The Payoff
The Wild no longer worries about too many fans connecting to Wi-Fi. They worked closely with CDW to design the network that had the capacity and the flexibility to easily adjust the signal in certain areas while maintaining coverage in others.
“We’re constantly making changes to our network,” says Ibister, explaining that this is unavoidable in a facility that hosts events ranging from hockey games and rodeos to wrestling matches and concerts.
Not only is the network easier to manage, it’s faster, stronger and -- thanks to the addition of Sourcefire and other security features -- more secure, says Ibister.
The stronger Wi-Fi network has enabled the Wild to offer more perks to fans at the arena. They can access digital tickets and loyalty cards on their devices, so they don’t need to worry about bringing physical tickets and cards.
The network also made it possible to expand in-seat ordering through handheld devices for club-level seating. “Without the new Wi-Fi network, we never could have gotten there,” says Ibister.
The team can also engage and interact with fans on social media. “Fans are passionate,” says Bellows. “They’re trying to get in as much as they can, and they don’t want to miss something because they can’t get a good signal.”
Not only does this build relationships with fans, he adds, but it strengthens opportunities for sponsors to get their messages out, because the Wild can wrap ads around the content.
The arena’s point-of-sale (POS) concessions are wired to the network, but they can connect to the Wi-Fi if the wired network goes down.
StadiumVision has simplified the process of changing menus and marketing items at the POS stands. “You’re essentially running 25 to 30 individual stores,” Ibister explains. “Having the flexibility to manage that business with StadiumVision was really important.”
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