Lantern scores big with Sporting Kansas City deal
June 26, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Tech firm Lantern Software’s mobile app hit the right pitch with its hometown soccer team.
Lantern CEO Aaron Sloup
The startup, located in Kansas City, Kan., recently partnered with Sporting Kansas City to offer its mobile concessions ordering platform. The deal, effective Saturday, will allow fans in Sporting KC’s Boulevard Members Club to order and pay for concessions on their phones, and then pick up orders quicker at a separate “fast lane.”
Lantern CEO Aaron Sloup said that working with Sporting KC’s affiliate tech company — Sporting Innovations — enabled the companies to try new, innovative approaches to improve fans’ experiences at the stadium.
“This is definitely a big deal for us,” Sloup said. “Their whole team has been great to work with. They want to stay at the leading edge of technology and that means they’re willing to do some new things to move quickly.”
The app, named Gameday, allows fans to choose concession items and pay for their order via credit card or PayPal. Featuring Sporting KC colors and photos, Gameday then tracks fans’ orders, notifying them of when an order is placed and ready for pickup from a separate line.
Gameday app
Fans may draft an order before entering the Boulevard Members Club, but must enter the club to activate the order via small Bluetooth beacons confirming one’s proximity. The app is now available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.
“We’re continuously looking at ways to improve the fan experience at Sporting Park,” Sporting KC CEO Robb Heineman said in a release. “Lantern has a proven track record of using micro-location to improve the fan experience at sporting events. We are excited to form a relationship with a local company to provide a service that will greatly benefit our fans.”
Lantern previously was conducting pilot testing with the same app technology with the Kansas City Chiefs. Sloup said that testing has yet to result in a contract, though he remains hopeful for a partnership.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KU Innovation Park names new CEO as business incubator ramps up regional eco devo efforts
LAWRENCE — A longtime financial executive at the KU Innovation Park who successfully led funding efforts for the nonprofit economic development organization’s sprawling campus has been officially named its CEO. Adam Courtney most recently served as CFO for the Lawrence-based KU Innovation Park before being named interim CEO in September 2023 after the passing of the…
Book lovers can finally go down The Rabbit Hole at a new North KC children’s literature museum
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. The new museum in North Kansas City’s Iron District is dedicated to immersing kids and their parents in the world of…
How the Kauffman Foundation is tripling down on its KC-focused strategy with trio of high-profile hires
Three new executives are joining the leadership team at one of Kansas City’s most-impactful foundations — a move meant to deepen connections to the city and drive a renewed approach to its mission of economic stability, mobility and prosperity for all. The trio — two Kansas City natives who became experts in their fields and a…
Food bank leases Lawrence restaurant to provide fresh eats for Kansans in need
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Lawrence, Kansas — Nearly a year after the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended…