Registration is open now and offers game tickets, other prizes
ORLANDO – As part of the Orlando Magic’s continuing commitment to innovation and technology, the team will host the second annual Magic Innovation Challenge on February 3-5, 2023 at the Magic offices in the CNL II building. The weekend will offer developers, students, marketers, startup enthusiasts, graphic artists and sports business professionals the opportunity to pitch new, innovative ideas and hear from some of the top minds in the sports technology field. Participants will be given a general business challenge and then be tasked with forming a team to create solutions.
Registration includes suite tickets to the Magic vs. Nuggets game on February 9, networking opportunities, food, drinks and other Magic items. For more information and to register, please visit www.orlandomagic.com/omic2023.
The Magic’s Innovation Challenge is powered by HyperValidation, an event-based innovation program launched by local entrepreneurs Rajiv Menon and Jacques Fu. It will offer participants the opportunity to interact with potential customers, get training in innovation methodology and have expert mentors to assist with the presentation that will be pitched to a panel of judges on the last day of the weekend. The winning team will be recognized at halftime of the Magic vs. Nuggets on February 9 at center court.
“The Magic’s inaugural Innovation Challenge was a huge success last year and we’re excited to bring it back,” said Magic Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation Jay Riola. “One of our core values at the Magic is innovation. Through that value is our belief in the power of collaboration and creative thinking. Central Florida is home to an active and vibrant innovation community, and we are excited to host this exciting event for a second year.”
Judges picking the winning presentation will include Magic Vice President of Shareholder Engagement Ryan DeVos, along with key members in academia and local business leaders. Prizes for the winning teams to include tickets to a game during the 2023-24 season, Orlando Magic Team Shop gift cards and more.
In 2014, the Magic opened the first design thinking-based innovation lab in the NBA. The lab’s genesis came from the desire to create a safe place for new ideas and creativity after innovation was determined to be a core value of the team. The lab is a place where judgement is suspended, ambiguity embraced, and the evolution of habitual ways encouraged.
More than 100 projects have gone through the lab, ranging from customer service initiatives to technology applications to corporate partner activation activities and arena renovations.
The Orlando Magic have a history of placing a priority on the customer through technology and innovation. Since 2010, the Magic have prioritized and leveraged data, analytics, and business intelligence and has worked with partner SAS, a leader in analytics software and services, to better understand its fans and use insights to enhance their enjoyment and improve business operations.
In 2015, the team was the first in the NBA to adopt cutting-edge mobile technology allowing fans to utilize the Magic app to personalize their experience at Amway Center, including managing tickets, purchasing seat upgrades, and ordering express pickup or in-seat delivery of food, beverage, and retail merchandise all from their mobile phone. The Magic have also pioneered new methods of digital fan engagement such as Magic Vision Mobile, flexible ticketing solutions, including various pass ticketing products, called the Fast Break Pass, and introducing the first-of-its-kind Magic Money program that allows Loyal Blue season ticket members to return tickets for games they’re unable to attend and create a digital currency for use to customize their membership experience at future games. In addition, the Magic have implemented elements from the winning concept at last year’s challenge in the form of a new ticketing product aimed at local college students.
ABOUT THE ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. Under the DeVos family’s ownership, the Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning six division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2019) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $27 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 32 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the 2021 G League champion Lakeland Magic, which began play in the 2017-18 season in nearby Lakeland, Fla.; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning; and Magic Gaming, of the NBA 2K League, which began play in the spring of 2018. The Magic play their home games at the award-winning Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year. For ticket information log on to OrlandoMagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.