These are certainly interesting times in the world of ticketing. The UK government has just announced plans to ban the resale of tickets for profit, while ticketing sites StubHub and Viagogo have been caught up in a competition watchdog investigation over hidden online service charges.
When you throw in the ongoing controversy around dynamic pricing – bound to make headlines again as World Cup 2026 approaches, with FIFA’s pricing tactics already raising eyebrows – it feels like the events sector is being hit from all angles over pricing.
But really, the message from consumers has been loud and clear for a long time – they just want fairness and transparency in ticket pricing. Now the authorities have decided to act, we can expect the impact to reach a lot further than more clarity in pricing policies. Vendors will be desperate to demonstrate value and trust in a bid to keep prices at a healthy but fair (and transparent) level.
How might that play out in practice? Here are three trends to look out for.
Print-at-kiosk ticketing
While paper ticketing will no doubt eventually be phased out in favour of digital, there are good reasons for that to continue to be a gradual transition, ranging from accessibility (digital ticketing excludes anyone who doesn’t have a phone) to infrastructure (paper ticketing remains useful when there are concerns over network connectivity, for example).
But what we do expect to see is print-at-home ticketing being phased out much faster. Even with unique barcodes and scanning systems, print-at-home tickets are easy for fraudsters to exploit. There’s nothing stopping someone printing 100 identical tickets and selling them, even if only one gets admission.
Instead, print-at-home will be replaced by print-at-kiosk – dedicated ticket printing terminals like you see at transport hubs. This gives you much greater control over physical tickets. The machines can be programmed so it’s only possible to print each unique ticket number or barcode once, and you can use special printers to add secure identifiers like holograms, glossmarks and microprint.
Biometric ticketing
Another persistent issue in the battle against ticket fraud and unscrupulous touting is linking tickets to the person who bought them, or at least to an authorised sale. Digital ticketing already does this through things like assigning tickets to an account and using dynamic codes so you can’t trick a scanner system with a screenshot. But having to log into an account to retrieve a ticket when you’re stood in a queue and your phone connection isn’t great because everyone is doing the same is a source of annoyance for many people.
One simple solution is to use biometric authentication. Many smartphones now have fingerprint scanners, and with a simple AI tool, their cameras become facial recognition scanners, too. You could ask purchasers to tap their fingerprint or scan their face at ticket purchase (or allocation) to link it to them, and then repeat the process on entry to confirm it’s the same person using the ticket.
Looking even further ahead, biometrics could even mean the end of tickets altogether. If you link a ticket purchase to a fingerprint or facial recognition, all you really need to authorise entry is a biometric scan to confirm identity.
Added-value digital experiences
Finally, the world of live events is changing. Immersive technologies like VR are providing alternative ways to attend and experience everything from music concerts to theatre performances, while sports fans can download apps that give them access to live commentary, instant replays, interactive stats and more.
These and other digital technologies will become increasingly important as event organisers and ticket vendors seek to link premium pricing to premium experiences. And those experiences can start right from ticket purchase. Digital tickets can come embedded with links to exclusive previews, or add purchasers to social media groups to connect with other event goers. Or AI can make personalised recommendations – albums to stream/download, merchandise to pre-order, even planning transportation from your location and booking accommodation.
Speak to an expert
For more information about kiosks, speak to our experts, email sales@oxhoo.com or call us on 01928 579824