Panasonic and PIA Corporation (PIA), along with other businesses in Japan, have begun working together in order to enhance the ticketing experience for customers when they come to watch sports and other events. Many stadiums in the country still require manual steps to confirm tickets, perform purchases, and use other facilities. These firms want to centralise the ticketing experience and make the whole experience more seamless.
Writing in its announcement, Panasonic said:
By collaborating to centralize information in ticketing services, which form the entry point for stadium experiences, and the information from facilities and devices inside the stadium, Panasonic and PIA plan to develop and promote a wide range of new stadium services together with various business partners. Concretely, services such as gate confirmation, route guidance, cashless transactions, activities, etc., can be linked to information via electronic ticket devices (smartphones, contactless IC cards, wearables, etc.), for more comfortable and more pleasant use of facilities.
By using IoT devices to power gate terminals and cashless payment terminals, Panasonic and its partners hope to raise the value of the experience.
The first step of the plans will begin on November 24, 2018 when the Panasonic Stadium in Suita, Osaka, plays host to a football (soccer) match between Gamba Osaka and V-Varen Nagasaki in the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company J1 League.
In the first test, all visitors will be issued fan club cards, smartphone QR tickets, wearable tickets and other forms of electronic tickets. These will allow for a smoother entry into the stadium, and by using a prepaid service, customers will easily be able to purchase goods, food, and participate “in various activities.”
Cover image via Panasonic