Suncorp Stadium’s contactless tickets a hit with fans

The early trends following the introduction of ‘contactless tickets’ at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium are very encouraging, according to Harvey Lister, Chairman and Chief Executive of venue operator ASM Global (Asia Pacific).

Introduced in June, Suncorp Stadium became the first sports and entertainment stadium in Australia to offer contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch, through the company’s and venue’s partnership with Ticketek.

Fans can now easily and securely add their contactless tickets to Apple Wallet in a single touch. On approaching the stadium, each ticket purchaser receives a push notification on their device. This means they simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near to the turnstile’s reader, which automatically recognises their ticket. This makes for fast, hassle-free entry without the need for fans to search for their tickets.

Lister advised that at the 11 games held since the introduction of contactless or ‘tap-and-go’ tickets, some 15,000 fans had entered the venue using the new technology. Even more encouragingly, 60% of mobile ticket holders had loaded their tickets to their Apple Wallet, allowing them to use tap-and-go.

Lister explained “we are proud to be the first venue in Australia to offer this innovative technology for our customers through our ticketing partner Ticketek.

“Contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch are easier and more secure, eliminating the need to search pockets or wallets and fans no longer have to worry about losing their paper ticket.

“The benefits also extend beyond the turnstile, with fans also able to use Apple Pay to purchase food, drinks and merchandise throughout the stadium.”

TEG’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of Ticketing, Cameron Hoy, said customer adoption of digital tickets continues to accelerate with over two million tickets added to Apple Wallets by Ticketek fans since January.

Hoy noted “we are excited to have partnered with Suncorp Stadium in a world first to bring their customers a seamless, secure and frictionless experience when making their way into the venue.”

Ticketek has long been the market leader in mobile and was first to launch mobile tickets in 2011. Since then, there has been rapid growth in customer adoption of digital tickets, with over 70% of tickets in Australia now delivered electronically, and 41% of these directly to mobiles. The addition of contactless ticketing is predicted to further accelerate the shift to paperless digital ticketing.

For more information on Ticketek’s integration with contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch, go to www.ticketek.com.au/identity