At the heart of this new partnership is the introduction of Axess software as well as scanning hardware into the stadium. Axess has always been a leader when it comes to installing access systems in new stadiums around the world. Such as in the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the Nokia Arena in Finland or the BMO Stadium (LAFC) in California. The challenge in Bristol was to retrofit the existing turnstiles of the Rover Memorial Stadium with Axess scanners - a welcome challenge for the Axess team, who thus successfully realized another project.
Peter Oliver, Managing Director Axess UK, says: "We are delighted to be working with Bristol Rovers and Ticketmaster to introduce our high quality Axess stadium access systems to the UK. In an established market, quality and reliability are as important as innovation as the football world also moves increasingly towards digital tickets."
As part of the rebuild this summer, all existing turnstiles at “The Mem” were equipped with new Axess SMART SCANNER 600 NFC. In addition, stewards now also have new Axess HANDHELDS (handheld scanners) to assist fans in all areas of the stadium.
Pete Weymouth, Retail and Ticketing Manager at the club, comments, "The club saw a record number of season ticket holders for the 2022/23 season. Thanks to the direct link between ticketing and access, administration can be achieved from a single source, making things much smoother for us at the club. At the beginning of last season, we faced some challenges and it took a lot of work to switch between the different platforms of the companies we worked with. Working with Ticketmaster and Axess was essential to get us back to where we wanted to be. And now that we're working with the new system, I'm confident that we can provide our fans with a service that exceeds their expectations this season."
With the construction of the new stand in the southern part of the stadium, the club has decided to also issue new season tickets to fans for the 2023/24 season. For this very purpose, it was equally important to set up the right access control processes.
The Axess system offers fans a choice between printed tickets, tickets on their cell phones or the use of NFC-based contactless tickets. With more than 12,000 spectators expected at Memorial Stadium for the first time in years, it is important that the operations team knows exactly who is in the stadium. The integration of Axess systems and TM1, which is based on a direct connection between the Axess scanners and the TM database, will make this possible for the club and provide a perfect overview.
Christian Heidegger, Head of Stadia Business Unit at Axess, is pleased with the development: "The UK is a large and established market, since the Covid 19 pandemic the requirements and needs have changed here as well. We are delighted to be taking these important digital steps with Bristol Rovers."
Tom Gorringe, CEO of Rovers, added: "For us, it was simple: we chose the Axess access system to provide our fans with a modern stadium experience. From our first meeting with Axess, we were very impressed with the team, the technology and their willingness to work in partnership with us. When fans come back to Memorial Stadium next season, we'll show them that we haven't been sitting on our hands all summer, but that we've worked hard to improve standards."
Bristol Rovers joins a number of stadiums that have partnered with Axess and Ticketmaster. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, home of the Dolphins and the Miami F1 Grand Prix in the U.S., are two of many U.S. showcase customers. In New Zealand, Eden Park Stadium has recently been equipped with Axess systems. In Europe, customers include Borussia Park in Dortmund, Fortuna-Sittard Stadium in Holland, and Red Bull Stadium in Salzburg. Other British stadiums are in the planning stage.