Arena Play On | So-Keyldzn

Background

Arena Play On — an indoor sports complex in Schoelcher, Martinique. 5v5 Football, Padel, VR gaming. Three worlds, one roof.

The need: a site that presents all three activities clearly and integrates their existing booking system. They already had their booking app — just needed a showcase site that redirects to it properly.

Arena Play On homepage — Three activities, one entry point. The homepage guides without confusing.

How it went down

This project took a year and a half. Not because it was technically complex — but because client back-and-forth and response delays stretched the timeline.

Phase 1 — Mockups and structure. Page definitions, navigation, visual direction.

Phase 2 — WordPress development. Elementor integration, custom CSS to escape the template look.

Phase 3 — Booking system integration. Their external app is integrated via iframe — the challenge was making it look seamless.

Iterations — Feedback, adjustments, new requests, client-side pauses. The project lived its life over a year and a half before going live.

The challenge

Three different audiences, three mindsets. The person who wants to book a football match doesn't think like the one exploring VR.

And each activity has its own logic:

Football — 1-hour slots, up to 10 players
Padel — 1.5-hour slots, 4 players max
VR — 30-minute sessions, 2 people per station

The site had to present all this clearly and redirect to their booking system without friction.

The approach

WordPress + Elementor — client requirement. The challenge: make a site that doesn't look like a template.

Activity-based navigation

Three clear paths from the homepage. Each activity gets its section with dedicated visuals, pricing, and direct booking access. You know where you're going in one click.

Not "Services" but "Football", "Padel", "VR". People think in intentions, not features.

5v5 Football page — Each activity has its page. Football gets the full treatment.

Booking integration

The booking system is an external app the client already had. I integrated it via iframe, styling it as much as possible to blend visually with the site. Not a custom system — just a clean integration.

Padel page — The booking iframe integrates without breaking the experience.

Decisions

WordPress, but sharp. The platform has a reputation for being slow. I stripped the theme, removed useless plugins, wrote custom CSS for every component. Result: faster than most "premium" WordPress sites.

Activity first. Early wireframes organized by type — "Bookings", "About", etc. I restructured around activities. People think: "I want to play padel Saturday", not "I want to access the bookings section".

Real photos. Indoor complexes can feel cold. We used photos taken during actual matches — movement, energy, genuine expressions.

Arena Play On About page — Real team, real place, real story.

What I learned

A year-and-a-half-long project for a showcase site teaches you things. The tech wasn't the problem — it was managing client timing that stretched the timeline. Gaps between feedback rounds, shifting client priorities, validations that dragged on.

The site is live, it does its job. The Arena team can update content — hours, events, photos — without touching code. That was the deliverable: a site that works for the business, not just for launch day.