Our weekly tech round-up from the world of ticketing and associated industries…
IndyCar extends with NTT
IndyCar, the North American motorsports series, has extended its partnership with NTT, the global technology and business solutions provider, through a multiyear agreement that also includes official technology partner status.
NTT, which assists organisations with digital transformations, will assist the development of Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a smart venue.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled optical detection technologies, combined with real-time entry gate flow rate data, provide the IMS operations and security teams more insight into current and possible scenarios at the historic venue.
NTT said: “The technology allows the staff to see a broader venue picture in real time ranging from visitor and traffic flow to congestion points and security. At-gate IMS personnel also have mobile point-of-sale capabilities at their fingertips for digital ticketing and parking transactions – all to help manage the event venue more safely and efficiently. It also provides fans attending one of the world’s largest-attended, single-day events with real-time entry gate wait times through the IMS app and website.”
Token taking on TM
Adam Jones, founder and CEO of Token, said his fan-first commerce platform for events has the platform and the tech to take the North American live events market beyond the recent controversies involving Ticketmaster.
Users register for Token’s app and then purchase tickets to either an in-person event, or an event in the metaverse through Animal Concerts. The purchased ticket automatically shows up in the form of a mintable NFT, which can then be used toward merchandise purchases or other ticketed events.
“We come in very fortunate to have a modern, scalable tech stack that’s not going to have all these outages or things being down,” Jones said. “That’s step one. The other thing is we’re being aggressively transparent about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. So with the Taylor Swift thing…you would know in real time if you actually have a chance of getting the tickets.”
Provence Rugby switches provider
French club Provence Rugby has chosen Ticketchainer to develop its ticketing, with the main objective of increasing online sales via a simplified purchase path. The club, which is from the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis, plays in Pro D2.
The Parisian startup will redevelop the ergonomics of the main online ticket office by simplifying the purchasing process as much as possible for fans and rugby enthusiasts who wish to buy their tickets online.
Frédérique Agresta, marketing manager of the club, said: “By allowing our supporters to choose their seat more easily, we have multiplied by two to three our rate of conversion of online ticket sales, and have therefore greatly improved the experience of fans on the site. This step is important because it is the start of the experience they will have at the stadium.”
Quebec centre chooses Connect&GO
Le Rond-Point Milieu de jeux, a new family entertainment centre opening in Quebec this spring, has partnered with Connect&GO, a business focussed on integrated attractions management solutions and RFID technology.
Le Rond-Point will be using the Connect&GO Konnect platform for eCommerce ticketing (including add-ons), point-of-sale, F&B and retail. Konnect is a cloud-based all-in-one management platform that unifies data from over 10 different sources to create a modern and connected ecosystem.
“We want to create a hassle-free experience for our guests from purchasing online to entering our venue,” said Myriam Campeau, co-founder at Le Rond-Point. “The Connect&GO platform is easy to use and feature-rich. It offers everything we need to drive online sales and offer a smooth on-site arrival.”