Sam Atkinson, Sports Information Director at Division III Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., recently implemented a creative experiment using QR codes at GU events: a code that generates a game program.
QR codes, a generated bar code, can direct people to a mobile
site via their smartphone. Atkinson is experimenting with QR codes as a replacement for game programs, but the applications extend way beyond athletic venues.
Think of your events that uses a paper bulletin or program: QR codes might be a good alternative.
Sam shares his story below, beginning with the press release his office issued on the change. Atkinson comments on the reception - positive and negative - of moving to QR codes at GU events.
What are your thoughts about using QR codes to replace paper at events?
CoSIDA.com asked Atkinson some questions on using QR codes to download game programs. See Atkinson's responses and the press release announcing the changes below.
What is the rationale for Using QR Codes as a replacement for game programs?
Atkinson: We need to take risks with technology and if this doesn't work we will go back to the drawing board. I might find it is too tough to cut our fans off cold turkey from printed programs but the track record the past few years here was printed programs were not utilized when made available. It turned into wasted time, paper and resources. The QR codes can also be used with iPads and other tablet devices so it doesn't have to be limited to a phone screen. I am not saying this is ideal for every school and I am sure the Division I schools will continue to make programs that they can sell and make revenue but for smaller schools this could be an alternative approach.
When did the idea and implementation of QR Codes and game programs start at Gallaudet?
We just started this fall. The poster and code officially made their debut on Sept. 22 at our first home volleyball game.
I have had great support from Athletic Director Michael Weinstock when it comes to using social media to promote our programs. This summer, I decided it was time to plunge into QR codes. Our first step was our game programs. The image above is printed up on 11x17 paper (laminated and on foam poster board) and displayed, hung up at our home venues on game days.
I presented some basic information to my athletics department in August to make sure everyone understood how today's students and fans are communicating with their cellphones. It was new to some, but for the most part everyone has been in support of this change.
For those who might not know, Gallaudet University is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. They also are some of the most technological-advanced students. For example, the iPhone 4 is excellent for deaf or hard-of-hearing students to call family and friends and sign to each other. The amount of people with smartphones will continue to rise instead of reduce over time so we should be marketing to that population which is using them.
What's been the response to this during athletic events?
There has been some pushback, particularly among older fans. Remember, we are doing a limited run of printed programs as well. At the home volleyball game last week, our President Alan Hurwitz and his wife Vicki were two of the first people to use their smartphone to scan the QR code to access our game program. We did have some people who didn't understand what a QR code is, so we had a student intern stand with the poster to help explain and demonstrate how it works.
The First Step: Press Release
Fans attending
Gallaudet University athletic games on campus will now be able to view team rosters, schedules, statistics, bio information, etc., through their smartphones as the Sports
Information Office debuts Quick Response (QR) codes. Fans will now be able to scan a QR code with their smartphone, iPad or tablet to pull up the Game Day program on their personal mobile device. This effort is being made to help the Athletic Department “Go Green” and cut down on wasted paper, ink and resources used in the past to design, print and distribute game programs. According to CNET.com, a leading news website for technology, the world's population was roughly 6.8 billion in 2010 and during the same timeframe there were 5 billion cellphone subscriptions.
“It is important for us to utilize mobile technology that is currently being use
d,” said Gallaudet Sports Information Director Sam Atkinson. “We have noticed over the past two years the large amount of printed game programs not being used and later recycled. Now we can send our fans to our website where we have set-up a Game Day Program area with links to the information they want. Plus, now we are not limited to the amount of information we can share, unlike printed programs, and we can rest assure the information is current and up-to-date.”
The Sports Information Office will display posters (
like the one pictured to the right) at the venues of the game and at the front table for ticketed events. Now fans that can’t make Bison home games but can view a game online through Live Stats or Live Video can call up the Game Day Program page to get info
rmation on the team(s) the Bison are playing.The GU Sports Information Office will be using the same QR code all season for the home athletic games so there is no need to scan the QR codes each game. Your QR reader should store your history of web pages accessed through the QR scanner so you can bookmark the page or just call it up when you attend a Bison game.
What Is A QR Code?
QR Code stands for Quick Response code, it is a two-dimensional code (black and white square) designed to be read by smartphones and sends you to a URL (web address). Here is an example of a QR code, this is Gallaudet athletics’ Game Day program QR code.
How To Use QR Codes
Most smartphones and tablets already have a QR reader loaded into your phone. If you not, you can download a FREE QR Reader App from your applications store. Then simply hold your phone or tablet camera over the QR code and let your phone scan the black and white square. It will then automatically take you to the link or ask you to open the page in a new browser. Once there you will see the page
(right):
If your phone does not have built-in camera or doesn’t use applications but can log onto the internet then simply type in this web address to access our Game Day programs: www.gallaudetathletics.com/socialmedia/programs
The GU Sports Information Office will continue to print a limited amount of programs for home tournaments and football games. The NCAA has been promoting Athletic Departments to "Go Green" over the course of the past few years. Legislation was introduced and passed last year about the elimination of printed recruiting materials from athletic departments.
If you have any questions please e-mail sportsinfo@gallaudet.edu or seek out a Sports Information Office worker on game days before the game begins for help.