Being the chief technology officer for a venue is a tough job — but what happens when you’re not just the CTO for one venue but for a whole long list of places? Joining us today on the podcast is Katee LaPoff, chief technology officer for the Oak View Group, also known as OVG, the live experience venue development, management, and premium hospitality company. Listen in as we get Katee’s perspective on technology developments and deployments from the lens of her new position — only on the Stadium Tech Report podcast!
Being the chief technology officer for a venue is a tough job — but what happens when you’re not just the CTO for one venue but for a whole long list of places? Joining us today on the podcast is Katee LaPoff, chief technology officer for the Oak View Group, also known as OVG, the live experience venue development, management, and premium hospitality company. Listen in as we get Katee’s perspective on technology developments and deployments from the lens of her new position — only on the Stadium Tech Report podcast!
While longtime Stadium Tech Report readers and those in the venue tech world might know LaPoff from her long tenure in charge of technology at Madison Square Garden, of late she has been busy at OVG, where she was senior vice president of project management and technology for three years. Earlier this year she was promoted to chief technology officer, where she will “lead a diverse and talented technology team, fostering innovation and collaboration across OVG’s businesses,” according to the announcement of her promotion earlier this year.
But what does that really mean, and how does LaPoff view stadium technology differently now that her scope includes multiple venues worldwide, and not just a single building? “It’s a question of scope,” LaPoff told us, noting that in addition to traditional sports and entertainment venues OVG’s portfolio of managed spaces also includes convention centers, museums, and street fairs.
While Madison Square Garden was a large and complex arena, LaPoff said that “if you just take that [responsibility] and put a multiplier effect on it, that’s what being CTO of OVG is.”
The business case for technology in venues
As we talked to LaPoff about some specific new venue technologies, it became apparent that her outlook involved perhaps a wider spectrum of focus than CTOs with only one venue to worry about. While discussing the trending adoption of checkout-free technology for concession stands, LaPoff first outlined the business benefits (fewer staff needed, much shorter lines) but then followed up with noting that under OVG she also needed to know more about how different deployments might work in different countries, where legal and societal issues may not mirror those in the North American market.
“We are always on the hunt for solutions that help us meet all of those different parameters and are customizable based on the market that we’re placing them in,” LaPoff said.
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With her long history in venue technology — which included being at the start when putting wireless connectivity in stadiums seemed “like you were trying to be fancy” to some — LaPoff now talks about a “judicious” approach to deployments, especially when it comes to all the new flavors of wireless connectivity being brought to the market. Such an approach, she said, can help venues figure out exactly what they are trying to do, and what is the best and most cost-efficient way toward that goal.
“As I love to say to my team, you begin with the end in mind,” LaPoff said. “What is it that you’re trying to achieve? And start building that layering effect of wireless technologies that are available to see how much spectrum it’s going to take to solve that particular business case and whether it’s worth it financially.”
Putting the fan first
Our very informative and entertaining discussion also covered OVG’s “right-sizing” strategy for picking the optimal amount of technology that a building needs to be successful, and how to plan for any “day 2” additions that might become necessary later on. But one of her closing statements seemed to really stand out as a guiding principle that any venue or venue group could embrace.
“When we look at technology in the back of house, it’s about how do we start that fan journey from the moment that tickets for an event are on sale. It’s how do we start engaging with fans and putting out information so that they can make informed consumer decisions about how to buy and giving them options for enhancing that experience. That’s part of the the secret sauce of OVG — having a really good team that knows those fans, knows what they would like to see and can provide those enhanced experiences before the event at the event and after the event.”
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