The MCC is preparing for record-breaking visitor numbers this summer by upgrading ticketing and venue access technology right across Lord’s Cricket Ground. Fans visiting Lord’s this summer will gain simple, fast and secure access to all fixtures thanks to the new, state of the art, ticketing and access management system, TeamCard3.
The MCC’s decision to instal the new tech comes just ahead of what’s expected to be the busiest season in the MCC’s 232-year history. The Inter-Services Twenty20 tournament in May, the ICC Cricket World Cup in June and July, plus the second Ashes Test in August are just three fixture list highlights expected to contribute to a record-breaking season at Lord’s this summer.
‘We’ve been using TeamCard technology to manage venue access for nearly five years, but at a time when we’re making a series of big improvements across the ground, it made sense to upgrade all systems to the latest version,” explains Will Solomon, MCC’s Chief Information Officer (CIO).
With the new TeamCard3 in place, MCC is able to offer more scalable access options using handheld scanners that can be changed or upgraded automatically via a master dashboard. Previously, every handheld ticketing scanner had to be reconfigured manually one scanner at a time.
Mobile ticketing is supported with today’s most robust EMV credit-card-grade security features and fast emerging token-based ticketing options like Google Pay or Apple Pay come as standard.
“The new and improved dashboards allow our security teams to pinpoint the arrival times of our members and other spectators and locate them easily if required,” explains Will. “Real-time mapping means we can deploy stewards at potential queue hotspots before they become problematic, and detailed visitor analytics means we’re better able to target offers, upgrades and premium experiences to eligible spectators.”
The Teamcard3 deployment is part of a £50 million redevelopment programme that will increase the ground’s capacity to 31,000 by 2020 and ensure Lord’s remains the finest ground in the world to watch and play cricket.