What will the Miami American Airlines Arena look like in the future? How will the next

generation of technology improve the NBA and the Miami Heat fan experience? Come with us

as we dribble down the Heat’s futuristic NBA Lane to explore the here and now, the almost

here, and the far-out advances of next generation technology.

Anthony Sanscibrian ♦ Courtney VanDyne ♦ Katelin McCarthy ♦ Nan Sanseverino ♦ Jonathon Unger ♦ Alex Giles

JOMC 377, March 25, 2013

HEATING UP THE FUTURE OF THE MIAMI AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA

NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 2

The Poster ................................................................................................................................................... 3

The Human-Digital Experience ............................................................................................................. 3

Miami Heat Mobile App ............................................................................................................................. 5

Enhancements that Connect the Next Generation of Fan Technology .................................................. 5

A Look Into the Future ............................................................................................................................... 9

Immersive Display Screens – The Center Court (CC) Dome ................................................................. 9

“The King Cam”—Experience the Game from the King’s POV.............................................................. 11

Miami HEAT Portals—Bringing the Heat to the Community .............................................................. 12

The Fan Experience ................................................................................................................................... 14

Social Media Wall .................................................................................................................................. 14

Graffiti Wall ........................................................................................................................................... 15

Panoramic Fan Pics ............................................................................................................................... 16

Upgraded Wi-Fi Capabilities ................................................................................................................ 17

RFID Bracelets ....................................................................................................................................... 18

The Future of the Future ........................................................................................................................... 20

T-Shirt Laser ......................................................................................................................................... 20

Arena Holograms ................................................................................................................................... 21

“Pyro Baskets” – Turn Up the HEAT, Pump Up the Crowd ................................................................ 23

In Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 24

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INTRODUCTION Now more than ever, it is imperative that professional leagues utilize advances in technology to attract fans, increase attendance, and greatly improve the overall fan experience—and their bottom line. Technological advances in social media, fan experience, fan convenience, and data tracking and collection have revolutionized the NBA.

The Next Generation proposes enhancing current Miami Heat/Miami American Airlines Arena technology by implementing small, but impactful elements to their existing arena and Miami Heat App that will expand the convenience factor for Heat fans, cultivate fan and team engagement and loyalty, and provide for a greater entertainment value.

Through implementation of the more advanced, cutting-edge technological features we highlight, the Miami American Airlines Arena will lead the NBA in providing the #1 fan experience. The Heat fans of the future expect the best and most state-of-the-art technology available when they set foot inside the Miami American Airlines Arena—and they expect to be entertained.

By keeping their finger on the pulse of future technology, the leading NBA team in the country—and their fans—will experience nothing but the best.

3 THE POSTER The Human-Digital Experience Our poster idea puts the concept of bringing the Miami Heat and the American Airlines Arena into the next generation of technology a reality. The idea consists of LeBron James as part Terminator, part basketball player, with our tagline “If you can’t take the Heat—get out of the future!” We think the image of LeBron and our tagline embody what our suggestions represent because we already know the Miami Heat are the most intimidating team in the NBA on the court, but our ideas will make the Heat and American Airlines Arena the highest standard and biggest spectacle off the court as well.

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5 MIAMI HEAT MOBILE APP Enhancements that Connect the Next Generation of Fan Technology The Concept: Many of the next generation technologies that we explore in the coming pages, can be seamlessly integrated with the current Miami Heat App to provide fans with convenience at every corner, increase fan engagement, and aid the team’s easy aggregation of Big Data for better-targeted advertising and marketing—ultimately improving their bottom line.

Current Technology: The Miami Heat App currently provides the following features:

Postgame and Practice Interviews HEAT TV Companion Game Night

Chat The Inferno Forums Team Rosters Dancer Bios Standings News Alerts Game Tickets

Recommended next generation technological enhancements would be fully accessible from the Miami Heat App, and would include the following:

Unique QR and/or SnapTags that allow fans to quickly and easily check in for events, access VIP parking, and gain entry into special VIP lounges/suites.1 Monitor a fan’s experience, from purchasing tickets and upgrades to shopping.

