American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA IS ONE OF THE NATION’S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT VENUES AND HOME OF THE MIAMI HEAT.
THE SHEER VOLUME OF THE CROWDS CAN MAKE IT CHALLENGING FOR THE ON-SITE SECURITY TEAM TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
The Right Mass Notification Solution
AFTER A SECURITY BREACH WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL ACCESSED THE BACKSTAGE AREA, MARCOS PEREZ, FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND CURRENT SECURITY MANAGER FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, WAS KEEN TO FIND A STATE-OF-THE-ART MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM (MNS) TO HELP HIS TEAM GET IN FRONT OF POTENTIAL, SIMILAR SCENARIOS IN THE FUTURE.
“No harm was done, and our security team quickly apprehended the individual, but the bigger problem was revealed as the night went on,” said Marcos. “The employees working at that time were aware of the incident, but we had failed to notify everyone who needed to know. As more employees came in for work during the later shifts, they didn’t have all the information they needed about what had happened earlier.”
Marcos needed a mass notification solution that offered several features:
- Flexibility to seamlessly integrate with their current closed-circuit LED signage, and the ability to send messages through a variety of channels.
- Audience targeting for groups outside of the arena and within — including employees, guests or members of Marcos’ security team.
- Geofencing and the ability to message recipients in specific areas within the arena.
- Easy opt-in for guests, and automatic opt-in for employees.
- Access to unlimited technical and training support for his staff.
AT THE TIME MARCOS BEGAN HIS SEARCH FOR A NEW MNS, THE ARENA UTILIZED A 24/7 INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, BUT IT DIDN’T ALLOW MARCOS’ TEAM TO REACH OUT TO FACILITY GUESTS IF NEEDED. IT ALSO DIDN’T ALLOW ALERTS TO BE SENT TO STAFF COMING IN FOR LATER SHIFTS.
“Consequently, these team members weren’t always aware of incidents like the security breach we had,” said Marcos. “The system wasn’t giving us what we needed. It was just a Band-Aid.”
The Industry Choice for Mass Notification
AFTER CLOSELY VETTING SIX OF THE LEADING MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS, MARCOS SELECTED REGROUP MASS NOTIFICATION FOR THE AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA.
Regroup offers unparalleled features for large venues, such as an encrypted mobile app with advanced push notification and GeoFencing technology; the ability to target staff by department, location, and role; text/SMS, email, voice, and social media messaging; and unlimited user groups, admins, training and 24/7 live client support.
“Of all the mass notification providers we looked into, Regroup was most willing to work with us on each specific need we had,” says Marcos. “They took the time to understand our goals and objectives, and they were willing to collaborate. They really helped us work through solutions at every step in the process.”
In addition to the customer service support, Marcos valued Regroup’s One-Click Alerting feature, which enables his team to send multi-channel, multi-language critical alerts and operational communications with only two taps. This allows rapid mobilization and coordination not only with Marcos’ team and other arena employees, but also with law enforcement in the event of a critical situation.
Routine Mass Notifications Made Simple
MARCOS ALSO SELECTED REGROUP FOR THE EASE IN WHICH HE AND HIS TEAM COULD SHARE ROUTINE COMMUNICATIONS WITH EACH OTHER, ARENA STAFF MEMBERS, OR GUESTS.
“The ability to easily sync all employee contacts into the new system was important, and we needed to have unlimited groups, admins, and a hierarchy for who can send messages to which groups,” said Marcos. “In addition to critical alerts, we also needed to be able to quickly notify guests about closures due to severe weather or hurricanes, or other important events.”
Marcos cited the example of the nearby I-95 freeway and its notorious traffic issues that can sometimes delay guests traveling to the arena.
“Especially with our season ticket holders, we wanted a way to segment our alerts to certain groups and then be able to advise them of alternate routes to the arena, or share real-time accident updates so our guests could avoid delays.”
The Clear Choice for Large Venues
REGROUP WAS THE CLEAR CHOICE FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA BECAUSE MARCOS PEREZ AND THE FACILITY’S SAFETY TEAM CAN REST ASSURED THEIR RECIPIENTS WILL RECEIVE ALL IMPORTANT MESSAGES QUICKLY AND EASILY.
With simplified, streamlined notification capabilities, Marcos’ team can worry less about their behind-the-scenes technologies, and instead focus their efforts on keeping the arena safe and helping guests enjoy their time.
“Having the right mass notification system is so important,” says Marcos. “It’s a bare necessity, like having a door in the front of your house. Regroup is really making a difference here and helping us achieve our mission of keeping our employees and guests safe.”