Project Brief

SHAPE - Proof of Concept

Project Title: AR+IQ Fan Engagement Prototype for Pasifika Rugby Week

Location: Eden Park, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

Lead Team: SHAPE (Nick Webb, Lance Webb) SYNAPTEC (Kriv Naicker) iSPARX™ (Joff Rae, James Norling)

Platform: AR+IQ by iSPARX™

Modular Features: Sweet Orange, iNViTE™, Collectibles, Event CMS, Telemetry

1. Overview

This Proof of Concept (PoC) proposes a spatially enabled, immersive fan engagement experience across three key events during Pasifika Rugby Week at Eden Park:

  • Pasifika Rugby Awards

  • Pasifika Festival at Eden Park

  • Moana Pasifika vs Auckland Blues Derby

The PoC demonstrates how AR+IQ can be used to transform Eden Park into a location-aware digital twin, engaging fans through personalised, multi-user augmented reality experiences.

2. Objectives

  • Deploy AR+IQ modular features to enrich fan engagement across three high-profile events

  • Map Eden Park as a digital venue for future immersive deployments

  • Test interoperability of Sweet Orange, iNViTE™, and CMS modules in a live context

  • Capture user interaction data via ethical telemetry for post-event insights

3. Audience

  • Rugby fans, community attendees, Pasifika stakeholders

  • Event partners and sponsors

  • Cultural leaders and digital artists

4. Modular Features Activated

  • Sweet Orange: AI avatar system for welcome messages, guided tours, and schedule prompts

  • iNViTE™: Location-based digital invites, wayfinding and promotional triggers across the venue

  • Collectibles: Multi-event token collection feature for gamified audience retention

  • CMS: Admin portal for uploading, managing, and scheduling interactive content

  • Analytics Engine: Consent-based, privacy-focused tracking of user behaviours and movement

5. Schedule of Dependencies

6. Evaluation Criteria

  • Audience engagement levels and feedback

  • Module stability and data capture integrity

  • Cross-partner collaboration effectiveness

  • Cultural alignment and representation

7. Outcome

This PoC will serve as a scalable reference model for fan engagement in sport and cultural events, supporting the expansion of SHAPE as a vertical within AR+IQ’s event and venue strategy. If successful, this deployment model may be replicated across other stadium-based events in Aotearoa and the Pacific region.

Pasifika Rugby Awards has a schedule of events booked at Eden Park for 5 years.
Thursday Evening

Pasifika Rugby Awards

As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, get comfortable, and begin connecting with those around us. The journey starts here.

Saturday Day

Pasifika Festival - Eden Park

Together, we pause to consider our goals, hopes, and direction. This is about aligning with ourselves and with the journey ahead. This is a chance to reconnect with what brought you here—your questions, your hopes, your turning points—and consider how they’ve shifted or deepened.

Saturday Afternoon

Moana Pasifika vs Auckland Blues
Eden Park

We explore the possibilities beyond this moment, making space for growth, action, and forward momentum. As we end our time together, we honor the experience, the growth, and the connections made along the way.