• Digital ticketing software provider in multi-year deal with Pontefract

• Redcar also teaming up with Future Ticketing again for coming years

Future Ticketing is delighted to announce the extension of partnerships with two UK racecourses. The digital ticketing software provider has entered into further multi-year partnerships with Pontefract and Redcar. Future Ticketing said it is proud to be selected by both these venues which host some of the most prestigious dates on the British horse racing calendar.

Peter McNeile, International Sales Director, Future Ticketing, said:

“We are proud of our association with Pontefract and Redcar and have been impressed with how they have embraced the digital transformation of their ticketing with us. We feel privileged that they will continue working with us as we improve and enhance the delivery of race-day experiences and help both Pontefract and Redcar serve their customers even better into the future.”

Pontefract has a venerable horse racing pedigree in West Yorkshire which in recent times has been marked by its unwavering commitment to modernisation, a quality it shares with Future Ticketing. Ponte hosts 15 meetings a year and Future Ticketing is especially pleased to be part of its groundbreaking project to pioneer autism friendly race-days.

Richard Hammill, Chief Operating Officer, Pontefract said:

“Pontefract Racecourse are delighted to confirm the extension of our partnership with Future Ticketing. They have a fantastic product and it’s a pleasure to work with their team who are always helpful and responsive to any requests that we may have.  Their commitment to ensuring their service improves each year means that renewing the contract was an easy decision to make. In addition to the ticketing system, their support of each of our race days in 2024, ensuring that we were able to provide an ‘Autism Friendly’ environment, was an invaluable addition to our local community in Pontefract. I look forward to working with the team at Future Ticketing for years to come.”

Redcar Racecourse was established in 1872 and now hosts 18 meetings each year, putting it at the heart of Yorkshire’s rich racing heritage. With Future Ticketing, Redcar has brought efficiencies to its ticket sales, its hospitality and parking provision, and its ability to market products and services such as food and beverages, thereby upgrading all punters’ day at the races.

Amy Fair, General Manager, Redcar, said:

We first partnered with Future Ticketing five years ago and the partnership has ensured our journey to digital ticketing has been a very smooth one.  It has transformed how our racegoers come to our racecourse and all of us at Redcar have been impressed with how Future Ticketing has managed the relationship season after season. Future Ticketing recognised at an early stage that our customers want much more than an entry ticket to Redcar, they wish to have an overall race-day experience, and Future Ticketing’s flexible systems allowed us to address those needs. We have enjoyed our time with Future Ticketing and we are delighted to continue working with the company and offering the best solution for our racegoers.”

The renewal of the partnerships with Pontefract and Redcar strengthens Future Ticketing’s position in English racing and comes after a similar renewal with fellow Yorkshire Racecourse, Beverley and Racecourse Association nominations for a number of Future Ticketing clients.

• Leading Elite Ice Hockey Clubs team up with Future Ticketing again
• Dundee Stars and Fife Flyers in multi-year deals with ticketing software provider
• Future Ticketing’s strong focus on development and innovation

 Future Ticketing has announced the renewal of multi-year partnerships with two of Scotland’s leading ice hockey clubs.

The digital ticketing services provider says it is delighted to confirm extensions of its relationships with Dundee Stars and Fife Flyers. The announcement coincides with the Challenge Cup clash between the sides at the Dundee Ice Arena on Sunday, September 15.

Michael Ward, Commercial Manager of the Trade-Mart Dundee Stars commented:

“Dundee Stars were the first club in the Elite Ice Hockey League to sign up to use Future Ticketing and we have seen steady growth in ticket sales and revenues, using the platform and associated plug-ins, since we signed up five years ago.”

Ward added: “We didn’t hesitate to renew our contract. We look forward to working with the team at Future Ticketing for many more seasons to come.”

Kirsty Longmuir, Commercial Manager, Fife Flyers said that by joining Future Ticketing in 2018 the club was able to offer its fans an interactive, quick and easy online ticket service.

