HID has announced that Chester Race Company has adopted Near Field Communication (NFC) ticketing technology, making it reportedly the first major sports venue in the UK to adopt an end-to-end solution.

Leveraging HID’s Event Management Platform (EMP) and Janam’s rugged XT3 handheld scanners, the organisation has reportedly revolutionised its guest admissions process, offering a seamless and efficient entry experience at Chester Racecourse.

Founded in 1539 during the reign of King Henry VIII, Chester Racecourse holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest operational racecourse.

Operated by Chester Race Company, the venue welcomes over 200,000 guests annually to its 15-race season, including the renowned Boodles May Festival which features the Chester Cup.

Transforming ticketing admissions

Gareth Simpson, Head of Racecourse Operations, Chester Race Company commented: “Admissions are our first touch point with our guests on a race day, so delivering an excellent customer experience is critical.

“By adopting HID’s NFC ticketing technology, we’ve transformed the entry process, offering guests the ease of smartphone-based tickets in their Apple or Google Wallets.

“It’s just like downloading a mobile boarding pass for an airline flight.”

From purchase to entry

Chester Racecourse’s new system is said to streamline the ticketing process from purchase to entry.

HID has articulated that guests will now receive encrypted e-tickets within seconds, downloadable directly to their smartphones, along with guidance about dress code, race program and directions.

On race day, reminders are said to appear on guests’ devices as they approach the venue, further enhancing convenience. 

Key to the implementation is the purchase of 45 Janam XT3 rugged mobile computers, which are said to enable offline ticket validation for continuity of service.

This is important as the racecourse is allegedly in a low-lying area in Chester where the mobile signal strength is poor.

The preloaded ticket data on each device is said to eliminate the reliance on Wi-Fi connections, enabling swift and accurate access even during peak times.

The company has reported that with a scan time of less than a second, the Janam XT3 units significantly reduce congestion and wait times and work well in poor light conditions.

Financial investments

To support the NFC ticketing solution, Chester Race Company has reportedly made significant financial investments to upgrade its network infrastructure, deploying Wi-Fi 7 access points along with new routers, switches and robust 10-gigabit Ethernet connections to the Internet.

HID’s EMP integrates with a ticket sales platform from SeatGeek, with a bespoke API recently written to integrate the two systems to enable ticket purchases to be updated automatically in the access control solution in real-time, thereby removing the manual process adopted in the past.

Simpson added: “We’ve addressed all our entrance issues. From faster entry to real-time visibility of guest attendance, HID’s solution has been transformational.”

Additional benefits to the NFC-based system

The NFC-based system is said to offer additional benefits as Chester Racecourse will reportedly know the exact number of people who have entered (out of the tickets sold) and where people are in terms of enclosure and stands.

This is said to help it meet its compliance with capacity obligations, along with consideration for forthcoming legislation such as Martyn’s Law.

The NFC-based system is also said to reduce ticket fraud by eliminating barcode sharing or resale opportunities by touts.

Looking ahead

Looking ahead, Chester Race Company is reportedly planning to expand NFC ticketing across its portfolio and explore additional features within HID’s EMP such as accreditation management for staff and contractors, as well as loyalty program integration.

Simpson concluded: “We’re the oldest racecourse in the world using leading-edge technology.

“HID’s solutions are enabling us to create modern, memorable experiences for our guests by streamlining admissions totally using a tool that everyone has in their pocket – a smartphone.”