49ers team up with SAP to bring real-time data & analytics to Levi’s® Stadium

The San Francisco 49ers and SAP have teamed up once again to transform the way that professional sports organisations use data and analytics to enhance the in-venue sports and entertainment experience.

This latest co-innovation project by long-time partners, the 49ers and SAP, is a first-of-its-kind venue management solution called Executive Huddle. Powered by SAP Leonardo and Analytics, Executive Huddle provides the business strategy and analytics team with real-time data and visualisations spanning multiple data sources, to track, sense and respond in the moment during games to optimize operations and enhance the fan experience.

Heading into its fifth season at Levi’s® Stadium, the team was looking for an innovative solution that would aggregate and report real-time information enabling the organisation’s award-winning stadium operations team to make more informed decisions, proactively address potential issues and seize opportunities during games and events, not days later.

Moon Javaid, 49ers Vice President of Business Strategy & Analytics, said:

Our organisation has taken the directive from our leadership to identify new technology innovations that increase our operational efficiency and enhance the fan experience at every level to ensure we are operating the best sports and entertainment destination in the western hemisphere. With the at home experience being so great, we want to make sure that every piece of a fan’s journey from coming into the parking lots, entering the stadium and enjoying concessions and retail is all a first-class memorable experience. We were determined to find a way to deliver real-time analysis and response capabilities to our valued Levi’s® Stadium guests, and with an innovative partner like SAP, we knew it would be possible.

Housed in a suite overlooking the field at Levi’s® Stadium, and accessible via mobile devices, Executive Huddle pulls real-time data from nine different sources, including attendance, parking, food and beverage, retail, ticketing, social media and more. Displayed on interactive screens, team officials can see and monitor data visualisations and identify an issue or opportunity, act on it, and see immediate results across venue operations and the fan experience. Using Executive Huddle, team management can drill down into specific areas of the stadium, as well as benchmark real-time data against past games and seasons for a more contextual view of their operations.

Mike Flannagan, Senior Vice President, SAP Leonardo and Analytics, said:

Around the world, SAP is helping professional sports teams and venues simplify their business operations to become more efficient, profitable and successful. Executive Huddle represents a transformative shift in the way that real-time data can be utilised by teams and venues to create value and impact in the moment. For the first time, the 49ers are able to access real-time data and insights and call audibles during games to optimise their operations while ensuring higher fan satisfaction at the stadium.

Following testing during the pre-season, Executive Huddle has been fully operational for three home games since the start of the regular season. Already, real-time data and insights have proved to be extremely valuable, as the team has shifted its operational approach from reactive to proactive. For example, examining ticket data has allowed the 49ers to see how fans are entering the stadium, and by collaborating with their staff on-the-ground to direct fans to the appropriate gates, wait times to enter Levi’s® Stadium have decreased.

Executive Huddle utilises SAP Leonardo solutions, including SAP Analytics Cloud running on the SAP Cloud Platform, as well as the SAP HANA database and provides flexibility and a foundation for continuous innovation for seasons to come. Support from partners at Happy or Not and NIMBL were also crucial in the development and implementation of Executive Huddle.

Jim Mercurio, 49ers Vice President of Stadium Operations and Levi’s Stadium General Manager, said:

It takes a lot of coordination to operate a 1.85m square foot building that, on game days, employs over 3,500 individuals, many of whom are temporary part-time or seasonal workers. We leverage multiple platforms to manage parking and traffic solutions for over 15,000 cars, entry and egress through hundreds of access points for 70,000 fans, and concessions and retail stands with 600-plus points of sale, among other critical services. Having a single resource to aggregate all those data points is a valuable asset to our commitment to ensure all Levi’s Stadium guests have a great experience.

About Levi’s® Stadium

Named Sports Facility of the Year for 2015 by Sports Business Journal, Levi’s Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue. The US$1.2bn venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 174 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats. It was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. It is a multi-purpose facility with flexibility that has allowed it to host a wide range of events – including international soccer, college football, ice hockey, motorsports, concerts and various civic events – since opening in 2014. The venue is also expandable for major events such as WrestleMania 31, Super Bowl 50 and the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Levi’s Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi’s Stadium to ensure the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara.

For more information, go to: www.LevisStadium.com

Al Guido, President of the San Francisco 49ers and CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures, provided the Opening Keynote at Europe’s first Premium Seat event, ALSD International, which was held in London earlier this month. The inaugural event was so successful, having welcomed some 251 attendees, that planning for the 2019 edition is already underway!

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