By: Trent Sullivan
This past weekend the European team defeated the United States in the Ryder Cup for the third time in a row. The 40th Ryder Cup was hosted in Scotland at the Gleneagles Golf Course. It was the second time the event had been hosted in Scotland, but a first for the fans to enjoy the event with advanced technology. When fans purchased tickets for the 2014 Ryder Cup they received a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wristband, which enhanced the fan experience through social media and activities around the course.
When fans enter the course they can show who they are cheering for through a virtual “high five” using the RFID wristband. The wristband encourage spectators to view the whole course by and interactive game called “Walk the Course”. The fans who walk the whole course where rewarded by souvenirs and being entered into different drawing and competitions. The RFID wristband also allowed fans to connect with family and friends around the world with automatic social media updates on Facebook and twitter. The wristbands were also used as a method to make payments at certain places around the course.
Antonia Beggs, Operations Director for The 2014 Ryder Cup said: “Ryder Cup Europe and the key stakeholders wanted to deliver the best possible spectator experience. As social media, smartphones and mobile internet have become a part of everyday life, the RFID technology seemed a natural choice to lift the event beyond the standard set previously.”
As social media interaction has become a huge part of our society do you think that this increases the enjoyment of the fans experience? Golf is not the most popular viewed sports, but do you that the social media interaction to people not at the event sparked more of an interest to fans to tune into the Ryder Cup on TV?
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