Connecting 2,000 Event Staff Across the Adelaide Oval Stadium

The Communication Challenge

Adelaide Oval is one of Australia’s premier sports stadiums, hosting cricket and Australian rules football (AFL), as well as regular concerts and cultural events.

The stadium employs nearly 2,000 employees spread across the venue. But with 70-80% of the workforce being casual, non-desk-based staff, it could be challenging to keep everyone in the loop at all times.

Recognizing the need for a new approach, Adelaide Oval had to reimagine its internal comms:

• Adopt a mobile-first platform that lives in everyone's pocket. Most employees worked occasionally, so there was no reliable way to reach them before.
• Enable real conversation. For too long, communications moved downward, but questions, ideas, and frontline insight had no path upward.
• Erase the permanent/casual divide. The intranet created a two-tier culture – only permanent staff had access, while 80% of the workforce was locked out.
• Build a feedback engine powered by real data. Communication success depended on periodic surveys, while a modern platform generates actionable data that guides improvement.
• Turn marketing talent inward. Leverage the high-performing marketing team to create internal content people crave to consume – content that keeps them connected even when they're not working.

With "people" as a strategic pillar, Adelaide Oval needed a platform that made communication user-friendly, accessible, and fun. After all, if the company creates memorable experiences for fans, employees should feel the same way.

“We had an intranet that was only accessed if you were connected to the network, but our casuals couldn’t access the network, so large parts of our workforce were not connected to the daily goings on of the business.” – Jemma Sayers, General Manager of People and Culture at Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority.

A New Platform Arrives:

Adelaide Oval needed a platform that could do what their previous tools couldn't: reach everyone, everywhere, instantly. Workvivo was the answer – mobile-first, intuitive, and built for two-way conversation.

With Workvivo's support through guides and checklists, the rollout was sharp and easy to follow. The team went from sandbox to live in about six weeks, committing to a full "big bang" launch.

For permanent staff, the launch coincided with their quarterly town hall, with Workvivo's team on-site to support activations in real time. For casual workers, the first home AFL game became an activation event: QR code banners transformed the break room, and a photo booth let people snap fun branded pics.

Once people were in, certain features became instant hits and drove continued adoption:

• Nomination Awards: The manual nightmare of collecting and celebrating values-based nominations became automated and effortless.
• Livestreams: Quarterly Grow & Connect sessions (CEO updates, training, celebrations) were now streamed live and available for replay.
• Events Calendar: Casual staff, especially students, could now plan their shifts and university schedules around upcoming events.
• Push Notifications: In a non-desk-based workforce, push notifications ensured that employees received critical communication in real time that they would otherwise miss in the moment.
• Badges: Employees took great pride in service award badges (marking five or 10 years of service).

Adelaide Oval also accelerated the platform’s adoption by introducing a Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) dynamic: early users got exclusive perks and insider updates available only on Workvivo. For instance, anyone who activated a Workvivo account in the first week entered a draw for Metallica concert tickets. 

The FOMO strategy didn't stop at launch. Management negotiated with event promoters to share embargoed announcements on Workvivo prior to official media releases. This simple shift gave them a reason to check the app.

Instead of logging in out of obligation, people started checking in to avoid missing tickets, news, or nominations.

“In the early days, incentives supported uptake, for example we held a competition that if you activated Workvivo within the first week, you went into a draw to win tickets to Metallica.” – Jemma Sayers.

A Culture of Shared Pride

• ~2,000 employees unified, bringing the entire workforce – from casuals to executives – into a single internal comms hub for the first time.
• 125 recognition nominations in two months, a massive surge in recognition across teams and managers.
• Multiple generations engaged, as video content successfully bridges the divide, resonating equally with staff aged 15 to 84.

Adelaide Oval went from a culture where employees could feel out of the loop to one where the entire team gets up and heads to the café in unison when a post announces fresh bread is ready.

Leadership became visible. The deeper engagement on the platform meant the CEO’s updates had higher visibility – allowing them to become a more active voice in the Adelaide Oval culture.

Everyday heroes got their spotlight. Workvivo became the space for celebrating people who keep things running – from cleaning teams to operations staff. These moments created a ripple effect, encouraging more frequent recognition.

Safety content became a must-watch. Posts promoting National Safe Work Month sparked open discussions. Creative, TikTok-style safety videos became some of the most-watched content.

Two-way dialogue is the new norm. Leadership messages now get comments, reactions, and stories from staff on the ground. The platform turned monologue into dialogue.

“If we haven’t uploaded milestone badges at the time of their 10-year service, team members email us straight away asking, ‘Where’s my 10-year badge on my Workvivo?’ They pay attention because they’re proud.” – Jemma Sayers.

The Door Stays Open

Today, Adelaide Oval employees are the first ones to know everything about their workplace.

What started as a solution to a communication conundrum has become the beating heart of how Adelaide Oval operates. And now, the door stays open for everyone.