We sat down with Jay to hear how the Magic organization approaches innovation, what drove them to VisioLab, and what their fans and business operations have experienced since deploying 43 kiosks at Kia Center.
Q: How does the Orlando Magic organization approach innovation, and testing newer technology solutions?
A: Innovation is one of our core values at the Orlando Magic. We define it simply as creating value from new ideas, technologies, and processes. Our innovation team is constantly scanning the market for solutions that can enhance the fan experience at Kia Center.
We discovered VisioLab through the Orlando Magic Venture Challenge. It stood out as a startup with real potential to help us deliver a more frictionless experience for fans. The technology aligned with our goal of creating a more fan-friendly environment inside the venue.
Q: How do you evaluate whether a technology solution is right for your fans?
A: Over time, we’ve evolved how we think about venue technology. Everything we do is centered around improving the fan experience – whether that’s through our team app, mobile pre-ordering, or alternative payment methods.
When we evaluated VisioLab, its versatility was a major factor. The units are lightweight, adaptable, and can be configured in different areas of the building to support a variety of operations. We could use them for self-checkout, traditional concessions, and integrate them with our digital currency program, Magic Money.
It offered strong technology, operational flexibility, and fit seamlessly into our long-term vision for how technology should work inside the venue.
Q: What challenges were you trying to solve in concessions before implementing VisioLab?
A: In a venue with 19,000 fans, speed and flow are everything. Our biggest challenges are congestion, long lines, and making sure fans can get what they want without missing the action.
VisioLab helped us address all of those pain points. We now have grab-and-go self-checkout areas where fans can grab drinks or food and complete transactions quickly. We’ve also deployed the units at traditional walk-up concession stands to streamline ordering and payment.
Regardless of the setup, the technology gives us multiple ways to solve the operational pressures that come with large-scale events.
Q: What business impacts have been realized since implementing VisioLab?
A: The biggest impact has been speed translating directly into higher sales and throughput. Since implementing VisioLab, we've seen:
- ~25% increase in transactions across Grab-N-Go and high-volume food stands (vs. previous self-checkout and POS solutions).
- 17% increase in revenue this season after converting both traditional POS and previous self-checkout locations to VisioLab.
- Checkout times improve by more than four seconds across Grab-N-Go locations (vs. previous self-checkout solution), helping move more fans through during peak demand.
Faster service has allowed us to serve more fans in the same window of time, which has had a clear and measurable impact on revenue.
Q: How has the fan experience changed since implementing VisioLab?
A: Access to food and beverages quickly is a major priority for fans. They don’t want to miss the game. Our fan surveys consistently show that satisfaction is closely tied to how fast they can complete a concession purchase and return to their seats.
VisioLab directly addresses that. We’ve been able to deliver faster checkout speeds, and shorter wait times, which gets our fans back to the game faster. The concourses are less congested, and traffic moves smoothly during peak windows.
Looking ahead, the display capabilities of the units will allow us to deliver more personalized messaging using fan data, which opens the door to even more tailored experiences over time.
Q: Beyond checkout speed, what additional value has the platform delivered?
A: While the initial draw was the AI self-checkout, we’ve been extremely impressed with the software layer. It allows us to deliver personalized promotions and collect richer transaction data.
That data deepens our understanding of fan preferences and helps us continue refining the experience. It’s not just a checkout tool, it’s a broader engagement and insights platform.
Q: In one sentence, how would you describe the impact of VisioLab?
A: It represents a full-circle success story – from discovering the technology through our innovation initiative, the Orlando Magic Venture Challenge, to quickly prototyping it with partners, to scaling it successfully – it reflects both the strength of VisioLab’s technology and our commitment to innovation as a driver of better fan experiences.
