Major League Soccer franchise Orlando City will employ a paperless ticketing strategy at its new stadium, which is scheduled to open next month ahead of the 2017 season.
The club will launch a ‘Lion Nation’ mobile application, through which fans will be able to access their match tickets. Orlando has teamed up with partner Ticketmaster on the venture.
“It’s a pretty big move,” Chris Gallagher, vice-president of sales at Orlando City, told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. “Like any decision that you make, you certainly look at what the customer feedback is and how our fans actually enter games and handle their tickets. We’re very fortunate in that we have a very tech-savvy fan base. Soccer in general, I think, is tech savvy and this market in particular.”
The free app will also include club content and other information. Tickets will be transferable to other people, with users required to log into their accounts to access them. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster’s own website and mobile app.
Fans will be required to scan their phones upon entering the stadium, with QR codes to be refreshed every couple of seconds to prevent fraud. Fans will be able to retrieve a paper ticket from the stadium’s box office if paperless tickets cannot be accessed.
Gallagher added: “You’ve had the Magic (the NBA basketball team), who have done a lot of groundbreaking things on their end and have kind of conditioned the market; Disney, with the MagicBands… So, I feel like we’re in a good place to do this. Over 60 per cent of our fans last year either entered the stadium with their season ticket cards or using their phones.”
Orlando has also detailed security plans for the new ground, which has been given the tentative name of Orlando City Stadium. The stadium will feature a clear bag and walk-through metal detector policy upon entry.
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