SwipeStation: Food and drink service made easy

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Image provided by SwipeStation

SwipeStation is leading the way when it comes to technology in the sports and entertainment business. Known as a contact-free mobile payment service, it is proven to be a game-changer in beating the queues for food and drink at large venues.

The service eliminates queues by increasing the flow of traffic through its ‘click and collect’ ordering system. Its user friendly menu which is accessed via scanning a QR code, gives customers full control of what they want to order and when they want it.

SwipeStation’s contact-free mobile payments enable bar staff to serve in 15 seconds with no training – and fans can use the service without any phone connectivity. You will need to download the SwipeStation app from either the Apple or Play store to get started, but once downloaded the app works without an internet connection. From either the Apple or Play stores, you can then order your food and beverages through the apps’ menu and pay for them once your ticket is printed via the physical SwipeStation screen (located near the food/bar area). Once scanned, the order is sent to the kitchen and the machine prints you an order receipt. Fans then get to skip the queue by accessing the dedicated fast lanes for SwipeStation customers.

The technology is convenient and powerful considering its size. It only takes 17 megabytes of data to download to your mobile device. Even more handy is the ability to use the same QR code if you’re wanting to order the same items again. Most fans have been to a big match with their friends and tried to remember several different drinks orders, only to get to the bar and forget. The QR code can be saved for future events at the stadium so you never have to worry about forgetting that drinks order again. All orders placed through the SwipeStation app are provided with email receipts to easily keep track of what you are purchasing.

The SwipeStation technology is not only helping with the fans’ experience, it’s helping shape businesses inside the stadiums. With their motto ‘ half the drinks in half the time’, SwipeStation is on a mission to increase sales and improve staff efficiency for stadium caterers. A recent study by computer software company Oracle concluded that if food and beverage queues at UK stadiums were cut in half, you could see a 45 percent increase in revenues. SwipeStation says it has solved the problem of transient staff slowing down the process of ordering inside events where there are large mass gatherings.

They have proven that they can reduce the service time down to 15 seconds by cutting out customers having to place their order in person. Customers only present to the food and beverage staff once the order has been placed and paid for, therefore only presenting to the counter to pick up their items. SwipeStation believes that their technology is set up in a way that even untrained or unmotivated staff can rely on the technology to help them through their shifts. SwipeStation’s presence in stadiums is a move that can fast track efforts towards stadiums operating completely cashless worldwide. Perhaps SwipeStation’s strongest argument for having their technology in all stadiums is the fact that their technology does not require an internet connection. Currently, the costs of having internet in stadiums is a price only the wealthy businesses can afford. SwipeStation eliminates that problem from a catering perspective.

SwipeStation at Portsmouth FC

The SwipeStation technology has several benefits to clubs and large venues looking to increase revenue sales, whilst also controlling the flow of fans inside stadiums. With the Covid-19 pandemic taking its toll on sporting leagues across the world, SwipeStation machines at stadiums can be an effective measure in preventing fans congregating in large queues. Fans using mobile technologies should not come as a surprise – during the pandemic, citizens were asked to use mobile technologies and apps more often to help minimise the spread of Covid-19. Coming out of the pandemic, many businesses in the hospitality sector offered menus and ordering from QR codes attached to tables, limiting the movement across venues. In a recent survey conducted by SwipeStation, patrons attending a UK stadium revealed that 84 percent have used their smartphones to order drinks from a pub in the past 12 months, of which 28 percent have for the very first time.

With the bottom line being increased revenue, lower staffing costs, and an improved fan experience, it’s just a matter of time before we see SwipeStation technology installed across UK stadiums and abroad.

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Mizuno’s Australian gamble: can a 120-year-old brand break through?

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Image Credit: Mizuno

When Mizuno unveiled a mural of Socceroos captain Harry Souttar on a Richmond wall during the 2026 World Cup, the company’s name did not appear on the artwork. The artist, Rory Ledge, painted Souttar as the “Minister of Defence” behind a brick wall. Channel 7 and Channel 9 turned up. The Herald Sun ran it in their Saturday edition. Mizuno’s brand director called it “mainstream awareness” without paid media.

The mural sat within a broader push by the Osaka-based company to expand in Oceania. For the fiscal year ending March 2026, Mizuno reported sales of ¥259 billion, up 7.8 per cent year-on-year, with net income of ¥18.4 billion representing 20.5 per cent growth . Operating profit rose to ¥22.6 billion. The Asia and Oceania segment is central to the company’s medium-term plan, which targets net sales of ¥290 billion by fiscal 2027.

The growth imperative

Australian football has not historically been kind to specialist boot brands. Nike, Adidas and Puma dominate retail shelves. A-Leagues collective bargaining agreements and club deals have locked in incumbents. For a brand without the marketing budgets of its competitors, the path to relevance runs through the players.

Mizuno has grown its Australian ambassador base from one athlete to around 20 across the A-Leagues in recent seasons. Melbourne City’s Tolgay Arslan, who played in the Bundesliga and Serie A before arriving in Australia, told Front Page Football: “If I discovered these boots ten years ago, I would wear these boots overseas in my career.” Western United midfielder Angus Thurgate called them “the comfiest boots I’ve ever worn”.

