Co-op Live embraces new app technology to enhance audience engagement
Manchester app developer, Chatloop, has partnered with the Co-op Live venue, providing the tech to transform the way audiences engage with, share, and document live events.
Co-op Live will be using Chatloop’s innovative experience-sharing technology within its website and app to give fans the chance to contribute their live experiences to a collective story, amplifying the event’s impact.
By scanning QR codes around the 23,500-seat venue, fans can instantly upload ‘Loops’ – photos, videos, mentions and comments – directly onto Co-op Live’s website for the world to discover, engage with and share, which will contribute to a collective, ever-growing story long after the artist has left the stage.
The strategic alliance aims to significantly enhance audience interaction, brand visibility and community impact.
With Co-op Live hosting more than 120 events and expecting in excess of one million fans in 2024 alone, the partnership will leverage Manchester tech start-up Chatloop’s cutting edge technology to provide millions of event-goers with unforgettable shared digital experiences.
Chatloop’s technology turns brands’ and businesses’ digital real-estate into immersive digital spaces, bridging the gap between online content and social sharing, and creating a new way for brands to connect with customers the moment they land on a website or app.
It launched in public beta mode last year, and its shared experiences app has already been awarded default browser status by Apple, the only UK third-party app to achieve this accolade, and one of just nine worldwide.
Andrew Barlow, CEO and founder of Chatloop, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the groundbreaking partnership with Co-op Live and Chatloop, set to truly transform live event experiences. The partnership sets a new benchmark for how technology can create more engaging, interactive and memorable experiences for fans worldwide.
“As the Shared Experience Partner, we plan to bring innovative digital sharing to every event, bridging the gap between the in-the-moment experience and online community interaction. We’re not just about enhancing the event, however, we’re creating a new experience where every fan is part of the story, every moment is shared and every event sets the stage for engagement.”
Elbow play Co-op Live Arena
Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group, joint venture partner and operator of Co-op Live, said: “It’s a great pleasure to partner with Chatloop to support Oak View Group and Co-op Live’s vision of fully enhancing the fan experience, and extending it long beyond the event itself.
“Chatloop’s innovative expertise in fostering shared experiences makes them the perfect fit for Co-op Live, one of the most innovative live entertainment venues in the world.
“Together, we are setting a new standard in how audiences engage and connect, not just with live events, but with each other, as part of our drive to offer an unparalleled experience before, during and after their visit.”
In September last year Chatloop raised £2.1m in a funding round from private investors as it prepared for its official UK roll-out of its app.
The funds raised allowed Chatloop to drive user numbers and increase engagement, build out the internal team, and continue its fundraising ambitions.
One of the businesses involved in the early testing of the technology was Manchester-based ecommerce giant, THG.
Barlow came up with the idea for the app after taking issue with a breaking transfer story about his favourite football team, Manchester United. Finding no way of responding to the report directly on the team’s website, he conceived a new type of web engagement.
