All about the game: Cisco’s tech brightens fan experience in Kardinia Park

Recognised as the best sporting venue in regional Australia, Kardinia Park has a new experience for visitors underpinned by leading technology to transform the game day experience.

Kardinia Park Stadium Trust (KPST) transformed its ICT network to create better experiences for fans in the stadium. It started with delivering real-time data on screens around the stadium concourse to help guide fans to the shortest queues for concession stands and toilets at peak periods. It’s possible through the VisionEDGE digital signage platform powered by Cisco, which integrates with the WaitTime crowd analytics system. By being directed to the shortest queues, fans can spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying the action on the field. Running to the F&B concession and back so you don’t miss out on the game is a thing of the past, with key moments from the field live streamed and replayed on the screens.

Kardinia Park, also known as GMHBA Stadium, is the home of Geelong Football Club and recently completed a technology upgrade that is part of the stadium’s broader redevelopment.

“The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust is proud to be able to offer innovative and best-practice digital and technology solutions at GMHBA Stadium, providing guests and fans to the stadium with world-class experiences. Our initial Cisco VisionEdge deployment services approximately 25% of our venue, with plans to expand our current reach. Our partnership with Cisco is fundamental to our continued exploration and growth across digital experiences and connected stadium services,” said Natalie Valentine, Chief Operations & Commercial Officer, Kardinia Park Stadium Trust.

A seamless experience across all technology: providing fans with a digital path

The solution was deployed across the first-level concourse ahead of the 2023 AFL season, with the intention of improving concourse congestion. It seamlessly integrates Cisco’s VisionEDGE digital signage, networking, Wi-Fi, security, and Cisco Meraki smart camera technologies with WaitTime’s crowd intelligence AI solution, powered by Intel Xeon Scalable processors with built-in AI accelerators, to provide accurate crowd flow insights in real time.

By leveraging both real-time data and historical analysis over a world-class, secure Cisco network, KPST is improving the match day experience for fans while also optimising operational efficiencies.

WaitTime, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence platform, provides real-time information on crowd density, traffic and movement at major entertainment and sports venues around the world, with the goal of improving the guest experience and optimising operational efficiency for teams and organizations.

“WaitTime is thrilled to be deployed at Kardinia Park, leveraging our state of the art, anonymous artificial intelligence solution to enhance the operations and guest experience,” said Zachary Klima, Founder & CEO, WaitTime.

KPST has embraced digital transformation to set a new standard in crowd engagement, with an eye to expanding the digital signage and crowd intelligence system to other levels of the stadium in the future. This digital transformation project, built on the VisionEDGE IPTV/digital signage platform, is the latest of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) projects in Australia – Cisco’s program which partners with national leadership, industry, and academia to fast-track Australia’s digital agenda through innovation.

“By leveraging innovative digital technologies, KPST is enhancing fan engagement during match day, and this is a great example of how innovation can be applied in simple ways to achieve positive results for customers,” said Manny Spanoudakis, General Manager, Sports, Media and Entertainment, Industry Solutions Group, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China.

The collaboration between KPST, Cisco, and WaitTime, delivers a better experience to fans while providing greater operational efficiencies, insights across infrastructure, applications, and users. With Cisco, KPST is kicking goals in many ways.