Technology / 04.06.18

Real-Name Registration — a Solution to Ticket Scalping in Asia?

Access Staff

Original article published on EJ Insight (04/06/18)

In an interview, Photon Link CEO Paul Fung Tak-chung and Timable CEO Mike Ko discuss how the latest technologies can help address ticket scalping in Asia, with Ko noting real-name registration may be one solution. "Mayday, a popular Taiwanese band, set up a real-name registration system for its concerts, with the name of the buyer printed on the ticket, and that name must tally with the person showing up at the venue," he notes. "But the system was just applied on the 'standing zones' in the concert, not for all the seats, and the reason is it is just too time-consuming to check tickets and their holders' identities on site." Ko also says the singer Leon Lai used the same system with e-tickets issued for his concerts, but overcame the time-consuming issue by extending the time of the event, letting fans enter the venue a few hours before, and offering snacks and drinks in addition to gaming facilities. Fung cites the use of quick-response code identification in an e-ticket system, which requires no personal information from ticket holders. "With digitalization in operations of various sectors, an advanced ticketing system built upon the latest technologies, like e-payment, blockchain, and even smart contracts, is quite a realistic project," Fung notes. "It's just that no one is willing to do it."

Read the full story on the EJ Insight website.

Tags: Music , Reselling , News , Personalization , Secondary Ticketing