Wicket scores new football stadium integrations, partners with Validar

More venues are integrating facial authentication for ticketing, with Wicket continuing to rack up new deals for its Express Entry program.

The Swamp at the University of Florida (AKA Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) is installing the biometric system at six gates for home games of the Florida Gators football team.

WCJB quotes Scott Stricklin, athletic director of the University of Florida Athletic Association, who says “we’re always looking for innovative ways to improve the game-day experience.”

“With Express Entry, we’re giving fans a faster, streamlined way to get into the stadium so they can spend less time in line and more time cheering on the Gators.”

The Gators aren’t the only team in the sunshine state to be getting the program. WFLA reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium is also being equipped with Express Entry.

Both programs are opt-in, as is typically the case, as venues aim to give fans as much choice as possible.

Facial authentication can apply to access tiers, self-serve payments

For Wicket, that choice goes beyond ticketing. While the firm has steadily grown its business for facial authentication-based access and entry at sporting events, its grander vision sees ticketing as one part of a “seamless and secure solution for a multitude of applications.”

A blog post from the company explores how Wicket’s versatility has contributed to its success. “Anyone who works in sports and live events knows that one size never fits all, and that technology solutions need to be tailored to specific venues and environments. Almost every aspect of the Wicket platform is built to adapt and scale, which has allowed our customers to successfully complete nearly 5 million transactions across 170 venues and facilities worldwide.”

A diversified array of access options is one benefit Wicket foresees becoming more integrated into the fan experience via biometrics. As an example, it describes the Day Pass feature, which “enables fans who need to step out of an event or ticketed hospitality area to easily re-enter without re-scanning tickets, enduring cumbersome re-entry processes, or relying on unreliable methods like stamps or wristbands.”

Payments, of course, are another gold mine, and biometrics can help increase revenue from concessions and merchandise sales through shorter lines and high throughput rates at peak times. “The Wicket platform supports a variety of checkout solutions, from self-serve kiosks to autonomous stores and standalone express lanes – which can also support age-restricted purchases. This all leads to faster transactions, reduced burden on staff, and a user experience that fans love.”

A separate post that draws on years of deployments at conferences identifies three key learnings that serve as a kind of decoder for Wicket’s continued success across the board. First, focus on the user experience: “the last thing event organizers want is for attendees to be disappointed with unnecessary wait times that take away from the reason they’re there – to enjoy the event.” Second, partnerships and integrations drive growth. And third, adaptability is the key to scale.

“Part of the beauty of software is that when implemented correctly, scaling it up is a breeze – which is exactly what happened at Dreamforce, the marquee event for Salesforce,” says the blog. “In their first pilot deployment of express check-in powered by Wicket, over 8,000 check-ins were streamlined using what they called Digital Pass, and registration lines were significantly reduced compared to prior years.”

Validar integrates Wicket authentication for conference check-in

On the partnerships front, Wicket has announced an integration with Validar, a provider of technology and badge credentials for events, to power biometric authentication in its vCheckin onsite registration platform.

A release says the partnership “revolutionizes event registration and check-in, delivering a faster, more personalized attendee experience while elevating the overall event journey for conferences, trade shows, and paid events.” It also addresses the issue of badge sharing for fee-based events.

But according to Victor Kippes, CEO of Validar, the big benefit is for the visitor. Combining vCheckin with Wicket’s facial authentication, he says, “allows us to redefine the event experience by making registration and check-in faster and more delightful for attendees.”

Alastair Partington, CEO of Wicket, adds that “Validar’s focus on elevating event experiences aligns with our mission to deliver sensational, frictionless interactions. Together, we’re transforming check-in into a standout moment for attendees, with the added benefit of enhanced security and operational efficiency.”

Article Topics

access control  |  biometric ticketing  |  biometrics  |  Express Entry  |  face biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  visitor management  |  Wicket