Most Venues Will Get This Wrong

The World Cup is one week away. 

You already know you need to capture customer data. You know this is the biggest footfall opportunity of the year. But most venues haven't actually set up a way to do it.

Scotland plays Haiti. 400 people walk through your door. You pour their pints. You take their money. They leave. And you have no way to contact them again.

Don't be that venue.

Stampede Guest Wi-Fi Is Your Fastest Win

If you’re using Stampede guest Wi-Fi then your login page asks for an email address. That means your data capture tool is already live.

Even if you’re using another provider, there’s a good chance your Wi-Fi login can do the same thing.

The issue usually isn’t the technology. It’s visibility.

Most venues still hide their Wi-Fi details behind the bar with a handwritten password staff have to repeat all night.

Instead, put QR codes everywhere.

• On every table. Print tent cards or stickers that say 'Free Wi-Fi. Scan to connect.' If someone is settling in for a three-hour match, they’ll scan it.

• On the bar. Frame it properly. Make it obvious. Large enough that people can scan it while waiting for drinks.

• Outside. Beer gardens are usually missed entirely. Most guests assume the Wi-Fi won’t reach outdoors, even when it does.

• On the door. Your fallback option. If they haven’t sat down yet, you still have a chance to capture them as they walk in.

That's it. You’ve turned your existing Wi-Fi into a list generation tool.

Cost: £50 max in print materials.

Time: 2 hours.

Table Bookings: Use Stampede

If you already use Stampede Table Bookings or another booking platform, your setup is done. Your job now is simply to promote it everywhere.

Website. Instagram bio. Facebook posts. SMS. Matchday posts. Staff conversations.

Make booking frictionless.

If you don’t have a booking platform in place yet, don’t panic. Focus on the channels you can implement immediately, with minimal training:

• Wi-Fi signups

• Mobile capture (for SMS)

Those two alone can build a valuable database before the tournament even reaches the knockout stages.

SMS: Send One Message Per Match

This is where most venues overcomplicate things.

You do not need a sophisticated campaign strategy during the tournament.

You need one good message at the right time.

Example:

“Scotland play Morocco tomorrow at 11pm. We’ve limited tables available and space for walk-ins. Book here: [link]”

Send it the day before matches, or earlier in the day of the match to catch people looking for a last minute spot.

That’s it.

Remember: the revenue generated from a single SMS campaign can massively outweigh the cost of sending it (roughly 6-8p per message)

Tagging: This Is Where Stampede Saves You Hours

Capturing data is only half the job.

If someone visits during the World Cup, tag them in your database or CRM accordingly.

In Stampede, this can happen automatically when someone connects to Wi-Fi during a matchday period.

Even if you’re using another CRM, create a simple tag manually:

World Cup 2026 or world_cup_2026 (for better machine readability)

That single tag becomes incredibly valuable later in the year when you launch autumn sports campaigns, Christmas bookings, or major event promotions.

Do not overcomplicate segmentation at this stage.

One tag is enough.

The Tools You Probably Already Have (Or Should Have)

At minimum, every venue should have:

• Guest Wi-Fi data capture

• A table booking system

• A marketing CRM, and

• SMS campaign capability

That setup is enough to build meaningful, useful customer engagement during the tournament.

Your Pre-Tournament Checklist

Before kickoff, make sure you have:

• Printed Wi-Fi QR codes

• Tested the Wi-Fi signup flow yourself

• Added booking links to your website and social channels

• Set up customer tagging

• Tested your SMS campaigns

Total cost: Usually £0–50 for print materials
Setup time: 4–5 hours maximum

Now you can focus on staffing, stock, screens, and surviving matchdays.

What Not To Do

• Don't ask for too much info. Name, email, phone. That's it. Anything more and people skip it.

• Don't forget to ask for permission. Include a clear opt-in checkbox for marketing communications. It keeps you compliant and improves data quality.

• Don't hide the Wi-Fi QR codes. Make them obvious.

• Don't collect data and then ignore it. Tag it, store it, use it.

The Goal

After the first England and Scotland group stage matches, most venues should've captured plenty of new customer records depending on size and footfall.

That becomes your starting audience for:

• Autumn campaigns

• Six Nations promotions

• Christmas bookings

• Live sport events

• New menu launches

And if your systems are connected properly, all of that data is already organised and ready to use.

Start this week.

Because once the tournament begins, it’s too late to build the foundations properly.