Case studies for stadiums and sports venues

Stadiums and sports venues have specialised communication needs. With large sites and multiple departments, there's a need to connect everybody over a large area. There are also regular spikes in call volumes, and a need to route calls effectively. iPECS is perfectly placed to handle these challenges. Check out the case studies below to see how.

Case studies for stadiums and sports venues

Barnsley Football Club 

This iconic club needed modernised communication. Find out how iPECS provided it.

Barnet Football Club 

This North London institution needed a complete modernisation, which is exactly what iPECS provided.

Hereford Football Club

This iconic football club in the heart of Hereford needed a future-ready solution, and that’s exactly what iPECS delivered.

The customer

Barnsley Football Club is a historic and much-loved professional football club, founded in 1887. Their home stadium, Oakwell, has a capacity of over 23,000. This iconic club has over 450 staff and is a pillar of the local community.

The challenge

Barnsley FC faced many challenges with an outdated phone system. Call volumes fluctuated, so they needed to be able to handle spikes when they occurred. They also had limited ability to manage hybrid working, which needed addressing. Internal communication was also a challenge, and they needed a better way to connect they large team.

  • Call volumes

    Managing a high volume of calls around match day ticket enquiries and sales was proving a challenge.

  • Hybrid work

    They needed to connect remote workers and give them the ability to present the business number from anywhere.

  • Outages and downtime

    Frequent outages cost money in labour and call-outs.

The solution

Moving to iPECS enabled Barnsley to transition from on-premise to cloud, giving them much more flexibility. Their new solution's powerful call queueing ability made it much easier to cope with spikes in call volumes. Meanwhile, callers are automatically told their place in the queue, improving service to fans. New iPECS handsets give them a more reliable, end-to-end solution and mobile apps mean the team can dial in from anywhere.

  • More reliability

    With our cloud solution and handsets, downtime became a thing of the past.

  • Improved call queueing

    Call queues are now better managed, making it much easier to handle high volumes of calls.

  • Better fan experience

    With improvements to productivity and caller experience, fans can get through faster.

  • Enhanced collaboration

    iPECS applications across mobile, desktop and handsets help the team connect from anywhere.

The customer

Barnet Football Club are a North London team in the Conference League. They share a recently built leisure facility called The Hive. The stadium is also home to the London Bees women’s football team and the London Broncos Rugby team.

The challenge

Barnet FC faced several challenges impacting their operational efficiency and communication. Their existing processes made it difficult to connect their team of over 50 staff across the Hive, especially roaming members who relied on outdated radio systems. High call volumes on match days created strain for front-of-house staff handling ticket enquiries and sales. Additionally, as a community-focused organisation, Barnet FC wanted a system that reinforced their role as a central hub for local residents.

  • Efficiency

    The club needed to streamline processes and improve communication for over 50 staff spread across multiple buildings and locations.

  • Roaming access

    Outdated radio systems were ineffective for roaming staff, limiting their ability to communicate efficiently around the stadium.

  • High call volume

    Match days brought overwhelming call volumes for ticket sales and enquiries, challenging the front-of-house team’s ability to deliver a smooth customer experience.

  • Community links

    Barnet FC wanted to strengthen their identity as a hub for the local community and ensure inclusivity in their operations.

The solution

The new solution significantly improved Barnet FC's communication capabilities and operational resilience. By transitioning from ISDN to SIP, the club reduced costs and enhanced connectivity, utilising their existing network infrastructure. Features like improved call management, mobility tools, and unified communication applications helped the team work more productively and collaboratively across the Hive campus. These upgrades also enabled the club to deliver better customer service and reinforce its standing within the community.

  • Efficiency

    Enhanced connectivity and flexibility allowed Barnet FC to better manage their communications and service delivery across the campus.

  • Greater mobility

    IP DECT handsets provided roaming staff, including security and the stadium manager, with reliable, on-the-go communication tools.

  • Improved call handling

    Call volume management tools, including wallboards and reporting, helped front-of-house staff handle match day enquiries more efficiently.

  • More productivity and collaboration

    Unified communication apps on mobile, desktop, and handsets boosted teamwork and productivity for staff throughout the complex.

The customer

Hereford FC is a cherished local football club established in 2014 by the Hereford United Supporters Trust, after the winding up of Hereford United. Following back-to-back promotions in their first three years, the club currently plays in the National League North.

The challenge

Hereford FC struggled with an outdated communication system that limited flexibility and efficiency. Their reliance on a single analogue phone line hindered both inbound and outbound calls, especially during high-demand periods like ticket sales for matches. This negatively affected commercial opportunities, and fan engagement, and made handling enquiries difficult for their small team of staff and volunteers. To address these issues and prepare for the ISDN switch-off, they required a modern, cost-effective communication solution.

  • Limited phone line capacity

    A single analogue line allowed a maximum of one call at a time, causing delays during busy periods.

  • Missed commercial opportunities

    Inefficient communication obstructed conversations with key partners and hampered the ability to sell commercial packages.

  • Reliance on personal phones

    Employees and volunteers had to use personal mobiles for work, leading to inefficiencies and a lack of central oversight.

  • Outdated technology

    The reliance on legacy telephony created barriers for inbound communication and meant the club wasn't future-proof.

The solution

Hereford FC moved to a cloud-based solution from iPECS, revolutionising their communication processes. iPECS enabled seamless, flexible communication for both staff and volunteers, eliminated reliance on outdated technology, and prepared the club for the ISDN switch-off. Staff could now operate multiple phone lines and manage communications from anywhere, improving productivity and delivering a better experience for fans.

  • Flexibility

    The cloud-based solution allowed staff to take calls via desk phones or mobile devices, ensuring communication continuity both in and out of the office.

  • Efficiency

    Having more phonelines enhanced call flow, allowing inbound enquiries to be answered swiftly and reducing the need for callbacks.

  • Fan engagement

    Features like marketing on hold enabled Hereford FC to share important updates directly with callers, such as ticket sales and hospitality offers.

  • Commercial opportunities

    The upgraded, modern solution put the club in a better position to maximise commercial opportunities - critically important for a growing club.

Contact us