Retail technology innovation of the week: Detroit Pistons World fan experience goes live powered by MeetKai

Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a series brought to you by RTIH, and sponsored by 3D Cloud, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.

Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, alongside the publication of the 2024 report.

So far, we’ve flagged up sterling work being done by Ocado Retail, Decathlon, Lacoste, Downtown Spirits, TalkShopLive, Huck’s, Wing, Nobody’s Child, IKI, Pixevia, Archive, Therabody, Outform, Kingfisher, Boots UK, Ocula Technologies, Ikea, Carrefour Belgium, Matalan, and McDonald’s.

And this week we’re focusing on MeetKai and the Detroit Pistons who have officially launched Detroit Pistons World, a new virtual fan experience.

Powered by MeetKai’s digital twin technology, people can step into an immersive environment that transports them directly into an exact digital replica of the Pistons’ home court at Little Caesars Arena, designed to make you feel as though you’re an active participant in the game.

There, visitors will be cheered on by fans as they compete in a mini-game where they’ll test their skills with a t-shirt cannon, aiming to hit targets and win prizes. The arena will also serve as a hub for future sponsorships, offering fans an opportunity to engage with brands in new ways.

“We are incredibly excited to bring this immersive virtual experience to life in collaboration with the Pistons,” says James Kaplan, Co-Founder and CEO at MeetKai. “With a vision to bring fans closer to the game, this collaboration marks a transformative step in how sports teams engage with their global fanbase, blending the physical and digital worlds in a way that has never been done before.”

New on the MeetKai platform is the locker room feature, which will offer an exclusive digital tour of the Pistons' locker room, complete with new content updated weekly. This area of Detroit Pistons World opens the opportunity to execute future virtual meet and greets with Pistons players, allowing fans to interact directly with their favourite athletes through a new Ask Me a Question feature.

“We’re focused on staying at the forefront of innovation and investing in the technologies that are reshaping the future of the game and sports fan engagement,” says Adam Falkson, Vice President, Business Intelligence of the Detroit Pistons.

“Debuting this experience is a testament to our commitment to bringing Pistons fans closer to the action, no matter where they are, and we look forward to seeing how our partnership with MeetKai evolves and elevates how our beloved fans interact with us.” 

The world will also feature a virtual marketplace, where fans can visit a digital recreation of the in-person Pistons Team Store at Little Caesars Arena and shop for a wide range of official merchandise. From jerseys, hats and accessories to exclusive drops and digital collectibles, this will allow visitors to “try on” merchandise from anywhere in the world before making a purchase.

In addition, MeetKai’s signature avatar customisation technology will be deployed to enable fans to create their own personalised avatars by uploading three selfies. Its AI automatically generates an avatar’s face, and users can then further customise their avatars’ body types, hair, accessories and clothing. With an array of Pistons themed clothing options, fans can dress their avatars in everything from team jerseys to exclusive virtual merchandise.

“MeetKai’s alliance with the Detroit Pistons underscores the company’s growing role as a strategic partner in the sports industry,” says Kevin Bresnahan, Vice President of Business Development.

“We’re proud to be the go to technology platform for NBA teams and beyond to build engaging virtual experiences for fans. This is just the beginning of an exciting new era of fan engagement, and we can’t wait to see how they embrace it.” 

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

MeetKai was among the finalists at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last month’s gathering.