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Tramlines renews deal with ‘queue-busting’ Gigantic

The city-centre Sheffield festival hopes to cut down on queues caused by extra security checks with a paperless Gigantic solution

By IQ on 17 Jul 2017

Tramlines 2016, main stage, Gigantic

The main stage at Tramlines 2016


image © Simon Butler

This year’s Tramlines festival will feature a “queue-busting” Gigantic ticketing solution that aims to cut down on lines associated with extra security checks.

Gigantic last year cut queuing times by 90%, and the Nottingham-based ticketer says it hopes to further minimise “those dreaded queues” in 2017. “With extra security checks in place at major events such as Glastonbury last month seeing thousands of revellers queuing for hours in the searing sun, Gigantic’s ticketing and box office operation looks set to cut down on those dreaded queues,” reads a statement from the company.

Several UK events have had longer-than-average queues for entry this summer, as festivals increase security measures in response to a string of recent terrorist attacks. Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn on Saturday issued an apology after several people reportedly suffered injuries in a crush while queuing for Ireland’s Longitude festival.

“When we started working with Gigantic, we were at a time of growth, and since then Tramlines has gone from strength to strength, with last year our best in terms of operations,” says Tramlines festival director Sarah Nulty. “It was the most efficient the box office has ever run.”

“Every promoter will tell you that they hate people having to queue to get into their event”

Gigantic founder Mark Gasson says the move away from physical to electronic tickets “brought the operation into the 21st century”. He comments: “Every promoter will tell you that they hate people having to queue to get into their event. For Tramlines, getting the ticketing and box office right was really important to enable them to continue growing the festival. Being on site we can adapt to any situation quickly and offer a solution to ensure everyone gets in quickly and customers are happy.”

Tramlines 2017 takes place at six venues across Sheffield from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 July. Performers include The Libertines, Metronomy, All Saints, Primal Scream and Toots and the Maytals.

Music City Foundation, a Sheffield charity, said in April it had agreed to acquire Tramlines for £1.2m from promoter Tramlines Events Ltd.

 


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