The Lights Go Down & Phones Go Up – But What Happens Next?

Think about the last time you went to a live concert. Your favorite band arrives on stage, the crowd roars, and almost everyone in the audience raises their mobile device to capture the moment. But, what happens next? Can you share that snap, photo or video?

Let’s hold on answering that question for now, and think about connections at a live concert. Fans connect with their friends. The artist or band connects with the crowd. The venue connects with both of them as it pulsates with energy. All those connections meld together to create this rich and memorable feeling that takes people at the show from just being fans and turns them into passionate evangelists.

It becomes even clearer that the ability to share that experience digitally, through a snap, photo or video, becomes exponentially more meaningful for the fans, bands/artists and the venues. And it is confirmed by feedback from fans around the world, that they want to share that moment more than ever before. Fans have told us in no uncertain terms that the live experience needs to be more interactive, engaging and instantly shareable.

This is why Live Nation – the global leader in live entertainment that every day and night puts on 70 concerts or show all over the world – chose to make Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi available in 10 outdoor amphitheaters this fall, and another 20 will have the technology by the summer of 2017.

Live Nation uses Cisco Wi-Fi and geofencing to boost influencer recruitment and social data. https://t.co/Ugr2zddl4G pic.twitter.com/dvt0hfBKgO

— Ad Age (@adage) October 31, 2016

Wi-Fi, and other Cisco Sports & Entertainment solutions, have been installed in more than 350 venues in over 35 countries around the world. We have been reshaping the fan experience for years in the sports entertainment world, and now we have the opportunity to do so in even bigger ways in the live concert industry.

The real beauty for Live Nation is that with enhanced connectivity they can glean more data and insights and evaluate ways to further complement the live experience. They can turn potential pain points into conveniences, and make the overall concert experience more personal and customized. This not only enhances things for fans but also creates business opportunities. It’s a win-win situation.

We’re thrilled to be partnering with an industry leader in Live Nation to truly create the connected concert experience that we know fans desire. It’s another example of when we securely connect everything, anything becomes possible, and why there has never been a better time to help in transforming the live concert experience.