NBA Space
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Use of Metaverse
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The ongoing success of the NBA's Mixed Reality All-Star Rewards Program remains a standout feature in the NBA Space. This program, held in both Utah and Indiana in 2023 (as part of All-Star Weekend ‘23 and ‘24 respectively), empowers NBA fans by allowing them to engage in gamified mixed-reality adventures, where they can earn and redeem NBA Rewards Points for exclusive prizes and unforgettable experiences. The NBA Rewards Program leverages Fabric's Geospatial Web technology, completely transforming the fan experience into an interactive journey across various locations, including states, cities, venues, and more.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
NBA Crossover at NBA All-Star 2023 witnessed the debut of an innovative feature: The Drop Zone. The Drop Zone is an instant win, mixed reality experience that enables teams and leagues the opportunity to let their fans dictate when and where prize giveaways occur, and allow fans to win in real-time. Fabric’s geospatial web technology empowers NBA to personalize the drop zone experiences for fans based on various triggers such as time and location. At Crossover ‘23, Fabric worked with the NBA to execute coordinated, branded, giveaways that were driven by in-person fan activity, and won by fans in mixed reality. The Drop Zone and other mixed reality, instant-win experiences offer another exciting avenue for how the sports industry will continue to deepen what it means to be a fan. Geospatial Web’s commerce platform offers NBA’s event partners & and vendors the ability to create and extend unique personalized offers, discounts, prizes and other benefits to fans through the mixed reality experiences. Participating vendors NBA Con and through the NBA All-Star Rewards Programs have had the ability to engage their customers further in Mixed Reality, helping pave the way for how the sports industry will communicate with its fans.
Objective
The integration of Mixed-Reality technology within the Geospatial Web is redefining the fan experience at NBA Events. It adds an exciting and immersive dimension to the already world-class in-person activations within the "NBA Space.” This innovative space has given rise to groundbreaking experiences such as the NBA Drop Zone Instant Win, NBA All-Star Rewards Program, and the NBA Draft Challenge featuring real-time draft picks and leaderboards. All of these initiatives invite fans into embrace the NBA Space to experience the mixed-reality technology, fostering repeated fan engagement. In the Geospatial Web, teams can utilize time and location to drive their fans to desired info, offers, discounts, or even physical places around their venue. Fabric’s technology allows for all activations to be geofenced, triggered by time of day or game/event action, and placed anywhere in the world. The NBA's innovative approach serves as a pioneering platform for sponsors to maximize their digital presence. The NBA has adeptly integrated sponsors and brand partners into its activities within the NBA Space. Whether through in-space commerce, in-event advertisements, immersive branded fan experiences, the NBA Space offers a plethora of opportunities for NBA partners to connect with their target audience in a non-intrusive and captivating manner.
Strategy & Execution
The ongoing success of the NBA's Mixed Reality All-Star Rewards Program remains a standout feature in the NBA Space. This program, held in both Utah and Indiana in 2023 (as part of All-Star Weekend ‘23 and ‘24 respectively), empowers NBA fans by allowing them to engage in gamified mixed-reality adventures, where they can earn and redeem NBA Rewards Points for exclusive prizes and unforgettable experiences. The NBA Rewards Program leverages Fabric's Geospatial Web technology, completely transforming the fan experience into an interactive journey across various locations, including states, cities, venues, and more. Fans are not only encouraged to accumulate points and unlock exclusive rewards but also to discover new areas, connect with new people, and visit local businesses and points of interest. At NBA Con, fans got a special concert ticket upgrade offer that was unique to fans in the NBA Space, rewarding fans who took part in the Mixed Reality experience with a great deal and amazing experience. Instead of doing a traditional giveaway or promotion, teams and leagues can incentivize their fans to take a digital and physical journey in the Geospatial Web, adding value and sentiment to the prizes and experiences won by fans.
Organizations
- NBA
- Fabric
Links
Credits
Joseph Graziano
Senior Vice President and Head of Global Event Strategy & Development
National Basketball Association
Steven Lichtenberger
Director of Global Events
National Basketball Association
Saul Garlick
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Fabric
Julie Zwissler
Chief Marketing Officer
Fabric
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
