sporting events and training.

However, it is not every day that there is a concert or a match, leaving an empty venue sitting their awaiting its next big event. This also has meant no revenue for a club or the owners of the stadium.

Many stadiums and venues have increased their attractiveness to the public with the introduction of other activities, restaurants, and entertainment within their premises. This also can have the added effect of diversifying the public attention toward the club, with football fans going to restaurants, mini-golf courses, and other entertainment venues before or after a match, and potential walk-ins at football matches from those who attend the new entertainment venues.

However, this can bring about new challenges to a club, with innovation needing to be seamlessly integrated into a football fans experience at the club, as businesses and football clubs strive for excellence. Particularly with the ability for many games, especially in Australia, to be watched either at home or at a local pub or club, the onus is on venues and football clubs to deliver a succinct and entertaining experience for fans, to keep them coming back week on week.

The increase in reliability on technology services to engage and improve the fans experience at a football match can be costly, difficult to navigate and clustered. Many clubs tend to be on the back foot, chasing efficiency to keep up with their demand, and not proactively setting up for success in the future.

Many clubs are integrating managed service providers, such as PTI Digital, to oversee and assist in maintaining and supporting a venue’s technical operations. PTI Digitals team of IT experts house a range of skills which allow for efficient administration, security, and networking services, all of which are vital in the diversification of a venue attractions. PTI Digital also reduce costs of a venue or club, by removing the need to recruit new IT staff, or training staff with a narrow operating window, only to take care of a handful of tasks. Clubs and venues have constant access to PTI Digitals team of well-versed IT experts, who can assist in tackling challenges across a variety of areas.

PTI Digital has imposed itself within the UK sport market, with a deep understanding of sports event operations, and currently has six active managed services operations at major UK sporting venues – including Norwich Football Club, Crystal Palace, London Stadium, and London Olympic Park. PTI focuses on quality of efficiency and cost saving, with the ability to remove the need for a CTO for many of the venues that PTI oversees.

Flexibility for individual clients of PTI is also a major principle, with different infrastructure, cultures, and economic viability all taken into consideration. PTI also ensures to add a human touch to their services, allowing clients to easily digest information on their end, and do not need everything translated from a PTI expert. This is crucial for board meetings and other executive discussions, in which discussions can be held in house, with access to the bank of knowledge which PTI Digital provides to their clients. This will allow more informed decisions for future expansion plans, refurbishments, and other stadium and venue alterations.

PTI Digital’s approach for clients is simple. There is a necessity to identify a long-term goal, which PTI Digital can help extract from a club, in which to focus resources for the future successes of the club. PTI also conduct a club analysis, to identify weak points, resources, and areas in which the club is performing well at from a brand point. PTI Digital will also analyse the difference between the vision of the club and where they are situated, allowing for a practical roadmap to be set in place, and ensuring flawless execution over a long-term period.

PTI Digital’s transformation pyramid investigates the role in which technology can and is encouraged to play in an organisation’s future strategy and planning. PTI’s clients can delve into the wealth of data, and digital and commercial operations initiatives, in order to kickstart new revenue pathways, which will drive future success for a football club or venue.

New York City FC detail plans for first ‘fully electric’ MLS stadium

New York City FC fully electric stadium

New York City FC intends to construct the league’s first totally electric stadium, with a variety of sustainability measures included into the design of the 25,000-seat complex.

The stadium’s design and construction will emphasise renewable energy, with an array of solar panels erected on the roof to optimise energy generation. Built-in efficiency will guarantee that intelligent systems avoid energy waste, and an emergency backup generator will be installed and only used when there is a utility power loss or when code-required testing is completed.

A water harvesting system will also be installed beneath the pitch to collect rainwater for usage in irrigation. Water-saving technologies – such as dry urinals, proximity-controlled taps, and decreased water mix taps and shower heads – can help to minimise wasteful use even more.

The Willets Point development project will also deliver a total of 2,500 units of 100% affordable housing at the site, as well as a 650-seat public school, 40,000 square feet of new public open space, retail space and a 250-key hotel.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke on what the innovative stadium plan meant for the city.

“I’m proud that New York City will be home to the first fully electric sports stadium in Major League Soccer,” he stated via press release.

“It’s imperative that we continue our shift to a more sustainable and resilient future, helping New York to better prepare for a changing climate.

“As a city, we’re reshaping our relationship with energy: how we generate, store and use it. New York City Football Club’s stadium will serve as a model for that goal. New York City has taken significant steps to become more sustainable, resilient and equitable, and this proposed stadium encompasses those commitments.”

Brad Sims, NYCFC Chief Executive, added via media release:

“New York City Football Club is proud to release details of what would be a historic first-ever fully electric professional sports stadium for both MLS and New York City,” he said.

“Sustainability is at the heart of this project and we’re focused on ensuring that the club is leading the way when it comes to reducing environmental impact. We’re committed to building a stadium that serves as a model for projects in the future.”

The privately funded stadium will be New York City’s first soccer-specific stadium and the city’s first major league sports facility since Barclays Centre debuted as the home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets in 2012.

The stadium is expected to open in 2027. Since its inception in Major League Soccer in 2015, NYCFC has predominantly played at Yankee Stadium, the home of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees.

St. Louis City SC and Cisco digital technology making an impact

CityPark

Major League Soccer (MLS) side St. Louis City SC is collaborating with Cisco, a worldwide leader in network connection and cybersecurity, bringing one of MLS’ most connected and fan-centric venues.

Cisco is the club’s Proud Technology Partner, utilising its solutions in networking, security, Wi-Fi, and digital signage to assist spectators have one of the most immersive match day experiences in sports.

Cisco is deploying a cutting-edge, completely integrated network throughout CITYPARK’s 31-acre stadium area, which includes the club’s stadium, training centre, team offices, and two-story team shop.

CITYPARK uses Wi-Fi 6, Cisco’s next generation wireless standard, to provide faster speeds for immersive experiences, greater bandwidth, and improved dependability while putting less strain on a device’s battery. CITYPARK is one of just a few MLS stadiums that use Cisco’s Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Matt Sebek, St. Louis CITY SC’s Chief Experience Officer, commented on what the technology will allow the club to achieve.

“As a next-generation venue with frictionless markets and mobile-first technologies at the forefront of CITYPARK’s engagement, an innovative fan experience is reliant on a robust and secure connectivity,” he stated via video.

“Every piece of data flows through Cisco’s converged technology, allowing us to streamline IT operations and provide heightened experiences through elevated video distribution, point-of-sale devices, digital signage, real-time app engagement and so much more.”

Cisco’s IPTV technology, a dynamic, end-to-end signage solution that combines high-definition video delivery with state-of-the art digital signage, will be implemented at CITYPARK. The 4K deployment will power screens across the stadium district, all entirely customizable and centrally managed via one point of control.

CITY SC and Cisco will work as part of the relationship to engage the local community and give meaningful, hands-on experiences to experience the power of technology first-hand.

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