Colts' monstrous ticketing technology upgrade: Handheld scanners are (mostly) gone

INDIANAPOLIS -- A monstrous ticketing tech upgrade at Lucas Oil Stadium is eliminating handheld scanners that have been used by the Indianapolis Colts since their days at the RCA Dome, replacing them with self-scanning pedestals.

The soon-to-be defunct handheld scanners -- which first read bar codes on physical tickets then evolved into QR codes being scanned on mobile phones -- were successful for nearly 30 years.

But, as often goes with technology, as the years passed, there was a way to make it even better, quicker and easier for NFL fans and their stadiums.

Enter Dormakaba, an Indianapolis-headquartered company, which describes itself as a "global provider of safety, security and sustainability solutions for building access." In other words, Dormakaba makes the technology that gives fans access to, among other events, NFL game day.

The new Alvarado UltraQ Pedestals at Lucas Oil, created by Dormakaba, were first rolled out at the North Gate as the Colts sought to improve entry flow at its busiest entry point at the stadium.

"So, they started with their biggest pain point," said Brian McNeill, vertical business owner for sports and entertainment with Dormakaba Group, "then they've continued to expand at all their other gates."

For this Colts season, 80% of the stadium is equipped with the pedestals. A final small phase to complete the project will happen next season.

In the two years the pedestals have been used, data provided by Dormakaba shows the pedestal-equipped gates have consistently outperformed the handheld lanes.

Scan rates not only increased from 85% to 91%, but at the highest-traffic North Gate, responsible for more than 60% of total entry at Lucas Oil, 18 pedestals were able to process up to 21,000 fans. And, on average, lines were cleared five minutes before kickoff, Dormakaba reports.

"Prior to the installation of the products, they were averaging maybe two minutes before, right after kickoff, before they had the doors cleared," said Adriana Howell, vice president of marketing at Dormakaba North America. "This is what the Colts originally had (in mind), getting fans in their seats ahead of the game. And that's what really matters."

While a 3-minute improvement may seem small, minutes are critical professional sports, said O'Neill.

"Obviously, they want to get them in not only from an enjoyment perspective," he said. "But, at the end of the day, there's a revenue associated with that, too."

The sooner fans get into the stadium, the sooner they're hitting concessions and merchandise shops. "The (Colts) definitely have a per revenue spend, kind of per head," O'Neill said. "So, obviously, there's certainly financial benefits there."

"Over the past two seasons, Dormakaba technology has continued to have a tremendous impact on the Colts game day experience," Jim Van Dam, Colts' vice president of ticket sales and service, said in a statement. "Ease of access, onboarding and overall experience has been smooth and effective.

"The pedestals are the future.”

 'Think of it as an automated ticket taker'

Outdated handheld scanners could not keep pace at peak times, according to the Colts, who listed several challenges with the equipment, including:

Fans weren’t reaching their seats before game time; handheld scanners caused bottlenecks and missed scans; inaccurate attendance data due to missed scans; staff overwhelmed during peak arrival times; and difficult to train or retain staff with clunky equipment.

Now, fans are seeing a different game day ticketing experience similar to the self-service, self-scanning environment that's taken over much of the retail landscape.

The pedestals allow fans to walk up and scan their tickets from their mobile devices. Those pedestals are designed to block any sun or light issues that often caused the staff using handheld scanners to struggle.

"They would try to scan that code and that becomes a little more problematic trying to scan something off of a phone when you've got sun glare and screen brightness. It really makes it impossible for them to process," McNeill said. "The staff no longer has to sit there and worry about fumbling around with the handhelds."

Instead, staff are stationed at entry points to assist fans, if needed, but mostly to welcome them.

Fans simply walk up to a pedestal, scan their mobile ticket and, if successful, a green message pops up on the screen that reads: "Thank You. Please Enter." Staff is there to help if fans are having issues and to ensure that each person who enters the stadium has, in fact, scanned a ticket.

The pedestals also have a portable design, meaning they can quickly be repositioned to reduce congestion, depending on where the crowds are. Inside the stadium, the Colts use the pedestals for credential scanning at player tunnels and restricted zones.

"Think of it," O'Neill said, "as an automated ticket taker."

'It's really close to our hearts'

For Dormakaba, whose global headquarters are located at East 75th Street, being able to introduce the technology in its home town has been special, said O'Neill.

The pedestals the Colts are using is the same technology that's scanned in more than 10 million fans at SoFi Stadium since opening, including at the 2022 Super Bowl.

For the past eight years, Dormakaba's technology has been used by fans not only at pro sporting events but at historic music tours at venues around the world, including Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour in Indy in 2024.

"We've been doing this for a while now," said O'Neill, "and getting a chance to do this with the Colts was pretty awesome."

When asked if other Indy venues, such as Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers and Fever, would be implementing the pedestals, O'Neill responded "Not yet, but there are a lot of them that are paying attention to what's going on in Lucas Oil.

"The whole thing for us, it's really close to our hearts, just given the proximity," O'Neill said. "We take great pride as a company in this."

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: [email protected].   

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts' monstrous ticketing tech upgrade. Handheld scanners disappearing