Orlando City SC is extending its partnership with Ticketmaster, and plans to introduce “tap and go” technology at Orlando City Stadium in 2018.
Last week, Orlando City SC and Ticketmaster confirmed that they had come to terms on a multi-year extension for their partnership. This will lead to at least one major initiative for 2018, when tap and go technology is rolled out for admission to Orlando City Stadium.
Mobile ticketing proved to be a popular offering during the stadium’s inaugural season, and the tap and go admission will add to that trend. In implementing tap and go admission, Orlando City SC is hoping to reduce lines to get into the stadium, while offering a technology trend that allows fans to efficiently access the venue through mobile ticketing. More from The Orlando Sentinel:
[Orlando City SC chief revenue officer Chris] Gallagher said the new “tap and go” technology can be compared to what stores now use for credit card payments or Disney’s entry system minus the fingerprint recognition.
“Think of a flat surface and a screen looking up, that’s where you tap and that screen will give you the green light or red light to go in,” Gallagher said. “We’ll probably program the screen to say, ‘Welcome to Orlando City’ or whatever it may be.”
The screen will be the size of a large cellphone and can be placed at the gates when needed and removed when events end. Gallagher said fans may not even have to physically tap their phones, despite the name used to describe the tech, because it may work when their mobile devices simply get close to the screen.
For 2018, season ticket holders will need to opt-in if they want physical cards, which will now be RFID (Radio-frequency identification) cards so that they also work with the “tap and go” system.
“Orlando City SC’s partnership with Ticketmaster has revolutionized the way we do business, helping us to reach our goal of creating the best fan experiences on the ground,” Orlando City SC’s chief revenue officer Chris Gallagher said in a statement on the partnership. “Because of Ticketmaster’s technology, we can leverage the insights gleaned from our ‘smart stadium’ to better understand who’s entering the venue, what’s happening during an event and how we can use this information to improve fan engagement.”
“Orlando City SC is one of the most tech-forward organizations in MLS, paving the way for other venues and sports teams in North America to appreciate the immense benefits of adopting new ticketing and event management technology,” Greg Economou, chief commercial officer for Ticketmaster North America, said in a statement. “We look forward to continued innovation with our partners at Orlando City to create even greater experiences for fans.”
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