Comm. Smart Cities and IoT supplement Smart Cities and IoT | Página 34

smart views

Stadiums: make way for the
smart fan
We have seen the advent of smart phones, smart TVs, smart homes and now, smart stadiums
– but what does increased connectivity mean in the world of sports and mega events?

I

ncreasingly, stadiums need to be as
smart as their fans. No longer happy
with simply spectating, not content
with enjoying just one view, and seldom
satisfied taking the commentator’s word
for it, fans are not only morphing into
super fans: they’re becoming smart fans.
This new generation of stadium-goers
prefers to be more conductor than
spectator. As chief business officer of
Vodafone Qatar, I recently attended the
World Stadium Congress 2015, the world’s
largest stadium event, to showcase how
machine-to-machine (M2M) technology
can help stadium designers and event
organisers make the delivery of large
sporting events more efficient, more
connected, and more engaging than
ever. It was fascinating to hear what true
connectivity means to smart fans and
importantly, the potential it holds for
businesses taking advantage of this new
era – and companies around the world
are already well underway.
Some are developing sports shirts with
integrated sensors and global positioning
systems capable of tracking positon,
physical effort and - market research firm
Gartner predicts that this industry will
grow from almost non-existent to US$26
million in 2016. We’re all familiar with the

recent developments in goal line technology but apps like Referee Pro and the Adidas Smart Ball further the accuracy and
application of M2M in the world of sports.
It’s clear the commercial opportunities
ready to be unlocked through instigating
smart machines is vast.
For Vodafone, the ability of M2M
stretches from the very foundations of a
new stadium; for example the provision of
remote tracking for plant vehicles.
In Qatar, there were 43 major international sporting events hosted in 2014
alone. Qatar is slated to host many more
global championships in the years ahead
– including, of course, the 2022 FIFA World
Cup. In Qatar and the wider GCC, which
has developed an enormous appetite for
hosting mega events, I have no doubt that
smart solutions will be a key differentiator
for the region’s stadiums and for its
hyper-connected fans. Qatar is one of the
most connected countries in the world,
with smartphone penetration standing
at 80 per cent - joint highest globally,
according to the GSMA.
At Vodafone, M2M - connecting ‘things’
to the Internet to transform them into intelligent devices – is driving this revolution,
helping businesses to innovate and in
turn deliver better operational agility and
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Mahmud Awad is Vodafone
Qatar’s chief business officer

transform customer experiences.
It’s clear that M2M can improve efficiency and add value across the raft of stadium stages, from construction and site
development; to security and surveillance;
to transport and logistics as well as new
business opportunities yet to be imagined.
The endless possibilities offered by M2M
innovation can transform businesses and
improve the experience of fans. Now is the
time to consider how you can stop your
machines from simply working harder and
get them working smarter.