【2019 Archives】

Getting into live events019 Archivessoon be a wholelot easier, thanks to Ticketmaster Presence — an innovative technology that replaces traditional paper tickets with digital passes.

Presence works by transferring data from smartphones directly to receivers in event venues. The receivers then scan the data to confirm your identity with "tap and go" entry, turning your smartphone into an efficient mobile check-in device.

Ticketmaster Presence is built on proximity-based digital technology like NFC and RFID, and according to a reporton VentureBeat, the ticket company is teaming up with Lisnr— an ultrasonic audio technology that sends data over inaudible waves called Smart Tones — to incorporate sound technology in select cases.

A Ticketmaster spokesperson told Mashablethe company hopes eliminating paper tickets and utilizing this technology will both improve and personalize live event experiences for users. As outlined in an early concept video obtained by VentureBeat, the technology also has the potential to eliminate fraud, bots, scalpers, and, by speeding up the process, discourage long lines.

Justin Burleigh, EVP of product for Ticketmaster North America, said in a statement: With Presence's digital technology, "venues and content owners can now connect directly to someone attending an event to foster personalized fan engagement, simplify the ticket management experience, protect against fraud, and enhance security.” How Ticketmaster plans to "connect directly" to someone using the tech is unclear, but a Lisnr spokesperson did note that those using the program wouldn't be tracked as they move about the venue (as reported earlier by VentureBeat).

As you approach the venue, according to the video, just take out your phone and it will broadcast your personal ticketing data, ensuring the lengthy process that normally occurs when attendants have to check paper tickets is now just a distant nightmare of the inconvenient past.

A Ticketmaster spokesperson told Mashable that though Lisnr is not yet incorporated, Presence is currently in production at 32 venues across North America. It will continue to roll out over the next few years, so you could be whizzing into venues like a pro before you know it.

UPDATE: July 5, 2017, 4:01 p.m. UTC

A previous version of this story saidPresence has the ability to track users' location, according to the VentureBeat report. A spokesperson from Lisnr clarified to Mashable that Presence does not have the ability to track user's location.

UPDATE: July 5, 2017, 7:22 p.m. UTC

Updated to include comments from Ticketmaster.

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