A GPS and networking feature to easily locate and connect with designated friends and family on their network. Fans can quickly share live video with their friends and keep track of their location within the arena.2 They can also tag themselves in cool panoramic shots within the arena to show to their friends.3

1 http://www.spyderlynk.com/snaptag/what-is-a-snaptag/ 2 http://www.hangwith.com/#prettyPhoto/0/ 3 http://gigapixelpanorama.com

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Fans can sign in to their social media pages and live tweet directly from and to the Miami Heat Social Media Wall during the game. The wall will promote engagement with other fans through sharing of pics and tweets up on the arena Jumbotrons.

Fans can now avoid long concessions lines and missing that LeBron’s next dunk by ordering food directly from their seats.4 They can scroll through menus and purchase food and drinks for the whole family, and have their order delivered seat-side so that they never have to miss another play.5

Fans can use virtual binoculars and watch multi-angled, instant game replays directly from their mobile phones using the Miami Heat App. They can experience a slam dunk through LeBron James’ POV with the “King Cam”—a mini GoPro-like camera embedded into his headband that allows the fan to truly experience game plays from the perspective of one of the best players in the NBA.6

4 http://tinyurl.com/22n6qlp 5 https://bypasslane.com/ 6 http://gopro.com/

7 Fans can easily monitor arena traffic and score the closest parking space without spending hours driving around parking lots. They can quickly access parking availability at the Miami American Airlines Arena and receive live traffic reports for an easy getaway after the game.7

This technology can also be incorporated with waiting line management of arena restrooms and concessions so that fans avoid lengthy lines. Game-goers can monitor availability and the number of people waiting in lines

directly from the Miami Heat App right from the comfort of their seats.

This technology also can be adapted to monitor availability of premium seats available for upgrades during the game, as well as keeping track of real-time dynamic ticket pricing fluctuations so that they can purchase tickets at a good rate, and the team can offer special promotions on ticket pricing.8

Big DATA translates to big business—teams will collect information quickly on every game and event attendee with the integration of wristband data technology, which uses radi0-frequency identification (RFID) encoded with user and credit card information. This ID bracelet contains a small chip that links to fan membership accounts, and can be accessed directly from the Miami Heat website or mobile phone app.9 Fans can easily scan bracelets to gain access to VIP suites, scan for purchases, track their children, or register for Center Court (CC) dome time. Guests can register for the bands from the Miami Heat website, and qualify for unique awards based on their use at events. The team/AA arena can easily collect invaluable information on their attendees to better analyze purchasing behaviors and trends, and to create better-targeted sales and marketing campaigns.

Why It Will Turn Up the Heat: With the upgraded features to the Miami Heat App, fans would be propelled into the future of a truly engaging technological experience. Fans would engage with the app for a variety of useful features, such as admissions, upgrading of seats, purchases, game news and stats, replays and behind-the-scenes interviews, social media engagement, accessing fan sites and contests, and in-game food and merchandise purchases, among others. The Miami Heat/American Airlines Arena could easily mine detailed demographic and behavioral data about their fans. With more information, the team/arena can offer ticket packages and merchandise based on fan behavior, providing better-targeted advertising and marketing that helps improve the bottom line.

7 http://www.ispotswap.com/ 8 http://qcue.com/ 9 http://tinyurl.com/b2u98bc

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9 A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE Immersive Display Screens – The Center Court (CC) Dome The Concept: Imagine yourself at the center of the court while LeBron James rushes past you on a fast break, chased by defenders futily scrambling to catch up to the King…

The Center Court (CC) Dome is a 360 degree display screen that will fully surround fans, placing them at center court without ever touching the hardwood. Fans will enter a dome shaped structure with an interior comprised almost entirely of video display. Video will be streamed in real time to recreate the excitement of live basketball from a totally new and unique vantage point.

