Whether it’s opening night of the school musical, the homecoming game under the lights, or even your commencement ceremony, you want your guests to have a fast and flawless experience. One of the key differences in digital ticketing platforms is whether you scan tickets or ask guests to use self-redemption. Let’s explore what these two methods are and why one offers more benefits.
Scanning Means Security
When guests purchase tickets through HomeTown, whether online, in the HomeTown Fan App (available for both iOS and Android devices), or at the gate, their ticket features a QR code. This code can be scanned in just a fraction of a second using the HomeTown Gate App (also on both iOS and Android). Scanning tickets in this manner is the standard at all professional events, from athletic events to concerts. Why is scanning tickets so important?
Scanning tickets adds security to your events. When a ticket is scanned, the platform shows whether the ticket is valid, invalid, or a duplicate ticket. This ensures that each person entering has a valid ticket and allows the system to accurately track event attendance. Tracking attendance not only gives you an idea of your event’s success, but also ensures you maintain your venue’s capacity, that each guest has a seat, and provides a list of guests should it ever be required in the event of an emergency. That’s why all professional sporting and performance venues scan tickets and why you should too.
Self-Redemption Struggles
With systems that rely on self-redemption, there is no method to verify that tickets are valid when guests enter. This means that you may have inaccurate records of attendance, are unable to verify that venue capacity is followed, and may lose revenue to invalid tickets. Simply put, self-redemption leaves a school open to fraud and has much more room for error. Guests may even redeem tickets days before the event takes place or never verify their tickets. This means that your event records will have major inconsistencies and makes it harder to plan for future events.
An Expert Opinion
In a recent edition of AD Insider, AJ Maestas from Navigate, a leader in studying sports and entertainment organizations, shared how he views scanning as the best and only viable option for event admittance.
Check out this clip to hear what he has to say about the importance of scanning tickets:
Want to better understand how HomeTown’s built-in scanning features can be used at your school? Reach out to our team; we’re here to help!
