Tim Bishko
The Jacksonville Jaguars are celebrating their 25th anniversary in high style, having been planning for this historic season for more than a year prior. For instance, the team is sporting a commemorative logo all year on its players’ jerseys, and fans can find this special logo on limited edition merchandise, souvenirs and even on top of concession-stand hamburger buns on game day. All the stadium classics like the nacho box, the chicken tenders cup and popcorn are being sold in 25th season commemorative containers also.
In addition to naming a Jaguars All-25 team of the top former players of the past quarter-century as voted on by local media, the team invited more than 80 Jaguars legends to TIAA Bank Field for its Oct. 13 Homecoming game. Among the invitees were more than 20 members of the inaugural 1995 team.
But, as much as the Jags are honoring the team’s past, the franchise is also moving full steam ahead into the future. And some of the most exciting plans have included ticketing. Chiefly, the Jaguars have introduced a new mobile app for fans to deliver team content and enhance the game-day experience. Through a partnership with Adept Mobile, the app has introduced secure digital ticketing that adds another level of security to the existing stadium-wide mobile ticket platform. Each ticket has a dynamic barcode, via Ticketmaster’s SafeTix, that updates every 15 seconds, eliminating the ability to use a screenshot as entry to TIAA Bank Field.
Tim Bishko, the team’s Director of Ticket Operations, comments, “Eliminating the screenshot protects the consumer from buying a potential duplicate ticket or an already used ticket. The sliding bar code helps with minimizing these issues that were commonly dealt with on game day. If the fans go through the proper channels to obtain their tickets, they can feel confident they are receiving a verified ticket.”
Bishko has been with the Jaguars since its inaugural season, serving most of those 25 years in the ticket office after interning in the Jacksonville University Athletic Department. So, he is currently enjoying this milestone time on a personal level. He has seen a lot of innovation in that time and is especially excited about the latest cutting-edge technology to improve ticketing.
“We introduced SafeTix this year along with the other 31 teams in the NFL,” he says. “We’d previously rolled out stadium-wide mobile ticketing beginning with our home playoff game in 2018. But this year’s new app now includes NFC technology and the sliding bar codes. Fans still access their tickets through the Jaguars App for entry and can transfer or sell tickets to friends via TicketExchange, [Ticketmasters fan-to-fan marketplace and official partner of the NFL] as they have in seasons past. But secure digital ticketing gives them an even higher level of confidence that their tickets are verified.”
“The all-new official Jacksonville Jaguars app includes many new features, including the ability to text or chat with a ticketing representative with any issues on game day,” he says. “Other features include exclusive content; live game streaming; interactive stadium-friendly concession guides and maps; and enhanced game-day alerts for scores, statistics and instant post-game analysis.”
But Bishko and his staff haven’t gone completely the “wave of the future” route. There’s still some thought being given to old-school, print tickets and their allure as keepsakes. “Charter members, those fans who have had season tickets since the inaugural 1995 season, are receiving a framed commemorative ticket as a token of our appreciation for their support,” he says. “The ticket encompasses images over the last 25 years. In addition, our limited-edition, game-day program includes a tear-out souvenir ticket for each game. Those are available only at TIAA Bank Field on game day, while supplies last.”
Bishko oversees a team of four who manage ticketing operations for not only Jaguars home games, but also around 40 concerts and events a year at Daily’s Place, the 5,000-seat amphitheater attached to the south end of TIAA Bank Field. He and his staff hope to see the innovations continue from year to year. “I hope we keep the focus on technology improvements that improve the fan experience,” he says. “The Jaguars are very committed to ensuring that no matter what happens on the field, our fans have a positive experience from the moment they enter the parking lot to when they exit the stadium on game day. That definitely includes the experience at the gates upon arrival.”
And Bishko is looking forward to continuing helping the team in and around Jacksonville, too. The Jaguars recently embarked on a citywide community impact project encouraging volunteerism. “The Jaguars are celebrating [our 25th anniversary] in the community with several dedicated outreach projects,” he says. “We recently completed a more than $100,000 surprise locker room renovation for the football team at Englewood High School, the home to one of our greatest alumni, cornerback Rashean Mathis. It’s a very exciting time!”
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