The team will place 10 CC Domes at centralized locations throughout the Miami area on game night to allow out-of-arena fans a chance to feel more engaged with the game. Some locations that will regularly host viewing screens are Miami Riverwalk, Mary Brickell Village, and along South Beach. 5 of the CC Domes will be reserved for users who purchase the service through the Heat app, allowing them to spend entire games within the domes. The rest of the domes will be left open to the public, and visitors will have a allotted amount of time to spend within the structures. We will also have an in-stadium version of this set up on the concourse of American Airlines Arena; however, none of the Domes will be open for reservations. Replays of games will also be available after game day, on off days for the team.

The Current Technology: The CC Dome represents the combination of two readily available and growing technologies: 360 degree live streaming video and immersive display screens.

10 360 degree live streaming video already has a track record of success in sports, which is natural considering their high visual appeal. The Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, North America’s largest winter sports and music event, employed this technology to capture some great action.10 Immersive display screens come in a range of sizes that all dazzle audiences. The Emmys Awards party utilized an immersive dome, proving that large events can effectively leverage this technology.11

Why It Turns Up The Heat: From the franchise’s perspective, this adds an additional out-of-arena revenue stream via the admission prices for reserving/entering a CC Dome. The fan experience truly improves as well, as the CC Dome gives fans a sight line they’ve never had before. In fact, no one outside of an NBA player or ref can claim to know what it looks and feels like at center court during a live game.

10 http://immersivemedia.com/demos/telus-ski-and-snowboard-festival/ 11 http://bit.ly/Yr4TBW

11 “The King Cam”—Experience the Game from the King’s POV The Concept: The King Cam is a unique and innovative idea that would bring the Heat’s megastar, LeBron James, to the forefront of sports entertainment. James is arguably the best player in the NBA and is one of the greatest living athletes on this planet. Why not allow fans to experience the gameplay that James lives? We would accomplish this goal by attaching some sort of micro-camera to the King’s signature headband. He wears this headband in all of the games he plays in, so it would make sense to have this piece of apparel be the hub for the camera. Via a live stream from the camera, fans would see virtually everything the king sees during a basketball game.

Current Technology: Athletes in many sports are already utilizing smaller, more-versatile cameras to display fascinating, action-packed visuals. Surfers use “GoPro” cameras to showcase stunning environments and beautiful waves during rides.12 BMX bikers and dirt bike riders attach cameras to their helmets to film when they’re ripping through raceways. Why not do the same for an NBA athlete? The complications would arise while trying to make the camera small enough and stable

enough to be worn by LeBron without hampering his gameplay or endangering the safety of himself or other players.

Why it Will Turn Up the Heat: This would bring the fans extremely close to the action of an NBA basketball game. The King Cam could be linked to the public through the team app or the team website. Fans would literally be able to see everything LeBron sees when he’s in the heat of the moment. It’d be a totally new perspective for viewership.

12 http://gopro.com/

12 Miami HEAT Portals—Bringing the Heat to the Community The Concept: These viewing portals allow for people to look through one digital screen into another. This would be an easy way for the Miami Heat organization to utilize “next-generation” technology to connect with their fans. The first site for the portals would be in and around the American Airlines arena. For instance, portals could be placed in specific parts of the Heat locker room, around the arena and maybe in the tunnel leading to the court. The other portals would be placed around the city of Miami. Fans would be able to look from South Beach bars or beaches into the American Airlines arena in what would essentially be a jumbo-sized video-chat.

Current Technology: Our inspiration for this came partly from the new portal that was recently installed at UNC.13 It links to a portal at the Duke University campus. This is a new, unique way to connect the two campuses. It literally allows students from UNC to video-chat with students from Duke anytime the portals are activated. The technology is by no means complex. The portals simply use the same Apple software used in the popular “FaceTime” feature of the Apple I-phone.14 The innovations aren’t perfect yet, but the project has proven to be a somewhat-futuristic way of communication between the two rival campuses.

Why it Will Turn Up the Heat: This innovation would remind people of the Heat organization any time they passed a public portal in Miami. It would also be a creative way to bring the Heat to the community and allow fans to see the players “live” through a different medium. This idea would not cost in excess and it would be a creative, next-generation way to immerse the organization into the public life of Miami.

