3D Digital Venue allows fans to walk right into their seats before purchasing them. The Spanish company creates virtual versions of sports venues for integration with maps, seating plans and ticket purchasing flows. Co-founder and head of international business development Francis Casado estimates that clients who integrate 3DV ticket maps into their websites see a 2.5 to 5 percent higher conversion rate. This has also led to higher group sales success due to 3D Digital Venue’s easier seat grouping tool.

He pointed out that the level of detail with which the company creates venues – 99.9% accuracy in the renderings created using the Unity and Unreal video game engines – can be used for much more.

“We’re coming from the box office, the ticketing area, but our technology has expanded throughout the venue,” Casado told SBJ. “We’re bringing fans into the stadium, but we could also bring them into the concourse, the locker room, etc.”

Digital twins are proving their value. For example, companies like OnePlan help plan major events like the Olympics, or Kraft Sports and Entertainment and The Kraft Group recently worked with Team D3 on a replica of Gillette Stadium-Patriot Place.

3D Digital Venue adds a magnifying glass experience to the ticket purchasing process by seating fans in individual seats and giving them a 360-degree view of the stadium (for example, click through this creation of the Mets’ Citi Field).

The company has 65 sports partnerships worldwide, 70% of which are in North America, and is in the midst of a multi-year deal with MLB to digitize its venues, which will be integrated into MLB.com and the ballpark app as a component of online ticket purchasing.

3D Digital Venue can create 2D mappings based on publicly available information, but partnering with clubs, leagues, venues or construction companies becomes a source of key infrastructure materials that increase the detail that 3D Digital Venue’s mapping algorithms can produce.

More than a ticketing tool

The 3D view also provides crucial details and examples of branding in the space. A team representative could show potential corporate sponsors what their signage around the venue could look like, or walk prospective premium suite customers through the offerings. Casado said Snapdragon Stadium is a great example – the venue initially used 3D Digital Venue for its mapping, which later became a marketing tool as well.

3D Digital Venue has a background in real estate and won its first sports client, Athletic Bilbao of La Liga, in 2012. Since then, the company has worked with the Spanish top flight at league level, expanded its operations to the UK and is now a fixture in North America.

The league-wide efforts, such as relationships with La Liga and MLB, allow 3D Digital Venue to create a more immersive experience for a broader fan base, which Casado sees as a mutual success.

“Everyone will use the same technology and the same process when buying tickets online,” Casado said. “For a fan, it will be the same experience here and there. That’s something that’s been very well received.”

3D Digital Venue has created a digital twin of the Cardinals’ Busch Stadium to improve ticket purchasing