TALKING HEADS: Customer Experience and the ‘New Now’

In the first ALSD International Advisory Board talk, Becci Thomson, Head of Premium Sales, Co-op Live, Milos Nenadovic, Senior Manager, Business Operations, EuroLeague Basketball and Victoria Matthews, Executive Officer, European Arenas Association, took on ‘Customer Experience’; from its evolution over the last 2 years to what fans expect moving forward and how this can be achieved.

The EAA’s Victoria Matthews kicked things off by pointing to the importance of understanding and putting plans in place for the ‘new now’, from safety and sustainability, to the new protocols being driven by digital enhancements, bearing in mind that customer experience is still driven by human behaviour, and that all of this must be incorporated into the new post-pandemic refined customer journey.

Victoria highlighting that when it comes to re-defining the customer journey, the following are key:

• Mandatory Expectations (MX)
• Green Expectations (GX)
• Employee Experience (EX)

And that Customer Experience (CX) delivery must adopt a hybrid approach, with digital and physical solutions.

Euroleague Basketball’s Milos Nenadovic, touched on the latest Customer Experience trends in sports from a General Admission (GA) side, using examples from member clubs including ASVEL Basket Lyon Villeurbanne, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Club Celta de Vigo (RC Celta) and Bayern Munich’s “Living Arena” SAP Garden:

• In-arena second screens
• Off shoot experiences
• The Living Arena
• Augmented / Mixed Reality

360 view

The Co-op Live’s Becci Thomson took over from the ‘Premium’ side of things and highlighted how premium experiences and premium hospitality are more than just a transactional thing; with the pillars being:

• Community
• Safety & Security
• Sustainability 

Becci spoke about how they see their main competitor as the high street and how the offering will be tailored accordingly, with the Co-op Live – a 23,500-capacity arena being built in Manchester – to feature 32 bars and restaurants, offer live entertainment in The Atrium, etc., plus provide a wide range of price points to suit all kinds of premium clients, with technology being the ‘glue’ that ensures the best possible customer experience.

Finally, the panel talked about the key lessons learned from the last two years. Watch the full talk online here.

ALSD International Advisory Board

ALSD International and its parent, the ALSD, has been leading the Premium Seat & Sports Hospitality sector for the last 30+ years. The International advisory board features 38 high-level industry executives from across the globe.

Keep a look out for the next in-depth discussion from the ALSD International Advisory Board, coming soon.

Find out more about the Advisory Board here.

Sports Venue Business organises & delivers ALSD International, the leading event for the Premium Seat & Hospitality sector, with a focus on optimising revenue through New Builds, Renovations & Service Expansions, on behalf of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors…

…the 2022 event will feature a high-level conference, an exhibition showcasing industry-leading products & services, networking events and a behind-the-scenes tour of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, sponsored by Levy UK + Ireland.

#ALSDInternational – Europe’s leading event for the Premium Seat & Sports Hospitality sector

#ALSD – Leading the Premium Seat sector for the last 30 years

#sportsvenuebusiness – The leading platform for sector news, views & developments