Project · Venue & Stadium Technology · Team experience

Stadium wayfinding, from the gate to the seat

Indoor directions that guide fans and staff to the right gate, through the lifts and to their seat, using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons and a magnetic map of the stadium.

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ForFans, visitors and staff
SignalsWi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons and a magnetic map
WorksIndoors, between floors and through lifts
Part ofThe command and control platform
The story

One fan's walk, from the gate to the seat

Scroll through one fan's route on the stadium twin. A simplified, illustrative view of the approach.

  1. The routeFrom the gate the fan was sent to, along the concourse, up a lift and round to the seat.
  2. Wi-Fi and beaconsAccess points and small Bluetooth beacons along the way give the phone its first sense of where it is.
  3. The stadium's magnetic mapThe structure's steel gives every spot a magnetic signature, mapped once, so the position holds where radio signals are weak.
  4. Turn by turnThe phone shows the next turn, and the route adapts if the fan takes a different path.
  5. Through the liftWhen the doors open, the app knows the floor from the magnetic footprint and carries on.
  6. At the seatThe route ends at the seat: no paper map, no asking around.
  7. The same map for staffField teams use the same map to reach the exact door or room in seconds, when an alarm sends them there.

The 3D stadium is adapted from “Soccer Stadium” by R-LAB, CC BY 4.0

The challenge

Finding your way in a building the size of a small town

GPS fades indoors, signs cannot follow every fan, and the busiest moments are exactly when people get lost.

No GPS inside

Under the stands and between floors, phones lose the satellite signal they rely on outside.

Lost fans make queues

A fan at the wrong gate or on the wrong level slows down everyone behind them.

Staff need it too

Field teams must reach the exact door or room quickly, often in a part of the venue they rarely visit.

What we did

Directions that work indoors

01

Several signals, one position

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons and the stadium's own magnetic signature are combined to place the phone, indoors.

02

A magnetic map of the stadium

The steel in the structure gives every spot a signature. The venue is mapped once, and phones match it live.

03

Through lifts and between floors

When the lift doors open, the app already knows which floor it is on and carries on with the route.

Results

What it gives

Gate

to seat, turn by turn

Indoors

where GPS does not reach

Fans

and staff, on the same map

The business case

Why it pays back

A high-level view of the value for venue owners, operators and authorities.

  • Fewer lost fansFans reach the right gate and seat, so fewer queues form in the wrong places.
  • Faster field responseStaff reach the exact door or room in seconds when an alarm sends them.
  • Less signage, fewer stewardsDirections on the phone take pressure off signs and people at busy junctions.
  • A better day outSeats, food and exits are easy to find, and a good day brings fans back.
  • Movement you can plan withHow people move helps plan concessions, signage and staffing.
  • Beyond match dayThe same map works for concerts, conferences and stadium tours.
Connected projects

Part of a larger programme

Venue technologyTeam experience

Command and control for tournament stadiums

One platform connecting 8 stadiums in real time, with a 3D digital twin, standard procedures and smart incident management.

Featured by Microsoft, Middle East & Africa News CenterFeatured in the national “Connected Tournament” report
  • A remote command centre for 8 stadiums
  • A digital twin with procedures and BIM ingestion
  • Smart alarms and incident management
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Venue technologyTeam experience

Crowd management with live headcount

Live headcount on the stadium twin, counting only with no face recognition: sections filling against their usual curve, queues explained at the gates, and a view for the authorities.

  • Headcount in every section
  • Queues and their causes at the gates
  • A live view for stadium authorities
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Capabilities

What it drew on

Indoor positioningBluetooth beaconsMagnetic positioningHigh-density Wi-FiMobile apps3D digital twins

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