Ticketmaster was awarded “Best in Sports Technology” for Presence last night at Sports Business Journal’s 11th Annual Sports Business Awards. The award winners are selected by a panel of industry editors, writers, and researchers.

Ticketmaster Presence is the next generation venue access control and fan engagement platform that replaces paper tickets with digital passes. Presence streamlines live event venue operations, provides real time insights and analytics to venues and teams, enhances security, protects against fraud, and allows for a personalised fan experience. Ticketmaster is also developing and exploring new features for Presence, including facial recognition technology through Blink Identity.

The technology is a cornerstone of Ticketmaster’s official ticketing partnership with the National Football League in the United States. More than 100 venues in the US have implemented Presence, and more than 13 million fans have entered venues using the technology.

“We’re honored to be named ‘Best in Sports Technology’ at this year’s Sports Business Awards. Ticketmaster Presence and digital tickets are primed to change the way fans experience live events,” said Justin Burleigh, Chief Product Officer, Ticketmaster North America. “And it’s all happening in the palm of your hand with your mobile device. It’s the kind of technology that venues, teams, artists and fans have been waiting for.”

There’s been a lot of buzz about Presence since it launched, here’s what key industry and media are saying: 

“Ticketmaster has cracked the code of identifying every fan. The paper ticket is going to be a thing of the past. It’s just a matter of when, not if.” – Chris Gallagher, Chief Revenue Officer for Orlando SC. (October, 2017)

“The whole goal was to engage the fans and to have them have a better experience here at the arena. Now that we’ve gone digital, I don’t see us ever going back.” – Bobbie Walker, Vice President of Ticketing Operations, Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment.  (October, 2017)

“The proven strength of Ticketmaster’s ticketing platform leadership and their ability to deploy consumer-friendly technology to NFL fans at scale is what drove our selection of them as our strategic partner.” – Brian Lafemina, the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Club Business Development. (Source, October, 2017)

“We want them [fans] to have all of the conveniences of digital ticketing to better protect them from fraud while making ticket management easier than ever.” – Tyler Kirby, Kansas City Chiefs’ Vice President of Ticketing (Source, April, 2018)