Chester Race Company deploys ticketing technology from HID

Chester Race Company has adopted NFC-based ticketing technology from HID, the company reports.

Chester Race Company – owner of the world’s oldest racecourse still in operation – is the first major sports venue in the UK to adopt an end-to-end solution from the global solutions provider.

Leveraging HID’s Event Management Platform (EMP) and Janam’s XT3 handheld scanners, the organisation is said to have streamlined the guest admission process at Chester Racecourse.

The history of 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, it welcomes over 200,000 guests annually to its 15-race season, including the renowned Boodles May Festival which features the Chester Cup.

According to HID, the Chester Race Company also manages Bangor-on-Dee and Musselburgh racecourses, alongside diverse 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.”

Streamlined guest experiences

Chester Racecourse’s new system now streamlines the ticketing process – from purchase to entry.

Guests are said to now receive encrypted e-tickets within seconds which are downloadable directly to their smartphones, along with guidance about dress code, race program and directions.

On race day itself, reminders appear on guests’ devices as they approach the venue.

HID has confirmed that key to the implementation is the purchase of 45 Janam XT3 rugged mobile computers which enable offline ticket validation for continuity of service.

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

And, 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.

Chester Race Company: Building for the future

To support the NFC ticketing solution, Chester Race Company has made significant financial investments to upgrade its network infrastructure.

The company is said to be deploying Wi-Fi 7 access points along with new routers, switches and robust 10-gigabit Ethernet connections to the Internet.

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

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.