How Feld Entertainment transforms live experiences with the cloud

By Microsoft in Business Team

March 23, 2017

Tags
Media

Focus on: Optimize Operations, Engage Customers

Take a second to think about the last family entertainment event you attended.

Whether you went to a professional ice performance, a monster truck show, or something as common as a sporting event, a lot of thought and preparation went into the planning and execution of it.

Producers of live events have to figure out ways to transform their processes in a way that redefines the live experience for their company and their audience. Live family entertainment is a shared experience for generations to connect and create memories that can last a lifetime. With recent trends in technology, event attendees expect faster, more streamlined processes that enhance their experience. For example, having to enter your information every time you visit a stand or kiosk at an event is outdated and burdensome. In today’s age, regurgitating information for every sponsor that you meet at an event is less than ideal.

Digital transformation is a technology-driven movement that is creating unprecedented opportunities for organizations of all shapes and sizes to reinvent processes and remake themselves into digital-first enterprises. But it’s not just about upgrading products or using the latest advances to spur growth. This digital transformation is about companies using technology to efficiently and effectively address the world’s challenges, and working together to build something intangible – something from which our entire society can benefit.

For Feld Entertainment, optimizing operations and engaging audiences with more efficient technology meant embarking on their own journey of digital transformation. Feld is the largest producer of family entertainment in the world, producing 3,500 performances per year in the United States, and 5,000 worldwide.

Optimizing operations with experience technologyFeld Entertainment is a full service organization. That means, they oversee every part of the entertainment experience, from producing, to promoting, to the construction and deconstruction of stadiums. Because of their end-to-end involvement, the organization had to look at new ways to streamline processes in order to better manage and track the massive audiences attending their events.

In order to reinvent their processes, Feld directors looked to Thuzi, a leading social by design marketing company and partner of Microsoft. Thuzi utilizes a number Microsoft technology, such as Azure, Windows 10, and Visual Studio, as experience technology in order to transform live events.

Feld decided to use Thuzi platforms and apps to enhance the experience at live events through restructured registration, better tracking of audiences, and smarter audience insights. With Thuzi, Feld was able to gather audience information in one place. The platform also allowed them to record information, such as which sponsors were most popular with fans, or in what photo activations fans participated. Because everything was streamlined through Thuzi apps, activities moved quickly and thoroughly, as fans did not have to keep re-entering information that had to be processed in several different places. These better processes led to improved analytics and smarter insights, meaning Feld could continue to grow their business and enhance the live entertainment experience for fans.Engaging customers through shared digital experiencesStreamlining operations not only enhanced processes for the company, it also helped customers become more engrossed with the live event experience. Because they were able to optimize their operations through Thuzi and Microsoft technology, Feld had more time for focus on engaging their audiences. Providing wholesome family entertainment is engaging in itself, but Feld wanted to take it one step further. Thuzi allowed Feld to tap into the digital and social side of live experiences.

Through smarter collection of data, Feld is now able to have fans scan their fully informed ID bracelets and automatically sync photos they have taken at an event. Feld can then email photos to their fans, or the fans can allow Feld to post photos to social media for them. This shows fans that Feld is invested in not only putting on a good show, but in guaranteeing that they have a memorable, personal experience.

In order to succeed in the digital era, modern organizations have to reconsider their processes and reimagine what is possible. Through Thuzi and Microsoft, Feld found a way to not only redefine the live experience for their customers, but also for their organization. Feld Entertainment is just one of the many organizations embracing the latest technology to drive a digital transformation.

Learn how your organization can embrace the era of digital transformation and begin your journey today.