The good news of the various vaccines being rolled out means that we can start seeing light at the end of the tunnel … and it’s not a train coming full speed in the opposite direction!

While many friends and colleagues have been heavily impacted, those of us who are lucky enough to still be employed need to prepare for the future, to get ready for the reopening and rescaling of our venues, and to welcome back our patrons and fans in the safest and most seamless way possible.

There is so much to think about and to organize. Accordingly, I’m suggesting seven areas you should consider[1]:

1. Know your patrons: Confirm and validate identity for each ticket

Whether it is for security or marketing reasons, being able to confirm and validate the identity of your patron for each ticket is becoming a must-have for any venue. If somebody buys 10 tickets, how do you know who the nine others are? If your system doesn’t allow you to answer that question, it is time to reevaluate and get ready as fast as you possibly can.

2. Publish a code of conduct and T&C and request their acceptance

As one of my old friends always says: “Even the simplest thing needs to be said once.” So, more than ever in a post-COVID time, it is essential that your venue has a code of conduct as well as terms and conditions but, more importantly, they need to be visible to your patrons, and you need to put in place a process during which they need to be able to accept them. This should be a necessary condition to be able to buy a ticket.

3. Online purchase, blockchain and mobile delivery

Mobile is probably the element of the ticketing process that has witnessed the highest growth and acceptance rate during 2020. Even the most resistant demographics are now requesting it by fear of touching anything. Coupled with the blockchain technology, this is another area of your customer journey that needs to be on you radar.

4. Social distancing seat map, timed entry and health certificates

From one week to another, and sometimes from one day to the other, the rules imposed by the authorities are changing and the number of people allowed in your venue varies. Accordingly, you need to be able to map your venue based on those changing criteria as well as allowed different times of entry in order to maintain a small number of people congregating at once. Last and certainly not least, being able to show that they have been vaccinated might be required if a patron desires to attend an event. Here again, are you ready to deliver on those new needs?

5. Event day: pre-, during and post-communication, and reminders

If you believe that communicating something once is enough for people to remember, think again! For your patron to enjoy a great customer journey, you will need to send them information in advance, to remind them, to accompany them during the event and to follow up with them afterwards for them to ultimately purchase again. Have you designed a process about what needs to be communicated at each touchpoint? This is something in which you want to involve your entire team as well as all the departments of your venue. This will guarantee a seamless experience for all the stakeholders.

6. Tracking and tracing system (journey to and from the venue, access control, persons in contact, post-event health questionnaire)

If you have watched all the series available on Netflix, Amazon Prime or HBO, let me recommend “Bending the Arc,”[2] which tells the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, activist Ophelia Dahl and the organization they have created “Partners in Health.” You might be wondering what is the link with ticketing? Well, in this absolutely amazing documentary — and although it is not the main subject — at one point, Dr. Farmer speaks about tracing Ebola. Apply this to COVID-19 and you understand this is something that should be put in place in the next months, as it can help in identifying and treating quickly those who might have been exposed. This will also help the world when the next pandemic will hit.

7. Feedback loop and continuous improvement

Nobody will get it right in the first place. It is essential that ticketing professionals create the right environment in which everyone understands their responsibilities; nobody is afraid to communicate, provide feedback or admit errors; and the entire organization documents the various processes. Each little improvement will make a huge impact in the long run and will help all of us reopen as fast as possible and get ready for the future.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to me eric.rozenberg@secutix-intl.com and, in the meantime, stay safe and healthy.

This article was sponsored by SecuTix.