Days numbered for paper concert tickets? Maybe not

Last week in Sydney, fans of Melbourne rockers Jet were given the option of receiving their tickets in the form of a bar code sent by SMS to their mobile phones, reports The Age.

Though some claim "digital ticket distribution is here and the paper ticket is history!", others don't believe the revolution will happen overnight.

"Richard Moffatt, from Richmond's Corner Hotel, said fans still wanted a ticket in their hand. "People are trying to tell us that it's quicker to get into a venue without a ticket, but we're not convinced... because you can hand over a ticket in one second, but swiping a card, getting information up and checking information against credit card records takes time," he said.

"The printing of the tickets costs nothing, it's paying people to sit next to the phone all day to sell them that costs."

But while some companies are embracing the technology, others are choosing to hark back to the good old days when fans kept their tickets as mementos.

James Young, from marketing company See, plans to introduce colourful envelope-sized tickets that "represent the attitude and energy of the band" in July. "We believe that genuine fans desperately crave the physical ticket as a momento," he said.

"There is also the anticipation factor. The rock'n'roll experience starts from the moment the ticket lands in your hand."

emily | 5:28 PM | SMS and Micro Payments |
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