- Tournament boss talked about innovations for Grand Slam
- Wants to take a new direction that relies on technology
- I’d like to attract fans to Melbourne Park who don’t want to watch matches
Australian Open director Craig Tiley wants his food delivered to fans by drone during the Grand Slam, as part of a long list of improvements he wants to make to the tournament.
The CEO of Tennis Australia wants to make the Open a technology-driven haven, not just for spectators looking to watch matches, but also for visitors who simply want to soak up the atmosphere while enjoying highly personalized service.
He envisions tournament participants being greeted with push notifications on their phones, which remember their food and drink preferences from previous visits – before their meals are delivered to them via air.
Tiley is keen to attract fans to Melbourne Park even if they don’t have tickets to watch the matches (photo, Nova Djokovic with spectators at this year’s Open)
The tournament director sees a future where technology gives tennis fanatics updates on what to see, what to eat and drink and how to score bargains.
“We might even bring your burger to you by drone… so you don’t have to go get it,” he told the No Limits Podcast.
“It might be too hard to have that many people bringing food to each customer so a drone might bring it to you.”
A few lucky American sports fans have already received their meals via that method, with a college baseball game trialling the program in 2022, using the unmanned vehicles to deliver hot dogs, water and chips.
Given the controversy over a new rule allowing spectators to enter stadiums between matches – which led to Australian star Jordan Thompson labeling this year’s Open as the ‘wokest tournament ever’ – it’s unlikely players would be happy about the change.
Drone food delivery (stock photo) has already been trialled at sporting events in America – and if Tiley has his way, it could become a reality at Melbourne Park
Tiley would also like to see fans at future Aussie Grand Slams undergo background checks when purchasing their tickets so they do not have to go through security to enter Melbourne Park.
From there, they would be digitally welcomed by a series of push notifications tailored to them based on their previous experiences at the event.
Tiley sees these notifications doing everything from asking fans if they want to buy their favorite meal, to alerting them to merchandise on offer and suggesting the best way to get home.
He also said the tournament has dramatically increased the amount of shade on offer to visitors this year, allowing them to get out of Melbourne’s blazing summer sun, and promised the event will “continue to push the boundaries” for fans in the future.