Golden Knights fans adjust to paperless ticket system
When the Golden Knights chose to use a paperless form of ticketing for their games at T-Mobile Arena, Todd Pollock knew there would be some resistance.
But after a few early bumps, fans appear to be embracing the new technology.
“Obviously early on, with folks being unfamiliar with it and (this is) a very traditional market in the sense of ‘Pick up paper tickets, go to Will Call,’ I think they were a little hesitant at first,” said Pollock, the Knights vice president of ticketing and suites.
“And now they’ve seen the ease of it, they love it.”
Instead of a paper ticket, fans gain entry to Knights games using the Flash Seats application on their smartphone.
The digital ticket is scanned at the gate, and the app also allows users to transfer tickets to someone else in their group, eliminating the need for standing in line at Will Call.
“It truly is like you’re buying an airplane ticket,” Pollock said.
For people who do not have a smartphone, Pollock said the credit card they used to purchase their ticket is swiped at the gate by guest services — “you’re not charged for anything,” Pollock emphasized — and they are given a printout that directs them to their seat.
“One of the reasons we’re using this technology is it heavily reduced fraudulent ticket activity, not only for the team but for the fans themselves, the folks that might be buying tickets on a secondary platform,” Pollock said. “We are very pleased for the peace of mind for our fans that it’s really helped alleviate those types of issues.
“And you can’t lose a ticket.”
During the preseason and at the beginning of the Knights’ seven-game homestand, Pollock said some new fans had difficulty navigating the ticket system.
To help alleviate the issues, the team stationed 10 representatives in Toshiba Plaza ready to help fans who did not have the Flash Seats app.
Pollock said that number was reduced for Saturday’s game against St. Louis as complaints have gone down, and the team continues to educate fans on the ticket process.
The lone drawback to the modern paperless system is fans no longer have a free keepsake from the game. However, the Knights’ season ticket holders were issues a commemorative ticket for the first home game, according to Pollock.
“We obviously did a lot of contemplation and research before we elected to go forward with this process,” Pollock said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It certainly was going to take some education and buy-in from our fans and our season ticket members and we really are thrilled with how well it’s been going for us.”
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Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
