As event goers will understand, paper tickets are now becoming a thing of the past.
The days of holding a physical ticket to enter an event are becoming less frequent. Initially, the major transition for ticketing websites was to distribute an electronic version of the ticket which would then be printed for easier entry.
With the advances in technology, many venues now have their own respective phone app in which the ticket is located. Ticket comparison platform Seat compare, have seen the digital transition in the UK with major venues in Manchester, London and Liverpool being the most prominent.
The way fans attend events has changed completely. After payment for tickets, the user opens up the phone app, shows the QR Code or Barcode and after the venue scans it, they enter the stadium.
We discuss the primary benefits of digital tickets for major events:
1. Convenience of entry.
With nearly all guests owning a smartphone, fans are able to use it to enter to the venue without the need of printing or waiting for physical tickets in the post. Tickets can be transferred instantly to the smartphone meaning that there is no wait time. Additionally, unlike physical tickets, technically you cannot lose your digital tickets.
2. Environmentally Friendly
For major events such as a concert in Hyde Park or football match at Wembley stadium, the attendance of fans can be close to 100,000. The environmental cost of printing all these tickets can be huge. The use of digital tickets, removes the need to print this huge amount of tickets. Additionally, distributing these physical tickets in the mail can be damaging for the environment. For many, this is the most important benefit of using digital tickets over paper tickets.
3. Safer and More Secure
The use of digital tickets are not only more secure, they eliminate the risk of physical ticket fraud. For major events using physical tickets, fraud and scams have been a huge issue. Fans have purchased counterfeit tickets, only to realise they are fake when they get to the entrance. Digital tickets can be issued to fans without the possibility of duplication, screenshots or fakes being sold.
4. Contactless Entry
The world has changed since the pandemic, many venues now operate a contactless environment including with digital tickets. The use of mobile ticketing means that there is no physical exchange of tickets or even payment in the venue.
As with any major transition, there can be some issues, the use of digital tickets has caused some events, including AO Arena and even the FIFA World Cup to pause entry into the event when the local internet services were disrupted. These disruptions can occur in any industry and the more we use digital ticketing, the less they will become apparent.
Mobile ticketing is now an industry norm, the benefits for all parties outweigh any negatives, it is an easier, safer and even more convenient way to access tickets and enter the event.
What are your thoughts on digital tickets, have you experiences been positive? Feel free to leave a comment below on how venues are becoming digital tickets only.