The mural moment

Richmond was chosen for the mural because of its location. The suburb sits at the centre of Melbourne’s sporting precinct, five minutes’ walk from the MCG and AAMI Park. It is already home to murals of AFL players. Rowena Corner Store owner Con, who agreed to host the artwork, had previously welcomed murals of Dusty Martin and an AFLW player.

“We didn’t have access to Harry because he was in the US competing,” brand director Rishi said. “We couldn’t do a photoshoot. So we had to be clever. The best ideas come from real time, aligned with what the public discourse looks like. Once we saw his Wikipedia page updated to refer to him as the Minister of Defence, we knew we could play into this.”

Ledge incorporated an existing window into the design to create a net behind Souttar’s figure. The mural appeared the morning of the Paraguay match, when Australia’s clean sheet sent them into the knockout phase.

The World Cup provided a massive backdrop. The Socceroos’ run captivated the nation: 4.84 million Australians tuned in to the Paraguay match, making it the most-watched World Cup match in SBS history at the time, with an average audience of 3.086 million . The final reached 5.26 million viewers, and cumulative tournament reach hit 18.04 million— 64 per cent of Australia’s population. SBS director of sport Ken Shipp said: “We’ve never seen engagement at this level.” Mizuno spent comparatively little and had Channel 7 and Channel 9 on site.

The commercial question

For a brand with limited marketing firepower, organic PR coverage is the prize. The question for the company’s Oceania division, still in growth mode, is whether a mural and a handful of player endorsements can convert into sustained commercial traction. Retail partnerships with Ultra Football, which has created a dedicated Mizuno space at its Melbourne store, suggest the company is thinking beyond campaigns.

Mizuno’s European expansion has taken a different path. The company signed a five-year deal to become AS Monaco’s technical equipment partner from the 2025-26 season, its first entry into Ligue 1. It already has a presence in Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A. In Australia, institutional partnerships are harder to secure. The approach has been slower: build through athletes, then through community, then through culture.

The Queensland government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mizuno in March 2026 to explore the Japan-Australia Sports & Health Innovation Exchange (JASHIE), a two-year partnership focused on sport and health innovation . The agreement supports Queensland’s preparations for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The mural campaign reflected a broader trend in sporting brand marketing, where IP restrictions and athlete availability increasingly demand creative solutions. “I love what Levi’s did because they were able to lean into their brand codes and tell what I believe to be the most memorable advertising story from the World Cup,” Rishi said. “This is a different page out of fundamentally the same playbook.”

Mizuno’s boots are not cheap. The Made-in-Japan models retail well above competitors’ offerings. The brand’s pitch rests on quality and heritage, not price or volume. That is a harder sell in a country where discounting dominates and cost-of-living pressures are squeezing households.

The Souttar mural will eventually fade or be painted over. Mizuno is betting that by the time it does, enough Australian football fans will have noticed the three stripes’ quieter rival.

Bentleigh Greens and Metricon Bring Local Business Community Together Through Networking Initiative

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Image Credit: One-Nil Media

Bentleigh Greens FC has reinforced its commitment to supporting its community beyond football, partnering with Metricon Homes to host a business networking evening designed to strengthen relationships between local businesses, sponsors and club stakeholders.

 

A unique setting for meaningful connections

Held inside one of Metricon’s display homes, the Bentleigh Greens Business Networking Night welcomed around 60 local business owners, club partners and community leaders for an evening focused on connection, collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Rather than a traditional function space, Metricon opened the doors of one of its display homes, creating a unique networking environment that highlighted how the space could be transformed into a premium venue while providing guests with a relaxed setting to build professional relationships.

The event reflects a growing trend across community football, where clubs are increasingly positioning themselves as platforms for business engagement and local economic development, alongside their role in delivering participation opportunities on the pitch.

Guests also heard from strategic futurist Marcus Barber, who delivered a presentation examining the growing influence of artificial intelligence on modern business. His insights encouraged attendees to consider how emerging technologies are reshaping industries and the importance of preparing for future change.

 

Creating value beyond sponsorship

While commercial outcomes were never the primary objective, the evening was designed to create long-term value by fostering meaningful relationships between businesses connected to the Bentleigh Greens community.

Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with several attendees already establishing new contacts and beginning discussions around potential collaborations.

The initiative also highlights Metricon’s broader commitment to supporting local communities beyond residential construction. By partnering with Bentleigh Greens and providing the venue, the company helped facilitate an event that encouraged learning, networking and stronger community connections.

 

Football clubs as community business hubs

For community football clubs, initiatives such as these demonstrate how partnerships can extend beyond traditional sponsorship models. By creating opportunities for local businesses to engage with one another, clubs can strengthen their commercial networks while delivering tangible value to sponsors and the wider community.

As football clubs continue to explore new ways of engaging stakeholders off the field, events like the Bentleigh Greens Business Networking Night illustrate how sport can serve as a catalyst for meaningful business relationships and long-term community growth.

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