13 http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/02/unc-duke-to-install-viewing-portal 14 http://tinyurl.com/bda6huw

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14 THE FAN EXPERIENCE Social Media Wall The Concept: an interactive Twitter wall that posts people’s tweets in real time, which they can then click on and magnify into a new window. This Twitter wall not only allows one to view their individual tweet, but see the mass amount of tweets that are produced for a single sporting event.

Current Technology: This technology is relatively new, as one of the first of its kind was used during this past year’s Olympics in London. Touchez, an interactive media company based in the United Kingdom, developed an interactive social media wall at the Jubliee Hall Gym in the popular tourist destination of Covent Garden during the Games. If a user tweeted using the hashtag #nba or #nbahouse, they could see their tweet in real time, and click on the picture, blowing it up. This allowed visitors to see just how big the conversation of the NBA is and helped engage fans and created a tangible result of social media.15

Why It Will Turn Up the Heat: Since this has already been used by the NBA and it was successful, we are confident that a similar technology in American Airlines Arena would enhance the fan experience and make going to American Airlines Arena an even more unique time. In today’s age of social media, people long for their voice to be heard among the mass amount of Tweets being send every minute. People long for their tweets to be recognized, whether that is a response, retweet, or something more. Although it would be impossible for the Heat to respond to every tweet sent at them, this will give people satisfaction in seeing their own tweet along with everyone else’s.

15 http://touchez.co.uk/social-media/

15 Graffiti Wall What is it: A digital wall that uses graffiti cans (sans spray) that allow the user to instantly write or draw anything they want onto the board.

Current Technology: The company 360 Brand Vision currently has this technology that is being used for various types of events around the country. The website also mentions that their clients have included Major League Baseball and the National Football League, so it has a reputable history in sports. Although the majority of the current walls are on a smaller scale,

we would suggest having a much larger wall that would allow multiple users to draw at the same time.16

Why It Will Turn Up the Heat: People love to express their creative juices, and Miami is one of the most colorful places in the United States. This would allow visitors who show up early to games to have an experience that is just as worthwhile as the game itself. People could write their names, draw a

mural of their favorite Heat players, or draw something that represents the city of Miami itself. The cans would be distributed by Miami Heat dancers or game day help in order to eliminate the need for people to purchase the cans to participate. The walls could be erased after each game or kept for longer periods of time, depending on the size and scale of the wall.

16 http://360brandvision.com/project/digitalgraffitiwall/

16 Panoramic Fan Pics What It Is: an interactive digital panorama shot where people can tag themselves and show off their seats to their friends.

History: Panorama shots have been a breathtaking staple of the world of sports since the beginning. However, new technology has allowed a panorama shot to be taken to a new, interactive level. Last season, the Panthers partnered with Blakeway Worldwide Panoramas to have a wraparound shot of the Bank of America Stadium where fans could not only view it online, but also tag themselves through Facebook and Twitter and share with their friends.17

Why It Will Turn Up the Heat: This technology can be implemented tomorrow, and will allow fans to show off to their friends just how awesome their seats were. It’s one thing to say you sat somewhere, but to be able to see a close up of your face and brag to your friends will be something that will instantly boost the Heat’s digital presence. This allows a whole new level of interaction while also providing spectacular images of American Airlines Arena.

17 http://gigapixel.panoramas.com/panthers/

17 Upgraded Wi-Fi Capabilities The Concept: Wireless capabilities within American Airlines Arena that allows fans to connect with their smartphones and get updates on the latest scores and interact with their friends on social media.

