New Media at KLM Open 2012 – New app for oldies.

On: September 13, 2012
About Jaimy Quadekker
Hi! My name is Jaimy Quadekker. Originally I am from Leiden (Holland), but after graduating high school I went to Italy to learn the language and explore this beautiful country. I spent three months in Perugia and three in Rome. After that I returned to Holland, to study Communication and Information Science at the University of Utrecht. That took me four years. I started a minor Italian language and a minor Information Science, during this last one my interest for webdesign and usability engineering began to grow. In my Bachelor thesis I wrote about WhatsApp and how it influences bounded solidarity, a new media theory by Rich Ling. I finished my Bachelor in june 2012. Currently I am enrolled in the Masters program of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam.

   

The KLM Open 2012, also known as The Dutch Open, is a famous golf tournament at the golfclub in Hilversum. Golfers from all over the world come to our little country to play golf and win fantastic prices. This year they are introducing a new kind of new media for their tournament. The past few years they already used little mobile radio’s with golfscores, to keep the visitors up to date. But this year they developed an iPhone application especially for this event. An app were the visitors can read information about the golf players and receive up to date messages, golf scores and many more.

A way to involve the visitors at this event. A funny initiative I think, mainly because the average age is around the 50 and also a lot guests above that.  Surprisingly a lot of these ‘old’ people have a modern iPhone. Really enthusiastic about the app, they want to know all the ins and outs. Luckily the organization know their guests, they created a stand where promotion-ladies introduced and explained the new KLM Open App. Welcome the guests and telling everybody to download and install the application. Mainly doing it for them, and explaining what they are doing. While the guests are watching and practicing with them. With a good Wi-Fi signal, a hotspot where they can charge their battery if their battery is low, a clear explanation and two charming ladies, there was no excuse to not install this new App.

Besides a few technical problems, everybody is very exciting about this new application. Funny to see that a lot of guests need to call their personal assistant, son or daughter to give them their apple ID to log in. But still feeling all hip and happening.

A new manner to involve the visitors at their Dutch event. But also the people at home. You can experience everything from your lazy chair. The information, score, pictures, it’s like KLM Open is coming into your living room. This new way, a way that these visitors need to get used to, but really seem to like it. It is funny to see that different forms of new media become a trending topic, not only for youngsters but also oldies want to keep up with the modern times. Although they need their reading glasses to see what’s on that little iPhone thingy that they’re holding in their hand, they are eager to learn.

So are you a golf fanatic or curious to this application of the golf tournament, download the App!

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