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The traditional box office needed a serious refresh when it came to funneling large crowds through the gates quickly and efficiently. The same outdated model was problematic for all venues including music festivals, concert halls, museums and sporting events. Since many venues employ volunteers or part-time workers, the challenge was to create a new mobile box office business model that solved these issues and required minimal training.
Initially, mobile box office innovators tried proprietary barcode readers with built-in ticket sales and check-in applications. These proved to be costly, difficult to use and limited, because they were tethered to a PC. Venues were eager to find a more flexible, user-friendly solution that enabled mobile ticket sales to reduce lines and admit patrons faster.
On the quest for a simple, affordable mobile solution, the ticket innovators found the answer with the iOS-based Linea Pro® and Infinea Tab® devices from Infinite Peripherals®, Inc. (IPC). These devices provided barcode scanning and credit card acceptance using the universally recognizable Apple® iPad®, iPhone® and iPod®. Ticketing software partners paired with the IPC devices to provide a complete mobile ticketing solution to the venues.
Immediate Impact of Mobility
After implementing the solution, venues saw the benefits of mobility in many areas, including:
• Fast, Easy Training – With the intuitive iOS user interface, training time for volunteers and part-time employees was reduced to mere minutes.
• Real-time Data – By scanning barcoded tickets, venues had access to real-time data. Anticipating traffic became much easier with insight to information such as peak entrance times and unused gates.
• Fraud Prevention – Reduced wait times led to a lower fraud risk while barcoded tickets provided an extra layer of security to prevent fraud.
• RFID Technology – Venues equipped more staffers at multiple entrances to scan tickets and tap RFID wristbands faster than ever using the Linea Pro® device from IPC. Using RFID tags, staffers could visually identify VIPs, allowing them to provide extra service to them.
• Patron Engagement – With a mobile device, staffers intercepted patrons waiting in line, scanned the ticket and checked them in on the fly. Staffers also used the box office software on the mobile device to fuel patron loyalty.
• Increased Sales & Exposure – Selling tickets in multiple locations in addition to the traditional box office increased attendance and annual sales considerably. Moving patrons into the venue faster allowed for more time spent shopping, which led to an increase in souvenir and concession sales as well.
Mobility brings a new level of opportunity to the ticketing industry and the new mobile box office ecosystem has clearly unlocked the true value of mobile commerce.
For more information , view the case study here.
