Features
Presenting Ticketmaster Presence
The cat is out of the bag, as Ticketmaster is taking another step in its transition to primarily digital ticketing with its new Ticketmaster Presence platform.
– Ticketmaster
Presence is the integration of different technologies into one digital pass that will expedite entry and waiting times; facilitate better communication between fans, staff and organizers; and gather data.
The platform is already being used in 33 venues in North America, with plans to be in 80 by the end of 2017, including the new
“We wanted to usher in a new age of digital ticketing but use paradigms that were very familiar to people,” Burleigh said.
One of the main benefits of digital ticketing is the ability to simply scan a device rather than to purchase and check a paper ticket, and Burleigh said Presence tries to mimic experiences like Apple’s Wallet or the Starbucks App.
“It’s a very tap-and-go experience for the fan,” he said.
Not only will fans be able to make purchases and move quicker, but if some entrances at a venue are particularly congested, Burleigh said Presence will provide a way for organizers to suggest fans use alternate entrances.
The digital pass also gives organizers access to data regarding when fans have taken their seats and when staff require additional support or resources.
In total there are already more than 100 features being tested at the venues currently using the technology and more than 10 million people will have entered 4,000 events with tickets verified by Presence by the end of the year.
Obviously not everyone has a smart phone and paper tickets will utilize Ticketmaster’s new SmartTicket technology with embedded ID tags.
Other players, even outside the music industry, are excited about the arrival of Presence. Patrick Ryan of the ticket distribution and pricing company Eventellect, which mostly works with sports teams, said Ticketmaster’s work with Presence and other recent innovations are providing exciting opportunities to change the fan experience.
One novel idea Ryan mentioned was the Cincinnati Reds’ use of “cubbies” to deliver food to fans, rather than bringing it directly to their seats. Because fans don’t like being stuck waiting at a seat for food but they also don’t need to wait in line, he said fans can order food from their seats at a Reds game and, when ready, they receive the passcode to a locker they can visit to pick up their food.
One of the biggest challenges in working with digital ticketing on the plethora of digital devices fans bring to shows is to make the experience simple for all fans, and many features for Presence remain in development, such as the integration of ultrasonic technology (data transfer through sound waves) with the company Lisnr.