 The Future of Attractions Ticketing
Emerging technologies offer a valuable financial lever to attractions of all sizes
by Steve Brown
As CEO of a ticketing and eCommerce company, and having spent the better part of the past 20 years working on ticketing strategy for Disney and Six Flags theme parks, I’m continuously focused on analyzing current trends in the marketplace to ensure we are well positioned to respond to today’s rapidly changing environment.
Industry leaders like Disney and Universal had the capital resources available to lead the way as early adopters of modern theme park ticketing technology. With declining system costs and the availability of hosted solutions, electronic and online ticketing are becoming mainstays for small and mid-sized venues, as well.
In just a few short years, the Internet became a central focus in all of our lives from e-mail, news, driving directions, and shopping to the widespread adoption of print-at-home airline boarding passes and theme park tickets. Now reliance on handheld devices is quickly evolving from providing simple e-mail and Internet access to becoming a major purchasing engine. Ticketmaster recently launched a fully mobile ticketing solution, and some airlines are now providing boarding passes that can be scanned from a phone at the jetway. With the increasing reliance on our iPhones, Blackberries, and other devices, a full-blown explosion of mobile ticketing is just around the corner.
 During the next five years, we’ll witness a near complete departure from traditional ticket booths and a dramatic transformation of how consumers access tickets for attractions of all sizes. The vast majority of visitors to any attraction will pre-purchase tickets through a variety of electronic formats. Guests that slip through the wide array of pre-purchase channels will be handled by self-service automated ticketing kiosks upon arrival at the venue. Ticket windows will assist only a small fraction of the consumer base.
On the surface, most operators think of advance tickets sales simply as a guest service that helps reduce front gate lines. In fact, it’s much more than that—perhaps one of the most impactful financial levers available to an attraction.
Selling tickets in advance offers a controlled environment for suggesting higher revenue tickets and additional products such as preferred parking. It’s much easier to ask a consumer to consider several ticket products before they step into the excitement of the front gate. In addition, online sales provide a tremendous amount of flexibility in terms of special offers and pricing adjustments. Having a tough start to the summer? Witnessing a decline in evening attendance? It’s easy to revise your ticketing and sales strategy through immediate updates to your web site and online store.
When guests buy electronically in advance, you capture their e-mail addresses and build a database for future marketing efforts. Most important, the more items a venue can presell, the more “pocket cash” guests have available for discretionary spending in the park.
Contemporary ticketing and sales strategies allow your guests to move through your venue’s entry point quickly and efficiently, adding precious minutes to the guest’s entertainment experience. No longer do guests expect to pack up the minivan, drive to the park, pay a parking fee with cash, then proceed to a ticket line where they wait 15 minutes or longer to give someone their money. They want to do as much as possible in advance, and attractions that embrace this changing consumer dynamic stand to benefit significantly.
Steve Brown is the former leader of ticketing strategy for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Six Flags theme parks. Brown is CEO of IAAPA member accesso, a leading ticketing and eCommerce provider.
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