Ticketmaster has hailed a record-breaking summer season, having scanned four million fans into events across the UK and Ireland.

According to the Live Nation-owned ticketing platform, 80% of tickets were scanned using its SafeTix technology, which was rolled out to festivals this year.

The technology links a fan’s digital ticket to their Ticketmaster account through an encrypted barcode that automatically refreshes every few seconds, preventing resellers from exploiting screenshots or photocopies of tickets to sell them multiple times.

The anti-counterfeit ticketing technology was launched at festivals including Isle of Wight, Parklife, BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend and TRNSMT.

“Just when we think it can’t get bigger, another record-breaking summer rolls in”

This summer also saw the launch of last-minute resale – giving fans the option to resell their tickets at the price they paid right up until the gates open.

“By giving fans the ability to sell their tickets right up until gates open, we’ve ensured that fields have been full this summer,” says Andrew Parsons, Ticketmaster UK MD. “Not only is this such a vital component for outdoor shows, but the uptake in these last-minute sales is testament to just how important flexibility and secure resale is to fans.”

Ticketmaster also revealed that their teams worked more than 25,000 hours in box offices this summer at over 600 events.

“Just when we think it can’t get bigger, another record-breaking summer rolls in,” adds Parsons. “The amount of hard work from our teams in box offices up and down the country has been remarkable. But the highlight for me is always the fans – seeing the joy on their faces as we scan them through the gates never gets old.”

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Ticketmaster has launched SafeTix, its anti-counterfeit ticketing technology, at festivals for the first time.

Following the March rollout in venues in the UK and Ireland, SafeTix launched this summer at festivals including Isle of Wight, Parklife, BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend and TRNSMT.

The technology links a fan’s digital ticket to their Ticketmaster account through an encrypted barcode that automatically refreshes every few seconds, preventing resellers from exploiting screenshots or photocopies of tickets to sell them multiple times.

The tickets also include NFC (Near Field Communication) technology that allows fans to enter venues through a simple “tap and go” experience at venue entrances.

“We used to have so many fans turn up with fake tickets they purchased at ridiculous prices from unofficial secondary sites”

Four million SafeTix have been scanned at numerous festivals and in 100 venues across the UK and Ireland since March.

“We used Ticketmaster’s SafeTix at our sell-out Arctic Monkeys and Muse shows with great success,” says Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts.

“We used to have so many fans turn up with fake tickets they purchased at ridiculous prices from unofficial secondary sites, only to be turned away. The SafeTix technology has completely eliminated this issue, with a barcode that constantly updates and cannot be screenshot.”

SafeTix was initially launched in North American venues in 2019 and has since been rolled out in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. Globally, Ticketmaster scanned more than 20 million SafeTix in July alone.

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Ticketmaster has unveiled a partnership with the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine.

The events at M&S Bank Arena (cap. 11,000) in May will benefit from Ticketmaster’s SafeTix, encrypted mobile tickets built with powerful fraud and counterfeit protection.

Ticketmaster’s SmartQueue technology will also be in place in the UK to provide an ‘enhanced booking experience’ for fans and ensure fair and secure access to tickets.

“Signing such an array of wonderful music events across the continent is a great way to kick off 2023”

In addition to the partnership with Eurovision, the ticketing behemoth has also inked deals with the concert to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and the Queen Consort at Windsor Palace, the BBC 6 Music Festival, Portugal’s North Music Festival and NL Eventservice in the Netherlands.

Ticketmaster Spain will run Portugal’s boutique North Music Festival, with Ticketmaster Netherlands to lead Dutch promoter NL Eventservice’s various festivals including Live on the Beach and Biggest Summer Party.

“Signing such an array of wonderful music events across the continent is a great way to kick off 2023,” says Chris Edmonds, chairman of Ticketmaster International. “Ticketmaster’s technology is well-placed to not only handle the huge demand that prestigious events like Eurovision or the Coronation concert will bring, but also provide a seamless experience for the smaller, and equally important, events as well.”

