The Challenge
CIG’s CitizenCon event attracts massive attention from Star Citizen’s global fanbase, with attendees looking to engage not only with the game but also through event merchandise. While merchandise at CitizenCon is more about community engagement and brand building, it also represents a substantial revenue stream over the limited timeframe of the event.
CIG needed a solution that could seamlessly capture customer data, integrate that information into their global spending system, and operate flawlessly under high demand. With the merchandise store being an integral part of the overall experience, any downtime or technical issues could affect both the financial outcomes and the event's reputation.
CIG required a solution that was:
- Feature-rich enough to support complex needs, such as capturing customer data for their engagement programs.
- Scalable to handle massive traffic surges during the event.
The Solution
As an Adyen customer, CIG initially sought a solution within Adyen's ecosystem and was referred to Leav due to its expertise in delivering scalable, cost-effective solutions. Leav’s platform was uniquely suited to handle CIG’s high expectations, particularly when it came to the critical need of capturing customer information at checkout.
Leav’s LiveCartTM platform was selected for its ultra-low latency of just 17ms, allowing for real-time collaboration across devices, such as tablets and mobile payment terminals. This flexibility made it possible for CIG to deliver a seamless in-person checkout experience while ensuring interoperability across various devices. Furthermore, the solution was designed to scale with ease, supporting the high volume of transactions expected during CitizenCon without compromising performance.
Key Features of the Solution:
- Real-time Scalability: Leav’s architecture is built to handle high transaction volumes without performance degradation, using state-of-the-art live communication technology.
- Fast Response Times: The platform’s 17ms average latency allows multiple users to collaborate on shopping carts in real time, enabling fast, efficient transactions.
- Cross-device Flexibility: CIG was able to deploy Leav’s solution across mobile payment terminals and tablets with full interoperability, enhancing the customer experience.
- Data Capture and Compliance: The seamless and compliant capture of customer information at checkout was crucial for tying physical spending to customers' global Star Citizen accounts, driving loyalty and engagement.
Deployment and Execution
From the decision to proceed with Leav to the final deployment, the entire process took less than a week. The deadlines were non-negotiable due to the fixed date of CitizenCon, but Leav adapted its solution quickly and efficiently to meet CIG's timeline. The international nature of the event meant that Leav also ensured compliance with legal and financial regulations across different regions.
Key Challenges:
- Time Constraint: With only a week from project acceptance to launch, there was no margin for error.
- International Compliance: Ensuring financial and legal compliance across multiple regions required quick adaptation from Leav’s team.
- Leav provided 24/7 support leading up to and throughout the event, ensuring that the system was monitored in real-time, although no issues requiring escalation arose.
Results
Leav’s deployment for CIG at CitizenCon was a resounding success. Over the two-day event, CIG nearly sold out of all its merchandise, driving hundreds of thousands of British pounds in payment volume. More importantly, Leav’s solution enabled CIG to capture crucial customer data during each transaction, all while maintaining compliance with relevant data protection regulations.
Key Outcomes:
• Sales Success: CIG achieved near-complete sell-through of its merchandise, maximizing revenue.
• Flawless Execution: No major technical issues were reported, allowing for a smooth experience for both CIG and their customers.
• Customer Data Integration: CIG was able to seamlessly capture customer information, tying physical purchases to global accounts to enhance engagement and loyalty.
"The collaboration with Leav was key to the success of our CitizenCon 2954 merchandise store. Their platform not only delivered on every expectation but exceeded it by allowing us to engage with our customers in ways we hadn’t previously thought possible."
— [Arnaldo Zamora, Payment Platform Specialist]
Conclusion
Leav’s partnership with Cloud Imperium Games for CitizenCon 2024 proved the power of a well-executed, scalable solution tailored to meet the needs of a high-demand, high-engagement event. Leav’s technology, in partnerships with Adyen’s state of the art payments ecosystem, not only supported massive traffic volumes but also delivered on key objectives such as customer data capture and compliance, all within an extremely tight timeframe.
This deployment demonstrated the versatility, robustness, and adaptability of Leav’s platform, setting a high standard for future event-based merchandise experiences.
Use cases: Mobile POS, Standalone POS, Events and Tradeshows,