Current Technology: Although the Heat will not be the first to implement Wi-Fi in their stadium, it has become a necessity to put Wi-Fi into stadiums and arenas around the country.18 Many NFL stadiums (including the new Santa Clara stadium in San Francisco), and some NBA arenas now have a wireless connection, so implementing it now allows the Heat to remain ahead of the curve before they fall behind it. Wi-Fi is able to be installed even after the stadium is built, as evidenced by Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

Why it Will Turn Up the Heat: Nothing is more frustrating for a fan than when they get inside an arena and they are shut off from the outside world due to the dead zone. As they sit before the game, they have nothing to do and are stuck rereading the game time program multiple times. By implementing a Wi-Fi system, this would take the fan experience to a whole new level. Fans could check videos and scores from games around the league as well as log on to social media websites and brag with their friends about just how great American Airlines Arena is. Not only can Wi-Fi be used for Heat games, this feature could extend to concert venues, making it more cost effective. The initial cost to put in wireless technologies throughout the stadium might seem steep, but we find it worth it in order to keep the fan coming back to the Arena and giving them the best experience possible.

18 http://www.sporttechie.com/2012/09/11/the-next-generation-of-wi-fi-in-sports-interview-with-xirrus-vp-bruce-miller/

18 RFID Bracelets The Concept: The HeatBand is a bracelet containing an RFID chip that will be given to every premium seating and season ticket holder. The bracelets will contain the credit card information of each of the ticket holders and they will be able to make purchases with just the swipe of their bracelet. Tickets will also be synced to the RFID chips so that patrons can simply swipe into the game, instead of remembering to bring their tickets, and the bracelets will act as key fobs to allow guests entry into box seats.

The point of the HeatBand is convenience. Theoretically, fans with HeatBands shouldn’t have to bring anything else to the game. They can swipe through the entrances, purchase food, drinks and merchandise, gain access to certain restricted areas of the arena and even use them to swipe into private bathrooms. If there is separate parking for premium seat ticket holders, the band can also be used as access to their parking garage.

Current Technology: Disney parks recently began using RFID bracelets for those staying in Disney hotels and resorts.19 The bracelets act as hotel keys and park tickets, and will even tell park-goers when the line at Space Mountain is the shortest. In addition, they can be used to track down children when they get lost, or to locate a spouse or friend within the park.

Why it Will Turn Up the Heat: HeatBands provide additional security to fans because they don’t have to worry about having their credit card stolen or losing their ticket. For those concerned about linking their credit card and their HeatBand, they can have the option to not include their information, or to treat the HeatBand like a prepaid card. With this option, parents could put a certain amount of money of their kids HeatBands, and the money could be taken out of the parent’s account without the children having access to the entire credit card.

In addition, the HeatBand helps American Airlines Arena stay out of trouble, as the band would automatically include identification information such as birthdays which would prevent the sale of alcohol to minors. A small tracking device could be included at parents request for children’s bracelets in case they were to get lost in the arena.

The HeatBand also provides the Miami Heat the unique opportunity to track their fans’ purchases. Because of this, the Heat will be able to market individually to its highest spenders. The band will know which food stand is the fan’s favorite, how many t-shirts he or she has bought, and which games they attended. Compiling this information will help the Arena market more effectively to its biggest spenders.

19 http://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/RFID-bracelets-a-game-changer-for-Disney/

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20 THE FUTURE OF THE FUTURE

T-Shirt Laser The Concept: You’ve heard of the t-shirt gun. You’ve even heard of the t-shirt cannon. But no prize distribution method is as fair or versatile as “The T-Shirt Laser.”

Heat employees will be given a large laser gun, which they will fire harmlessly across American Airlines Arena. Fans will hold up their smart phones dialed to the Heat app in order to catch a flash of the laser across their devices. If the device recognizes it has been tagged by a shot, it will give fans access to a unique code redeemable for a t-shirt as they exit the arena.

The Current Technology: Our group is unaware of any long-distance laser technology being used by smartphones; however, research is constantly being conducted in the field of lasers, and QR codes prove that smartphones have scanning and downloading capabilities down to a fine science. With the advancements of airborne laser scanning and smartphones, this technology could be right around the corner!

Why It Turns Up The Heat: The T-Shirt Laser makes the odds of catching a 100% cotton garb the same for fans throughout the stadium – from the cheap seats to courtside. This device brings some equality to the process and gives those fans most likely to really appreciate a free gift a better chance of receiving one.

