You’ve probably seen those squiggly black square bar codes on magazine ads, coupons and restaurant tent cards and you may have found yourself wondering what they are. Or you already know what they are and you — like our staff here at TourneyCentral — giggle a little bit when we see one and have to shoot it with your iPhone just to see what is there.
Now, we are bringing those QR Codes to all our soccer tournaments. TourneyCentral implemented an integration of QR Codes for youth soccer tournaments that leads directly to the web application version of the scores, sponsor DEALS and tournament news. The web app is cross-platform and can be used on any smart phone that has a web browser such as Android, iPhone, HTC and other full-screen smart phone. TourneyCentral is the first and only soccer tournament software provider to integrate QR codes for youth soccer tournaments.
We’re pretty excited about the whole deal and we think your guest teams will be too once they try it out. QR codes are basically speed-dial for smart phone. Soccer fans just need to point and click on the code with a web-enabled smart phone to load the mobile site.
The first soccer tournament to be outfitted with a QR code is the CUSA Cup in Centerville, Ohio over Labor Day weekend, September 3-5, 2011. The QR code is displayed on the sidebar of every page on the website. The CUSA Cup tournament is also printing the QR code on the cover of their program as well as displaying at on the scoring boards at each of their four sites.
Screen shots from the TourneyCentral mobile web app
Our Advice: Promote the QR Code everywhere you print materials for your tournament. Make sure it shows up on the back of your business cards, listing ads in your association publication and on your website. Promote the QR Code to your sponsors and advertisers as another way you are reaching out to your guest teams and driving traffic to those who support your soccer tournament. It’s a mobile world. Think mobile.