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From methods of tackling fraud to improving the visitor experience, ticketing firms are exploring a variety of tools.

High on everyone’s minds is the rapid rise of mobile tickets – as frequently reported in the market profiles throughout ITY 2019. But this is just the start of a mobile-first paradigm shift.

“We’ve got a generation of new consumers coming through now and they don’t just expect their services to be on mobile, they expect them to be mobile first,” says industry veteran Steve Machin, global director of ticketing strategy and innovation at FanDragon. “People are buying tickets now who don’t ‘go online’ to do something, they just use their phone. This move to mobile will make the shift away from CDs look like a slow meander.”

Security is the top priority, says international ticketing consultant Tim Chambers. “Unfortunately, prevention of fraud costs time and resources and all too often organisations fail to plan for worst case, without any regard as to how to recover post-incident, and assume they’ll continue to get away without specialised focus.”

He adds: “Related to this is the issue of combatting automated bots that impact site availability (DDoS), on-sale queueing, event webpage reload, ticket purchase and other operational factors. Unfortunately, as an industry, too little has been done with shared expertise, best practice or market intel.”

Maureen Andersen, president and CEO of the International Ticketing Association (Intix), thinks ticket authenticity is a significant focus for companies when considering how new technology can help them.

“As an industry, too little has been done with shared expertise, best practice or market intel”

“Tickets delivered to your mobile is well established, but what will be more important in this matter is that the distribution is tied to your mobile, for example, by using a barcode that’s refreshed frequently. Ticketmaster has now released SafeTix, which is not unlike other technologies out there, but that the largest ticketing company in the world has done this shows how important authenticity is.”

Launched in May 2019, SafeTix uses a barcode that changes every few seconds, meaning it can’t be copied or screenshotted. Fans can transfer tickets to friends or family using mobile phone numbers or an email address. A new digital ticket is tied to the recipient’s account and phone, each time a ticket is transferred or sold, making the journey of each ticket visible to organisers.

Of course, knowing who all the attendees are provides venues and companies with a rich source of data – an opportunity to track what experiences are valuable to any given consumer.

Generation Z is more comfortable with being tracked in exchange for a fast service, says Andersen. “They know they leave a digital footprint, but they want information right in their hand and they want it immediately. They understand they’re being tracked and they’re okay with it because they get served options and they’re all about options.”

She points to statistics showing that in Las Vegas while 68% of visitors attend a show or event, two thirds of them decide what to see after their arrival, and 60% of event tickets are sold within 72 hours of event. “This is because people are waiting to look at all the options that are fed to them before they make a decision. They’re in the moment. It’s only the older generation that’s worried about being tracked.”

Nonetheless, we are moving towards a world where consumers will have more control over their data. That will affect not just the ticketing industry but all sectors of public-facing commerce, from the motor industry to travel.

“People are waiting to look at all the options that are fed to them before they make a decision”

“This means we will need to be able to deliver hyper-relevant services to individuals even when you don’t know who they are,” says Machin. “You’ll be tracking behaviour in an anonymised way. This is one of the benefits of blockchain.”

FanDragon’s ticket-wallet feature means while the person owning the wallet remains anonymous, their behaviour can be analysed. For example, if a wallet buys tickets every time a certain artist comes to their town, but suddenly stops, that sort of information might be interesting to the client. Similarly, if a wallet has 600 tickets in it, it’s a scalper.

“Tickets are no longer simply ‘a revocable licence to attend the event listed on the front,’ they are a personal communication hub,” says Machin. “Once you buy a ticket, you can have experiences, messaging or content delivered to your phone because the organiser knows you’re going and who you’re going with. It means the event experience can start much sooner. It’s a much deeper relationship but that requires greater responsibility not to impinge on people’s privacy and data.”