“The partnership also provided us with up-to-date customer information, giving us more insight into the buying habits of our fans, thus allowing us to make informed decisions in terms of ticketing influenced directly by our fans.

Longmuir added: “Our fans are some of the most loyal fans in the league and we want to make decisions based on their wants and needs and the Future Ticketing platform allows us to do this.”

This year Fife Flyers put their season tickets, both renewals and new customers, on sale early through the Future Ticketing platform.

“We saw some of our highest sales at such an early pre-season stage. All in all we have loved working with the Future Ticketing team and platform; it suits our needs in the box office but more importantly it is a convenient and user friendly system for our fans.”

Liam Holton, Chief Executive Officer of Future Ticketing said

“Both Dundee Stars and Fife Flyers play in the Elite Ice Hockey League and here at Future Ticketing we have always admired their progressive attitude and relentless focus on professionalism in everything they do, We are privileged to be associated with them and we are especially proud that they have chosen to remain with us in the seasons to come.  We are aware of how loyal their fans are and we are confident that our own focus on product development and innovation in ticketing software will help both clubs build ever closer relationships with their supporters.”

Dunfermline Athletic FC benefit from data leading partners

Future Ticketing is very pleased to announce an API integration with Happy Fan which adds a further option for Future Ticketing clients to choose from to understand their customer data. HappyFan is the latest partner to complete an integration with our next-generation API and software solution. This means Future Ticketing’s clients can choose from an additional data partner to gain deeper insights and enhance fan engagement.

As an API-first company, Happy Fan seamlessly connected with Future Ticketing’s OPEN REST API, enabling near real-time data integration from multiple sources, such as CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and social media analytics. This creates a unified, live data ecosystem that offers a holistic view of fan behavior and preferences.

John Grabowski, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Happy Fan said

“Leveraging the unlimited real-time data provided by Future Ticketing allows us to drive growth and offer strategic advice to Dunfermline Athletic, enhancing fan engagement and converting one-time attendees into loyal, repeat customers. The integration process was seamless, and Future Ticketing’s support was top-notch whenever we needed it. This integration has empowered Dunfermline Athletic with a unified customer view across all their platforms, enabling more effective decision-making.”

Dunfermline Athletic FC: A Case Study
Dunfermline Athletic FC (DAFC), a long-term client of Future Ticketing, is one of the first organisations to leverage this integration. By utilising Happy Fan’s Future Ticketing API connector, DAFC has been able to stream ticketing data directly into an advanced analytics and segmentation tool. This capability has advanced the club’s understanding and interaction with its audience.

Chris Addison, Marketing Manager at Dunfermline Athletic Football Club said

“Our pilot program partnership with Happy Fan has been a significant step forward for the club’s digital marketing activities.
Working alongside our ticketing provider Future Ticketing has led to a co-ordinated approach, allowing us to deliver a more personalised message to our supporters. Furthermore by having reliable and accurate data at hand, we are better positioned to plan and implement our marketing campaigns. Happy Fan have proven to have extensive knowledge in the subjects of Data, Analytics and CRM which has greatly benefited our data management and further supported sales in key revenue areas.

With enriched data from Future Ticketing, DAFC can now create audience segments based on a variety of factors such as purchasing behaviour, attendance patterns, and engagement levels. These segments enable the club to retarget their fans with highly relevant messaging and storytelling, enhancing the overall fan experience while enabling business analytics for Dunfermline FC for future generations.

A New Era of Fan Engagement
For Dunfermline Athletic FC, the journey is just beginning, but the early results are promising. In an industry where every fan interaction counts, the ability to deliver personalised, targeted communication is a game-changer.

Ann Marie Guinan, Chief Marketing Officer, Future Ticketing, said:

“The data our clients can collect through the buying journey is unlimited. Dunfermline Athletic FC have benefited from this and the club is now ready to take the next step in the data journey with this partnership with Happy Fan. Our Open API means our clients can link all their data to a single source, which is exactly how Happy Fan have delivered this partnership.”

• Other nominees include Newcastle United, PSG and Basketball England
• Nomination recognises Future Ticketing’s game-changing technology for sports businesses

Future Ticketing has been nominated in the prestigious Sports Business Awards 2024. The Sports Business Awards, where entries are judged by the chief executives of major sports governing bodies, will be presented in London on November 29 next.

Future Ticketing is shortlisted for an award in the Innovation category and will be competing for the top prize with Paris Saint-Germain and Norwich City among others. The nomination is in recognition of the innovative Future Ticketing API which means clients integrate all their preferred technology partners to provide a single customer overview.

Welcoming the announcement Liam Holton CEO of Future Ticketing said:

“Here at Future Ticketing we are delighted to be nominated for a Sports Business award and are especially proud to be recognised in the Sports Innovation Award category.”

Holton added: “Innovation has always been at the heart of our digitisation mission, and we pioneered the use of API software in sports ticketing.

“We have progressive partners in horse racing, football, ice hockey, GAA, rugby league and union and many other sports and it is the visionaries within these partner organisations who have earned this recognition for us.

“We are very much looking forward to the awards ceremony where we will be sitting down with many of the leaders in global sport, with Barcelona, Atletico de Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur nominated in other categories.”

Future Ticketing, an API-first ticketing solution for sports, visitor attractions, venues and event organisers has announced a partnership with GoCardless, the bank payment company, to make the purchase of tickets and memberships easier and more affordable for consumers in the UK and Ireland.

By integrating GoCardless directly into its platform, Future Ticketing can now offer customers — which include clubs in the English Football League, Scottish Premier League,Super League and Elite Ice Hockey League — the ability to collect payments via Direct Debit. 

This means that season ticket holders, festival-goers and other event attendees will be able to split the cost of their ticket into smaller amounts to be paid over several months through Direct Debit. 

Ann Marie Guinan, Chief Marketing Officer at Future Ticketing, said: “Ensuring seamless payments and customer conversion is a top priority for us and our clients. By offering a wider range of payment options, we are meeting the growing demand for instalment payments from today’s customers.”

Seb Hempstead, VP of Partnerships at GoCardless, said: “This partnership is a game-changer. Future Ticketing customers can now use GoCardless to give their fans the ability to break down larger purchases into smaller, more manageable repayments — so season tickets for their favourite team or tickets to that once-in-a-lifetime gig are all within reach. At the same time, clubs, venues and event organisers save money on card fees and gain peace of mind knowing that repayments will be automatically collected on the day they’re due. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

The announcement adds another leading name to the growing list of API partners that Future Ticketing empowers. 

About GoCardless

GoCardless is a global leader in direct bank payments. We help more than 85,000 businesses, from start-ups to household names, collect both recurring and one-off payments, without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. Each year GoCardless processes more than US$35 billion of payments across 30+ countries. Our acquisition of Nordigen means we’re also helping businesses make faster and more informed decisions through easy access to bank account data. We are headquartered in the UK, with additional offices in Australia, France, Latvia and the United States. For more information, please visit www.gocardless.com and follow us on Twitter @GoCardless. 

• Future Ticketing has added another payment processor that clients can avail of
• The API first company now has over 60 API integrations that clients can choose from

Future Ticketing is pleased to announce the addition of payment solutions provider Ryft.  The collaboration will offer Future Ticketing’s clients an additional payment option to choose from that delivers operational and efficiency benefits.

By integrating Ryft into our next-generation API and software solution, Future Ticketing’s clients can choose from one of the number of payment processors available which includes Apple and Google Pay and pre-event payments. Clients can also avail of customer service support provided by Ryft.

Ryft operates as a unified payment platform designed to empower marketplaces and B2B platforms. The company’s end-to-end solution facilitates PSD2 compliance, automates payouts, monetises transactions for digital platforms, and diversifies payment options across various digital marketplaces.

Ann Marie Guinan, Chief Marketing Officer at Future Ticketing commented: “We want our customers to have choice and flexibility when it comes to choosing the best partners that suit their business needs. Ryft was easy to integrate into our platform due to it’s advanced technology that matches the strength of our product, flexibility to ensure the partnership’s success, and a strong relationship with the business to enable ongoing improvement and added value for our clients.”

Speaking on the new partnership, Ryft CEO and co-founder, Sadra Hosseini commented: “Working with Future Ticketing is an exciting opportunity for us. Their leadership in the ticketing software sector makes them an ideal profile for Ryft, and we are confident that our solutions will bring considerable value to their platform and users. By integrating Ryft, they are addressing a long-term issue that’s affected the digital ticketing industry and ensuring their customers have ample choice when it comes to payments.”

For more information about Ryft Payments, please visit: https://ryftpay.com/

For more information about Future Ticketing, please visit: https://www.futureticketing.com/

Cover Genius, the global insurtech for embedded protection, and Future Ticketing, a leading, end-to-end ticketing solution, have introduced a new partnership that offers booking refund protection solutions embedded directly in their users’ websites. The partnership aims to help protect the experiences of sports fans, festival goers and live entertainment attendees across the UK and Ireland.

Last year, more than 80.2 million fans purchased tickets to watch professional sports in the UK. According to Two Circles’ 2023 UK Attendance Report, attendance at British racecourses remained at 4.8 million in 2023, cricket attendance surpassed 3.0 million and football fans took the top spot with 55.5 million attendees.

By integrating with Cover Genius’ award-winning distribution platform, XCover, football clubs, rugby clubs, racecourses, and amusement parks, along with concert and festival venues that use Future Ticketing for their ticket sales, can now offer embedded protection solutions for all types of events. The protection is integrated directly within the customer purchase journey to help provide peace of mind and a seamless experience to thousands of customers.

When asked about why Future Ticketing chose to work with Cover Genius on this partnership, Peter McNeile, UK & International Sales Director, said,

“This new partnership helps grow the availability of protection solutions for event-and-racegoers all over the UK and Ireland who purchase tickets via our users. We wanted to provide a customer-first approach and seamless claims experience if a ticket-holder unexpectedly cannot attend an event they were looking forward to. This solution also removes the administrative workload for our users related to refunds and subsequent customer queries – all while benefiting from retainment of ticket revenue.”

If plans do not go as expected, a ticket-holder can access their purchased Booking Refund Protection online through their XCover Account and file a claim for up to 100% of the face value of their unused event ticket and ticket booking fee (if not refunded from any other source). The protection covers claims for a number of reasons, including an injury, or illness affecting the ticket holder, the mechanical breakdown or accident of a private vehicle heading to the event, jury service, burglary or fire at their residence, unexpected armed forces deployment, adverse weather, permanent relocation by an employer, among other scenarios*.

“With today’s uncertainty, people want to be protected when life happens and unexpected challenges come up,” said Peter Smith, Senior Vice President, Travel, Ticketing & Mobility, at Cover Genius. “At Cover Genius, our focus is making protection as relevant, convenient and accessible as possible directly within the ticketing purchase journey. Through our award-winning protection experience powered by XCover, event goers can invest in live experiences far in advance and benefit from knowing they are  protected from the unexpected.”

New users’ of Future Ticketing’s integration will have the complementary protection enhancement readily available through the API. Current Future Ticketing users with a portfolio of race, sports, and live event users, will have the protection solution rolled out over the coming weeks without having to make any changes to their accounts. Underpinned by its global licensing framework, Cover Genius’ award-winning technology provides coverage in almost any country, language and currency. With a unique ability to keep customers at the center of the protection experience, Cover Genius protects millions of customers per year.

*Ticket holders are urged to review their plan summary and booking protection wording for details.