PW FEB 09 P33-38.qxd 1/29/09 9:41 am Page 33
Ticketing Profile
www.parkworld-online.com
There was a time when
tickets were simply a proof
of purchase, used for
getting into the park or onto
your favourite ride or
attraction. Now, coupled
with a variety of software
applications, admission
systems have become the
front line in intelligence for
the savvy amusement park
operator. Park World talks to
a handful of suppliers to
discover what today’s
ticketing products can do for
parks and their guests
MISSION
ADMISSION
21st Century ticketing for
parks and attractions
“Electronic ticket sales are the future!” declares Steve United States. “Increased revenue, convenience for
Brown, CEO of Accesso, which offers print-at-home your guests and reduction in ticket lines are just some
ticketing and e-Commerce solutions to over 30 top of the benefits that electronic sales can provide.”
attractions in North America, including all of Six Flags’ Siriusware’s print-at-home ticketing module, for
parks and waterparks. “We are a generation that example, allows customers to purchase tickets online,
requires speed, ease and immediate fulfilment. print them out on their home printers, and them
Therefore purchasing a ticket and having to wait for it validate them at the park’s entrance.
to be delivered or fulfilled at the venue gate is not an
acceptable process for consumers anymore.” Mobile Tickets
Indeed, why wait until your guests get to the front gate A number of venues are now experimenting with
to sell them their ticket? Pre-selling tickets not only allows mobile ticketing, delivering tickets to guests’ phones or
guests to walk straight to the turnstile, it is also helps park other electronic devices. Given the allegiance many
operators anticipate demand, take the strain off ticket young park visitors have to their phones, this makes
counter staff, and help bolster attendance on quiet days obvious sense, although Povey offers a word of
or rainy days. It is also acknowledged that if guests have caution: “Our belief is that mobile phones have great
already laid out the cost of admission upfront, they spend potential but not in quite the way many expect. A
more freely once they are inside the park. mobile phone system usually uses a barcode, but the
Inevitably, the internet is now used as a tool by technology has not got to the point where a single
many parks many attractions. “What other industry format will work on all phones.” The solution, he
can boast so many fan sites and online reckons, lies in “Near Field Communications” (NFC), a
communities?” asks Andy Povey of RefTech short-range wireless technology that allows phones to
Services in the UK, who also has experience exchange data with nearby devices. RefTech is already
from the operator’s side, having previously working on integrating such readers into its access
worked for Merlin Entertainments. “Electronic control systems.
ticket sales are becoming massively While online and mobile tickets are a relatively new
Co important,” he says, “but it’s important that trend, off-site sales via third parties have been a staple
parks are able to keep up with the rest of the part of many park’s business model for years, and
T
icket
world of e-commerce. Our web sales are nowhere is this more evident than in Orlando, where
integrated directly into the park’s own virtually any business that attracts tourists seems to
system, so that a booking made via the have its own ticket counter.
National
internet is available at the venue within 10 “Any entity, including shops, tourist offices, hotels,
seconds.” travel agents and so on, can become a
courtesy
“Electronic ticket sales are an extremely sales/distribution outlet for the park,” highlights John
important aspect of any park’s business,” Davies from the UK office of OmniTicket Network. His
agrees Kristina Parker at Siriusware in the company provides a unique activation feature so that
T
ickets
FEBRUARY 2009
33
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48