My face is my ticket
Using your face to unlock a smartphone has been commonplace since Apple launched FaceID in 2017 (other earlier phones used facial recognition but it could be easily hacked). But when Live Nation Entertainment invested in biometric company Blink Identity in 2018, the prospect of being able to walk into a venue without needing to get your phone or paper ticket out took a step closer to becoming reality.

Justin Burleigh, LN-owned Ticketmaster’s global chief product officer, says: “We didn’t want to have a database of millions of customers’ faces, so instead this technology uses the same mechanism as the facial recognition tech that unlocks many smartphones. By scanning a face and converting that information into code, it negates the need for storing images of people’s faces.

“Facial recognition will be able to create some really compelling experiences for backstage, or VIP personnel control. For example, if you’re carrying some beers and food it will mean you don’t have to reach into your pocket for your phone or ticket to gain access.”

“Facial recognition will be able to create some really compelling experiences for backstage, or VIP personnel control”

However, he adds, “We have a lot more to do in the lab before this gets rolled out. We want to get it right because we know if we get it wrong we won’t be given a second chance.”

It’s not just the world’s biggest ticketing company that’s interested in the technology. Former Ticketmaster CEO and later head of commerce at Twitter, Nathan Hubbard, recently announced a facial recognition-powered ticketing platform of his own, Rival. Its first client is Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, owner of Denver’s Pepsi Center (20,000-cap.), although migrating from AXS had some teething problems.

And while there may be what Machin calls some “ickiness” around the idea of facial recognition at music events at the moment, the technology’s use at airport security is commonplace. And as people become more comfortable with it in this context, that will smooth the path for its arrival in entertainment.

Enhanced real life
Augmented reality is becoming increasingly sophisticated and more common in live entertainment, so how will the ticketing industry respond to that? Andersen reckons the answer will be driven by how much consumers want to buy into these things and what they want to experience.

“Whereas a 50-year-old might want to come into a venue and sit down, buy a hot dog and watch the show, somebody younger wants to engage with technology that recognises them as an individual. You could be watching the game from your seat but also see it from the players’ perspective by looking at your device.”

Other examples include creating 3D virtual venue models that can be expanded using AR. This could mean being able to see a model of the venue before you go to a show and finding out where everything is, as well as seeing sponsorship activations, and even connecting it to a Facebook account to see where your friends are sitting. You could find out where the bar queues are shortest, or where to get your favourite pretzel.

“SafeTix is not unlike other technologies out there, but that the largest ticketing company in the world has done this shows how important authenticity is”

Looking forward
That’s the present situation. But what nascent tech or business models might we see in the near future?

Ticketmaster’s Burleigh says he is excited to see new hardware come online, such as more powerful NFC tech, which would mean people don’t have to take their phone out of their pockets to scan on entry. He would also like to see more powerful cashless opportunities across venues. Andersen suggests a subscription-based model could have potential in the future.

“Like a Netflix model, where you buy something today and have access to it later – for example, if you want to go to a big game or play-off you can get access to early booking because you’ve paid a subscription.”

It’s not without precedent. In the cinema industry, MoviePass allowed people to go see films for a monthly subscription fee. Currently, the venture is in difficulty as the company behind it struggles to control its cash burn. However, US cinema chains AMC Theatres and Cinemark are also running subscription models with some success. AMC’s programme, which allows customers to see three movies a week for $19.95 a month, has over 900,000 subscribers. Could that model be transferred to live? While it’s unlikely to work for the largest companies and artists, it could be more viable for grassroots-level venues and promoters.

Whatever the future holds for ticket tech, Chambers predicts that the fragmented nature of all the options means there will need to be open-API schemes to ensure that a seamless customer delivery service is provided: multiple backends but unified consumer experience.

“This is increasingly evident in [London’s] West End theatre or with the NFL ticket retail and distribution agreements, and will inevitably spread to other sectors and territories to become much more commonplace,” he says.

For more insight into the state of the global ticketing industry, read IQ’s International Ticketing Yearbook 2019.

