Bristol Rovers Forge Axess & Ticketmaster Partnership
Bristol Rovers has entered a new partnership with Axess and Ticketmaster, as the three parties come together to deliver the best ticketing and access control solution for fans at the Memorial Stadium.
At the heart of this new partnership is the introduction of Axess software and scanning hardware for access control at the stadium.
Axess has been at the top of the game when it comes to installing systems into new stadia around the world such as the Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Nokia Arena, Finland and Banc of America Stadium in California.
However, the development team was delighted to take on the challenge of retro fitting their scanning equipment to existing turnstiles at Rover’s Memorial Stadium for this project.
Peter Oliver, Managing Director of Axess UK, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Bristol Rovers and Ticketmaster as we introduce Axess’ high quality stadium access equipment into the UK market.
“In an established market, quality and reliability is of equal importance to innovation, as we move into era of digital tickets.”
The summer transformation will see new scanning equipment retro fitted to all existing turnstiles at ‘The Mem’, as well as new hand scanners available for stewards, allowing them to support fans across all areas of the ground.
In addition, the club will have two new pedestal machines to operate in hospitality areas, making the experience a premium one for guests.
None of this would be possible without the extension of the club’s agreement with the world’s leading ticket service provider, Ticketmaster. The club has operated with Ticketmaster for several seasons now, but the two will now pair up and manage ticketing as well as stadium access.
The club’s Retail and Ticketing Manager, Pete Weymouth, commented: “For us, being able to work with one company for ticketing and fan entry into the stadium will make processes at the club a lot smoother.
“We suffered some challenges at the start of last season, and it took a lot of work going between the numerous companies we were working with.
“Since that point, Ticketmaster have worked with us to get us back to where we should be, and now we’ll move forward with the new Axess system, I am confident of delivering a service to our fans next season that exceeds their expectations.”
The club saw a record number of season ticket holders sign up for the 2022/23 season and servicing those needs as well as offering a match-by-match product is the number one task for the team at Rovers.
With the announcement of the new stand in the South section of the stadium, the club has taken the decision to issue new season tickets to all their fans for the 2023/24 season, and having the correct access control processes in place for this is key.
The Axess system will offer fans the choice of card, ticket, phone or using NFC based “contactless” tickets, allowing the maximum protection against fraudulent entry. With crowds looking to reach over 12,000 at The Mem for the first time in years, it’s important that the operational team know exactly who is in the stadium.
The Axess and Ticketmaster integration which is based on a direct link from the Axess scanners firmware to the Ticketmaster database will deliver this for the club, removing any discrepancy in attendance figures.
It’s the first time that Axess will have taken on a stadium like this in the UK, retro fitting its “chassis readers” to existing turnstiles, and their Head of International Stadia Business Unit, Christian Heidegger is excited to see it unfold.
He said: “The UK is a large and established market for stadium access, but since the Covid-19 pandemic requirements have changed, and we are delighted to be taking our first digital steps with Bristol Rovers.”
Head of Sales at Bristol Rovers, David Bright, added: “For us it was simple, we made the decision to go with Ticketmaster for tickets and access control, and for this to happen, we needed to invest in Axess products for the stadium.
“In the first meeting with them, we were very impressed with their team, their tech and their eagerness to work with us in partnership, not just a transaction. When fans come back to The Mem next season, we want to show them that we haven’t sat on our hands all summer, we’ve put the work in to raise the standards.
“The Memorial Stadium is their home, so it’s making sure that we deliver a product that they can say they are proud of when talking to other fans.”
Bristol Rovers joins an illustrious list of stadiums that operate using an Axess and Ticketmaster partnership, with the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami home of the Dolphins and Miami F1 Grand Prix in the US being a flagship client, with more UK clients in the pipeline.
Main Image: Chris Clements – The East Stand at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol
