Chester Race Company has adopted Near Field Communication (NFC)-based ticketing technology provided by HID. Leveraging HID’s Event Management Platform (EMP) and Janam’s XT3 handheld scanners, the organisation offers a new entry experience at Chester Racecourse.
The venue welcomes over 200,000 guests annually to its 15-race season, including the Boodles May Festival which features the Chester Cup. The company also manages Bangor-on-Dee and Musselburgh racecourses, alongside catering, hospitality, hotel and recruitment businesses.
“Admissions are our first touch point with our guests on a race day, so delivering an excellent customer experience is critical,” said Gareth Simpson, Head of Racecourse Operations at Chester Race Company. “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.”
Chester Racecourse’s new system streamlines the ticketing process from purchase to entry. Guests now receive encrypted e-tickets within seconds, downloadable to their smartphones, along with guidance about dress code, race programme and directions. On race day, reminders appear on guests’ devices as they approach the venue, further enhancing convenience.
Key to the implementation is the purchase of 45 Janam XT3 mobile computers which enable offline ticket validation for continuity of service. This is important as the racecourse is in a low-lying area in Chester where the mobile signal strength is poor. Preloaded ticket data on each device eliminates reliance on Wi-Fi connections, enabling swift access even during peak times. With a scan time of less than a second, the Janam XT3 units reduce congestion and wait times and work well in poor light conditions.
To support the NFC ticketing solution, Chester Race Company has made investments to upgrade its network infrastructure, deploying Wi-Fi 7 access points along with new routers, switches and 10-gigabit Ethernet connections to the Internet.
The NFC-based system offers additional benefits as Chester Racecourse knows exactly the number of people who have entered (out of the tickets sold) and where people are in terms of enclosure and stands. This helps it meet its compliance with capacity obligations, along with consideration for forthcoming legislation such as Martyn’s Law. It also reduces ticket fraud by eliminating barcode sharing or resale opportunities by touts.
Looking ahead, Chester Race Company plans 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 programme integration.
