The 100th edition of the the KLM Open golf tournament, also known as the Dutch Open will take place from 12 to 15 September 2019. With 45,000 expected visitors, ticket sales and entrance control should run as smoothly as possible.
We talked about this with Demi Schreuder, Project Manager at TIG Sports, who has been organising the KLM Open for the past 16 years. With their innovative approach, nothing should stand in the way of a successful golf event.
Sports marketing agency TIG Sports specialises in the creation, renewal and organisation of large-scale international sporting events. As organizer and co-owner of the KLM Open, TIG Sports takes care of the entire production of this big golf event. From the construction of the event site to hospitality and finance. TIG Sports has been using the EventsIT software for ticketing for several years now. Last year, EventsIT was acquired by CM.com. This further enriches the purchasing experience for a sporting event with an easier purchasing process and relevant communication towards the visitor.
Demi: "At CM.com we still have the same contact person as at EventsIT, Patrick van Sevenbergen. That's nice. A major advantage of the acquisition is that CM.com has many developers. If I have a request, there are more people who can deliver it. So the answer is more often yes. And the whole process moves a lot faster." That's a good thing, because TIG Sports doesn't settle for a standard solution. "It should be as easy as possible for visitors to order tickets. Being able to have your tickets within a minute was the goal." And because of some smart choices, such as omitting the login procedure, this can even be done within 30 seconds.
Ticket sales for the KLM Open must be easily accessible. First of all, the ticketshop must be easy to set up by TIG Sports, in accordance with the KLM Open branding. But ticket sales should also be as simple as possible, especially for the customer. Buying a ticket in 3 steps, that's what it's all about. Many ticket shops require visitors to create an account. At the KLM Open, these and other unnecessary steps have been eliminated.
Demi: "We wanted to speed up the process and increase conversion. If it's easier to buy your ticket, more people will continue to do so. The login still caused a lot of people to exit. So that step has been removed."
Remembering a password for an account that you use once a year is not exactly easy. Instead, TIG Sports sends everyone who visited the KLM Open last year an invitation to revisit the event. Through a personal URL, interested parties enter the ticketshop where all known information is filled in beforehand. This includes, for example, name and e-mail address. The number of tickets ordered last year is also pre-populated. The customer can check their details, change them and buy new tickets.
Patrick: "We are not marketers, but our experience has enabled us to organise ticket sales in such a way that there are no conversion killers. Together with an innovative player like TIG Sports, who knows the market like no other, the KLM Open is a wonderful event to show what's possible."
In a confirmation email from our Email Campaigns tool the buyer receives his ticket(s). The role that mobile plays for the consumer is of course taken into account. When he or she opens the tickets on their phone, they open as mobile tickets. If the email is opened on Desktop, it will be shown as a printable PDF. "In this way, TIG Sports responds intelligently to the wishes of the modern customer," says Patrick. Demi: "One day before the event, the buyer also receives an e-mail with the latest information. In this way, the visitor always has the most up-to-date information at hand."
On the day of the event, entrance control will also be facilitated by CM.com's software. With such high numbers of visitors, this must be implemented seamlessly, especially during peak times. Demi: "Particularly on Friday and Sunday mornings we have large numbers to process. This year, because of the 100th edition, we also expect more visitors than usual." TIG Sports uses our scanning software for access control. By downloading the app on their mobile phones, the hostesses - who are KLM flight attendants and ING employees in full style - can scan and check the mobile entry tickets and give the person correct access.
"But of course printed tickets can also be scanned with it," adds Patrick. With the resulting data, TIG Sports can once again meet the requirements of the municipality and security services to provide insight into the current number of visitors.
Because the mobile number is also requested during the purchase process, TIG Sports has the possibility to approach visitors in the run-up to and during the event by mobile phone with updates and important information. This keeps the organization in contact with the visitor between the time of purchase and the event itself. Demi: "For example, if a ticket is scanned somewhere, the idea is to send a message to the visitor via SMS with, for example, the latest updates, scores or announcements. And there are even more ideas for fun campaigns during the event." But we're not going to reveal all that yet.
We provide the combination of mobile communication, ticketing, data, mobile payments and event services for large events.
CM.com is one of the main sponsors of the Dutch Grand Prix (DGP), and as a technology partner will not only take care of relevant communication towards the visitor, but also the entire ticketing process.
At the end of this year, TIG Sports will also organize the Invictus games in the Netherlands where CM.com will also facilitate the ticket sales.
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