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Forum Melbourne (2,000-cap.) will be the first venue in Australia to adopt a fully mobile ticketing service, powered by Ticketmaster.

The partnership between Ticketmaster and Marriner Group will allow the venue operator to utilise the latest tool in Ticketmaster’s portfolio, offering fans an easy and secure ticketing system.

“Digital ticketing is the future and our partnership with Marriner Group is another step in our mission to put mobile first,” says Maria O’Connor, managing director of Ticketmaster Australia and New Zealand.

“Getting the technology live across all shows at the iconic Forum Melbourne is a huge milestone in this journey making fans lives easier,” adds O’Connor. “By replacing paper and print-at-home tickets we can speed up venue access, while also protecting venues against fraud and enhancing security overall.”

The launch of mobile ticketing at Forum Melbourne follows a successful roll out of digital tickets for the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child theatre shows at Marriner Group’s Princess Theatre in Melbourne.

“Getting the technology live across all shows at the iconic Forum Melbourne is a huge milestone in this journey making fans lives easier”

Speaking of the experience at Princess Theatre, Marriner Group director Kayely Marriner comments: “The platform is extremely user-friendly and convenient.”

The first events to go on sale at Forum Melbourne with 100% digital tickets will be shows for Maribou State, James Blake and Tycho, promoted by Secret Sounds.

“Innovating is critical to us here at Secret Sounds,” says co-chief executive. Paul Piticco. “A fully digital ticketing system means less scalping, safe and easy transfer to friends, and a better environmental outcome by not printing or producing tickets. We are in!”

Live Nation-owned Secret Sounds promotes Australian festivals including Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival.

According to the International Ticketing Yearbook 2018, Ticketmaster is one of two dominant primary ticketing companies in Australasia, with TEG-owned Ticketek.

As part of its digital ticketing service, Ticketmaster recently launched SafeTix in the United States. SafeTix issues tickets with encrypted, automatically refreshing barcodes, preventing duplication and allowing organisers to identify each attendee at their event.

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Ticketing giant Ticketmaster has launched SafeTix, adding anti-counterfeiting features to digital tickets and providing event owners with more data about event attendees.

The SafeTix feature issues buyers with a unique, identifiable digital ticket. The tickets are tied to each fan’s mobile phone through an encrypted barcode that automatically refreshes, preventing the use of screenshots to duplicate tickets.

The tickets also include near-field communication (NFC) technology to allow attendees to enter venues with a “tap and go” experience.

Fans can sell or transfer tickets to a friend’s mobile number or email address. A new digital ticket is tied to the recipient’s account and phone each time a ticket is transferred or sold, making the journey of each issued ticket visible to organisers.

This visibility provides event organisers with more data on each individual fan attending their event, rather than just that of the original ticket purchaser. Organisers can communicate directly with attendees, providing fans with venue- or event-specific information and personalised food, drink and merchandise offerings.

“SafeTix will allow fans to arrive at a show or game with confidence that their tickets are always 100% authentic”

“Given that a new ticket is issued every time there is a transfer or sale, event owners have the ability to develop a unique relationship with each fan, leading to in-venue personalisation and future communication while increasing their known fanbase,” says Justin Burleigh, chief product officer of Ticketmaster, North America.

“SafeTix will allow fans to arrive at a show or game with confidence that their tickets are always 100% authentic and will dramatically reduce the amount of ticket fraud event owners are dealing with on event day.”

SafeTix will be used across NFL stadiums for the 2019 season and for a variety of touring artists. It will be available at additional participating venues in the future.

Later this year, fans will also be able to add contactless tickets to Apple Wallet, allowing them to enter venues easily and securely using their iPhone or Apple Watch. Tickets are automatically selected when a customer holds their iPhone near the ticket reader, using proximity-based technology.

Apple and Ticketmaster unveiled the integration this month during the opening keynote at Transact, the world’s premiere FinTech conference.

Ticketmaster acquired blockchain-ticketing service Upgraded in October 2018.

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