August 22nd 2016 — Microcomms – leading South West technology company has installed a fast social WiFi portal from Airangel at The Eden Project. The innovative Social WiFi platform enables organisations to engage directly with visitors whilst they’re on-premises, and collects valuable marketing data and contact details, allowing ongoing communications and promotion of the venue’s events long after they leave.
The Genisys cloud based management platform also allows the Eden Project to easily manage their public WiFi network and view detailed visitor and usage reports.
The WiFi was first put to the test when legends Duran Duran headlined the finale of BBC Music Day at the Eden Project. They were joined by special guests Nile Rodgers, Izzy Bizu and Laura Mvula. The concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2.
During the 2016 Eden Sessions fans were confidently able to share photos, videos and chatter from the gigs. The Sessions season culminated with a sell-out concert for British female chart-topper Jess Glynne. With the event packed to capacity, more than 1 in 8 visitors were online at any one time.
Nick Argent, head of ICT at Eden said, “Whilst social WiFi is a technology product, the real value comes as a marketing tool. We’ve had a great response, with more than 15,000 users registering on the Airangel portal during the Eden Sessions concert season (June/July 2016). Remarkably 16% of visitors opted to use their Social Media accounts to login. This gives us an additional group of digitally engaged followers who are connected to future events and promotions.”
Simon Murley, managing director Microcomms, is highly knowledgeable of the challenging terrain and layout at Eden having networked the whole site in previous years. He commented, “Social WiFi is really taking off at visitor attractions and hospitality sites across the South West as people realise the marketing value it can bring. We installed the Airangel solution to enable fans at the Eden Sessions to remain connected while they are enjoying the likes of Lionel Richie, Tom Jones and Duran Duran this summer.”
Dean Wilkinson, CEO of Airangel commented “We were thrilled to be chosen by the Eden Project. Our platform is used by many hospitality organisations and large public venues, it offers real benefits when it comes to visitor engagement and satisfaction. Many of us like to share our experiences online via our social media platforms as they happen. I’m sure that the live events at Eden Project will really showcase the capabilities of our platform and contribute to the social media buzz of what a super venue Eden Project is.”
Visitors who logged onto the WiFi were directed through the Eden Facebook page meaning an increase in page likes for the venue. The Eden Project sees high level of engagement on Facebook and was really pleased with the simple rollout and success of the system at its first concert.
Notes to Editors
About Airangel
Airangel is a cloud-based WiFi platform, providing secure and reliable connections, while offering improved satisfaction and generating additional revenue. Eden are able to easily and efficiently personalise the splash pages to suit with marketing plans and events, getting a guaranteed view from customers when they log in to the WiFi via a simple social form. Easily integrated into the existing network, there wasn’t a need for drastic infrastructure investments or development, but the changeover to Airangel now allows for a host of customer engagement options as well as delivering invaluable social analytics of every connection made to the WiFi.
For more information about Airangel, go to airangelprod.wpengine.com
About Eden
For more information about the Eden Project, go to www.edenproject.com
About Microcomms
Microcomms are the South West’s largest and most successful technology consultancy. They work with clients to define and design technology needs across the areas of telephony, networking, wireless, consultancy, support, IT services and audio visual solutions. They are proud to count many leading businesses amongst their long term client base such as Reckitt Benckiser, Rick Stein, the Eden Project and most of the South West’s hospitality sector.
For more information about Microcomms, go to www.microcomms.co.uk