Cincinnati Open Tennis, Technology, and the Future of Fan Experience
Tech Talks Daily · 2026-06-11 · 31 min
Episode notes
How do you double the size of a major sporting venue, rebuild its technology foundation, and still deliver a seamless experience for hundreds of thousands of fans? Recording from Cisco Live, I spoke with Robert Nichols, Principal Technical Architect for the Cincinnati Open, about the enormous undertaking behind one of the most respected tournaments in professional tennis. As an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, the Cincinnati Open recently completed a $260 million expansion that increased the campus from 20 to 40 acres, all while working against a deadline that could not be moved. Our conversation explores what happens behind the scenes when nearly 300,000 visitors arrive expecting every aspect of the event to work flawlessly. From ticket scanning and connectivity to food service, hospitality, broadcasting, security, and crowd management, every part of the operation depends on infrastructure that most fans never think about. Robert explains how the team approached modernization without losing the qualities that have made the tournament special for generations.
More from Tech Talks Daily
All episodes →- How zeb Rebuilt Consulting Around AI With Substrate45 / 100
- How Precisely Is Closing the AI Data Integrity Gap47 / 100
- The API Security Crisis Exposed By Akamai's State Of The Internet Report44 / 100
- How Sinch Sees AI Triggering The Biggest Communication Shift Since SMS
- How GlobalFoundries Keeps Semiconductor Production Running 24/7