Testing Times
Digital ticketing has played a key role in the smooth running of Covidsafe events . Now suppliers are developing systems to assist in the delivery of health passport processing at full-capacity shows .
Words : Christopher Barrett
The Covid-19 crisis has sparked
innovation in many quarters , not least the ticketing sector . Leading operators are developing technology that may well play a significant role in the return of full-capacity events .
In the meantime , pre-existing digital ticketing technology is perfectly suited to helping to enable Covid-safe event environments .
Kilimanjaro Live CEO and Concert Promoters Association vice chairman Stuart Galbraith , whose company owns and operates events including the 20,000-capacity Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival , believes the industry-wide adoption of digital tickets is well overdue .
He says , “ As an event producer and promoter , in the last 10 years it ’ s been a huge frustration for me that we as an industry could have been delivering a better service to customers if everyone had agreed a protocol where electronic ticketing would be acceptable across the board and scanning and access control systems would take input from everybody that sold a ticket .
“ Because of the politics of ticketing , and the landgrab of inventory , various companies have refused to do that and as a result have perpetuated the necessity for a customer to have a piece of paper stuffed in an envelope and sent to their house . The airline industry worked out 10 years ago that you don ’ t need a physical ticket .
“ I think the pandemic will see the death of the paper ticket , at last , and good riddance to it .”
Playing it safe
One of the best examples of how digital technology can be harnessed to play
“ Being able to control the flow of people and what happens on the concourses is really key at the moment . We restricted each fan ’ s movement to a particular zone .” a key role in the smooth running of a Covid-safe event was the heavyweight boxing championship match between Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev at SSE Arena , Wembley .
The event on 12 December , which saw Joshua overcome his opponent in front of an audience of 1,000 at the 11,500-capacity venue , was entirely contactless for attendees . Realife Tech worked in partnership with ticketing service AXS in order that attendees could use their phones for everything from contactless entry to ordering food and beverages .
AXS provided mobile-only digital ticketing , and fans were required to download and share their tickets digitally through The SSE Arena , Wembley mobile app , powered by Realife Tech .
Realife Tech ’ s CEO Adam Goodyer says , “ It becomes a completely linked experience from digital mobile tickets enabling contactless event entry , easy ticket sharing so each member of the party has their own ticket on the app , and in-seat ordering of food and beverages .”
The use of the app to order items meant that fans remained in their seats until they were notified , via the app , when their orders were ready for pick up from a nearby collection point . As a result , crowd movement throughout the arena was heavily reduced and congestion on concourses avoided .
SSE Arena , Wembley general manager & VP John Drury said the process worked well : “ Being able to control the flow of people and what happens on the concourses is really key at the moment . We restricted each fan ’ s movement to a particular zone .”
Goodyer says that aside from being able to create a contactless journey for attendees , and avoid congestion within the venue , it also resulted in increased food and beverage transactions : “ By eliminating unnecessary queuing , the spend per head was significantly higher than an average boxing event .”
Launched in 2011 , AEG-owned
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