Case Study: Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG)
Ricoh's Partnership with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) Ensures Technology Works on Game Day and Beyond
About the customer
Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) is a professional sports and entertainment destination in Ottawa, Canada. It is home to two professional sports teams — the Canadian Football League's Ottawa REDBLACKS and the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's. The teams play at TD Place Arena and other facilities that are operated by OSEG and owned by the city of Ottawa. This public-private partnership formed to invigorate the area's sports teams, attract top music artists and energize the surrounding area.
Our teams can't wait three days to print playbooks at an outside print shop. They often need them in three minutes and they can do that since everything is printed in-house.
Pete Chamberlin
Director of IT
Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG)
Challenge
Ensure seamless use of technology on game day and beyond Quickly print playbooks and other team tools
Provide stats to media, instructions to volunteers
Leverage technology for corporate behind-the-scenes work
When OSEG began in 2014, the organization set out to create a win-win for its new sports and entertainment facilities by establishing sponsorship relationships with technology providers like Ricoh. The goal — make every person and process run seamlessly from the corporate office to the playing fields.
There are many moving pieces in the professional sports world. The teams need playbooks and other printed materials for intense practice days leading up to the game — as well as on game day itself. The media needs stats in hand quickly so they can report accurately on-the-fly from the press box. And the more than 800 volunteers on game days rely on printed materials to understand their assignments and empower them to perform their jobs.
On the corporate side, OSEG employees play a vital role in event success by performing all of the behind-the-scenes work. Technology touches every department from finance that needs to print transaction records to marketing that creates client and prospect proposals that are on-brand and professional.
Solution
"Ricoh has been very helpful in making sure their technology works for staff and the media on game day — and that we can pass along vital information to our 800 volunteers."
Calvin Amell
Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships
Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG)
Installed an MFP fleet and production printer for OSEG staff
Equipped arenas with MFPs for media information
Provided an IFPD and short throw projector
Became OSEG's official partner for digital workplace solutions
OSEG signed Ricoh to become its official partner for digital workplace solutions from the very beginning. We provide technology solutions and services that helps OSEG run seamlessly on game days and all the days in-between.
On the printing side, we equipped OSEG with a fleet of a dozen multifunction printers to support 165 full-time OSEG staff and the needs of nearly 800 employees and volunteers on game days who oversee concessions, security, guest relations, cleaning and more. An MFP was also placed in the press box so OSEG staff can quickly provide the media with team stats and press releases on game days. We also provided a production printer at the corporate office — which the staff affectionately refer to as the "school bus" due to its large size — to print marketing and event collateral and other corporate materials.
Throughout the partnership, Ricoh has provided managed print services and workplace productivity services, reviewing print output and technology solutions to ensure OSEG is equipped for evolving business needs. For instance, we introduced interactive flat panel display (IFPD) technology to OSEG so coaches and players can use interactive technology to review, share and print game-day footage. There's also a short-throw projector available that coaches can use in lieu of cumbersome projectors and pop-up screens when they're on the road. In addition, the Ricoh team recently proposed a 360-degree camera that could allow fans at home to experience everything happening at games with panoramic images in real time on their mobile devices.
Results
Game-day playbooks produced in minutes
Accurate media materials distributed before, during and after games Reliable print fleet management and maintenance
On-brand, high-end collateral to grow business
While the initial goal was simply to get OSEG up and running for its inaugural season, the years since have expanded OSEG's technology capabilities and introduced new innovation. Now well equipped with MFPs and a production printer, coaches don't have to wait several days for playbooks that would otherwise have to be outsourced — they can have them in hand in minutes.
The multifunction printer (MFP) in the press box sits idle the majority of the time, but Ricoh makes sure it's up and running on game days to provide the media with stats before, during and after games to meet their tight deadlines. With the entire print fleet managed by Ricoh, everything runs smoothly and OSEG's IT department can focus on other tasks that advance the enterprise. If a printer does need service, OSEG simply makes a call and a Ricoh technician is on site quickly.
With its advanced, high-speed color production printer, OSEG is able to produce high-end materials such as proposals for current clients and prospects that reflect the brand. Color and clarity is always spot-on to elevate the message they are trying to convey to grow business. And as new technology continues to be introduced to OSEG, they know they have a partner in Ricoh with an eye toward innovation and the organization's overall success.