Industry update: more on fan experience, ticketing and pitch management

Read more on contactless payment at FC Twente, LaLiga’s ticketing working groups, Chelsea FC’s new Official Supporters Club scheme and more in ESSMA’s weekly industry update.

Operations & Ticketing

• From the 2019/20 season, fans of FC Twente will only be able to pay contactless at De Grolsch Veste. Fans can either pay with credit card, debit card or Vestekaart. The Vestekaart is a dedicated club payment card which all season ticket holders will receive prior to the new season. For fans without a season ticket, the club payment card is available for €2.
• Fulham FC have confirmed plans for the development of their Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage. The new stand will increase the capacity of the stadium as well as improve facilities and the fan experience. The work on the Riverside Stand is expected to begin this summer while the club will continue to play their home matches at Craven Cottage. Season ticket holders at the Riverside Stand will be transferred to the three remaining stands for the upcoming two seasons.

Fan Experience & Hospitality

• Chelsea FC is introducing their new Official Supporters Club scheme aimed at improving and enriching the experience for their (worldwide) fans. Based on fan feedback, there will be more opportunities to be rewarded, receive more recognition, more flexibility and more communication for supporters clubs.
• LaLiga clubs are finding new ways to deepen their ties with fans and learn from each other through LaLiga’s ticketing working groups. Clubs from LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 1l2l3 regularly meet to share ideas and initiatives relating to ticketing and stadium organisation. Taking inspiration from this knowledge sharing, Real Oviedo are giving their fans the possibility of a stadium tour, museum visit and a chance to visit the post-match press conference with their matchday ticket. Catalan side FC Girona have brought in a new sales team which have made a significant impact on increasing matchday attendance and revenue.
• LOSC Lille launched a Bot Messenger service to meet the demands of their fans. The technology will enable fans to get in touch with the club regarding matchday info, to purchase tickets, webshop sales, questions concerning the stadium, etc. In addition, the fans will also receive news about the club’s results, videos, articles, matchday statistics and other creative content. Fans can get their questions answered via the LOSC Bot Facebook Messenger.

Pitch Management

• For the sixth time in a row, Feyenoord Rotterdam has won the best Eredivisie pitch award in the Netherlands. With a 4.94 out of 5, the award recognises the continuous hard work of Erwin Beltman and his team at De Kuip. 

Partner News 

• ESSMA Corporate Partner, HOK, together with SAP have released a white paper on designing the eSports venue of the future. In 2019, over 450 million people will view an esports event making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global sports and entertainment industry. The white paper explores the factors driving this explosive growth, its unique audience and how the esports venue of tomorrow will look. Key design featureshighlighted in the report include:
  • A nontraditional seating bowl
  • An immersive environment
  • Reimagined geometries and spatial organisation
  • More intimacy
  • A blending of technology with the built environment
  • Hospitality-driven experiences 
• On 3 July, ESSMA Corporate Partner, SGL, will organise a showcase at Brøndby IF to inform participants on economical grass management, with a focus on grow lighting systems in particular. During the showcase both SGL and users of the system will tell you more about the possibilities and opportunities for growing a high quality pitch at the lowest possible costs. The event is free of charge and open to anyone involved in sports fields management.