The T-Shirt Laser doesn’t have to only pass out t-shirts though. Prize possibilities are endless, and a code can be distributed for anything from a foam finger to a commemorative 2012 NBA Champions mug.

21 Arena Holograms The Concept: The next generation of technology enhancements and innovative product ideas is among us. Lead the Miami HEAT into the next generation with the never before seen hologram instant replay.

Fans will now look to the court for life-sized, real-time and slow motion replays of the players. Instead of straining to see the Jumbotrons above for instant game replays, the images will be projected onto the court, reflecting lifelike figures. The hologram instant replay will appear real life: as if the game had been rewound and then restarted with all the same exact moves in the same exact positions on the court. The holograms will show everything from blatant fouls to outrageous slam-dunks, and even a few game highlights.

To give fans a glimpse of what is coming during this new stadium experience, life-sized holograms of Heat players will be projected at the entrances of the Miami American Airlines Arena, greeting the many Heat fans, seemingly up-close and personal! Fans will be able to get a true feel for just how life-like these holograms are—and see how they size-up alongside the Heat team!

The Current Technology: Holograms were introduced to the public in 2010, and sports have yet to take advantage of this intriguing new technology. This would be a chance for American Airlines Arena to introduce a first generation of new technology to the NBA and to other professional leagues.

360BrandVision™ has introduced the only system in the world that can create the illusion of 3D holographic video images suspended in midair for live events and entertainment.20 Its revolutionary Cheoptics360™ display system projects suspended holograms that can be seen 360 degrees and in any lighting environment.

Most holographic projections require pre-recorded footage; however, the option of doing a live holographic image is also available, as projections of live images have already been done. This could allow for some interesting options with the hologram greeter at the entrance of the arena; for instance, the possibility of a HEAT player interacting with the crowd.

20 http://360brandvision.com/

22 Why It Turns Up The Heat: Hologram instant replay is not in sports anywhere. Should the Miami American Airlines Arena and the Miami Heat choose to take advantage of this opportunity to be the first to use a brand new technology, they would be setting the bar high for other sports teams in the NBA as well as for other professional leagues.

Since hologram instant replay is something that has never been seen before, this new technology would sell out seats for the opportunity to experience something that cannot be seen elsewhere. These holograms would be the first of their kind—and innovative, exciting and reason enough to attract more fans to the Miami American Airlines Arena.

23 “Pyro Baskets” – Turn Up the HEAT, Pump Up the Crowd The Concept: While not necessarily next-generation, as the technology already exists, the pyro-bursting basketball goal would be a crowd-pleasing experience during the game. This idea came from the retro video game “NBA Jam” where a team can go “on fire” after making three consecutive field goals. The concept as applied to the Heat would allow for flames to burst from the top of the basket any time the squad made three consecutive field goals. Flames would burst out from the cannons atop the goal. Not only would this pump up players, it would excite the fans as well.

Current Technology: Professional baseball games already feature fireworks when homeruns are hit. Hockey games sendoff blaring sirens when goals are scored. It would be awesome if the Miami Heat started the tradition of flames coming from the top of a basketball goal. Basketball purists may say that it puts a trashy representation on the game, but we think it would provide a new flavor to spice up live events. As long as there were safety personnel

present to address any hazards, this idea could work.

Why it Will Turn Up the Heat: Imagine Dwyane Wade hitting a jumper followed by Shane Battier draining a three-pointer. Finally LeBron throws down a monster jam for the third consecutive basket, igniting the crowd and sending flames shooting out from atop the basketball goal. It’s simple, realistic, and it would add excitement to the game.

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IN CONCLUSION

The Next Generation is focused on using technology to enhance every aspect of the fan experience. Through simple changes as well as major technological advances, the Miami American Airlines Arena will position itself as one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the NBA.

The future of the fan experience is inextricably intertwined with up and coming technology, and it’s important that AA Arena stay up-to-date. With fun additions such as the social media wall and minor tweaks such as the app updates, the Heat will show its fan base what it looks like to be a Heat fan of the future.