Sodexo Live! Accelerator USA

Sodexo Live! supplies clients such as stadiums, arenas, convention and conference centers, zoos, museums, and more with a range of bespoke catering services, hospitality and marketing solutions.

The Sodexo Live! Accelerator was launched to encourage startups and emerging suppliers to bring innovative new solutions to Sodexo Live!’s numerous services across their extensive portfolio.

Sodexo’s Accelerator innovation programme has already launched in other territories including China, Brazil, India, France and Sweden, while this L Marks-led programme was the first Accelerator to launch from Sodexo Live! North America.

Through collaboration with startups, this programme aimed to drive innovations in technology that align with Sodexo’s vast portfolio of expertise on workplace experience, vital spaces, workspace, and work-life services.

The categories selected for the Sodexo Live! Accelerator were:

• Employee Excellence
• Guest and Fan Experience
• Operational Optimization

From over 100 applications, 45 were brought to a screening meeting with program stakeholders, before extending a Pitch Day invitation to 12 companies. Of these 12, four teams were selected to formally join the accelerator program.

Results

GiGL

GiGL is a video and mobile-based hiring platform. Applicants share short video applications in response to filmed job listings, departing from the traditional methods to tap into a new labor pool, particularly Gen-Z. Though based in London,  GiGL broke into the US market in the Miami metro area through the Accelerator program.

GiGL was brought into the Accelerator with the aim of innovating around the need for quality high-volume frontline hiring. The decision was made to see GiGL’s breakthrough into the North American market in Miami, across four of Sodexo Live! client sites. These Miami sites are high-impact and adaptable, making them suitable locations for deployment.  During the program, the GiGL team met in person with the HR and management teams at each venue. While in Miami, GiGL lead the process of creating each site’s video job listing for the platform, drawing from their expertise in the mobile-first Gen-Z target market to create highly engaging video content while adhering to Sodexo Live! and client branding guidelines.

As of July 2023, GiGL has 1356 total installs, which has converted to 54 applications and 4 hires. GiGL’s download and application rates have nearly doubled week-over-week since a full-scale deployment in these sites in mid-April 2023.

Sodexo Live! have continued their relationship with GiGL beyond the programme

Thermal Smart

Thermal Smart is an aerogel manufacturing and cold-storage design company, which produced a patent-pending insulated speed rack cover for Sodexo Live! to maintain food at a safe temperature for longer than traditional covers.

Thermal Smart was selected to develop an original product for Sodexo Live! in conjunction with key culinary and food safety specialists. The Thermal Smart team began by meeting with key stakeholders in Las Vegas at CES 2022, where they began their initial thermal imaging work to understand the areas of improvement for cold storage. From this, the team developed several prototypes within the 10-week program, experimenting with varying internal and external materials, as well as the opening direction of the cover (horizontally or vertically).

Thermal Smart successfully met the success criterias. Their cover has significantly increased thermal performance against competitors – food was kept at a safe temperature for over 40% longer indoors, and over 50% longer outdoors when compared with the closest competing product.

Nina Labs

Nina Labs offers an IoT bottle topper for spirits, offering a self-service opportunity for guests, and customizable settings on pour size, price, and quantity on the backend.

The solution was deployed in two Sodexo Live! segments with different use cases. Nina Labs was able to execute a full 10-week pilot in each of the 3 selected Sodexo Live! venues. In one of them, Nina’s bottle tops were moved throughout the facility into different suites, while also expanding the number of tops. In another Nina’s team deployed bottle tops on the most used liquor types within the United Airlines and Airport Dimensions lounges.

Across both pilots, Nina provided significant data around guest trends. The solution also provided real-time inventory control compliant with Sodexo’s beverage program, and assisted with employee management. With Nina, one venue reported that bartenders no longer needed to use a jigger to measure their pours, as the amount-per-pour was digitally pre-set by management. This reflects GM & bartender confidence in the product.

VisioLab

VisioLab provides an AI-driven, iPad-based self-checkout that transforms service efficiency by recognizing products instantly without the need for barcodes or similar.

VisioLab was selected to assist with increasing checkout times while allowing venues to reposition labor where necessary. As opposed to staffing multiple tills simultaneously, one or two employees could supervise and correct any issues.

During their period, VisioLab proved a 99.8% accuracy rate for product identification on their first day, saw 24-26 second transactions (against traditional wait times of over 1 minute) and deployed a new tray to improve user experience.

Sodexo Live! have continued their relationship with VisioLab beyond the programme.