The SSE Arena, Wembley has partnered with experience automation platform Realife Tech to aid the staging of tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) unified heavyweight championship fight between Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev.
Realife’s technology has been put in place to enable the London venue to welcome back 1,000 fans for the boxing showpiece as SSE Arena, Wembley seeks to put protocols in place to make events as contactless as possible during COVID-19.
Mobile-only digital ticketing will be used exclusively to minimise touchpoints on entry into the venue. Fans will be required to download and share their tickets digitally through The SSE Arena, Wembley mobile app, powered by Realife Tech.
Inside the arena, innovative systems have been put into place to limit crowd movement and make transactions as easy as possible, with the mobile app being the sole method of ordering food and beverage.
In addition to placing orders, Realife Tech’s platform allows users to remain in their seats until notified that their food and drink is ready to pick up. This will enhance safety through reducing crowd congestion on concourses and limiting excessive movement throughout the arena.
Adam Goodyer, founder and CEO of Realife Tech, said: “As The SSE, Arena, Wembley is regarded as a technology leader and has already taken great strides to prioritise the safety of their visitors, we’re proud to be teaming up to provide a technologically advanced solution to help fans make a seamless transition and adapt to events in this new environment.”
The Matchroom Boxing agency announced earlier this month that it would sell tickets to 1,000 fans for the fight. Tickets were priced at £100 (€109/$132), £200, £300, £500 and £1,000 (VIP) as spectators are welcomed back to live boxing for the first time since March.
The announcement came after it was revealed that fans will be allowed back in English venues as part of guidelines based on the Government’s new tiered lockdown system. Indoor sporting events and fixtures in Tier 1 and Tier 2, where London is placed, are able to host a maximum of 1,000 fans, or 50 per cent of capacity.
In October, it was announced that Matchroom Boxing would take up residency at the SSE Arena, Wembley to stage four major events during the remainder of the year. Earlier that month, Matchroom Boxing said it hoped to have fans in attendance at The O2 after the London arena landed hosting rights to the rescheduled heavyweight title fight between Joshua and Pulev.
Joshua had been due to defend his world titles against Pulev on June 20 in what would have marked the first major boxing event at English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium. The fight was called off due to COVID-19 back in April, and was moved from The O2 to SSE Arena, Wembley due to promoter logistics.
Realife Tech’s solutions are available to visitors through The SSE Arena, Wembley mobile app; with the partnership to continue on beyond Saturday’s event. John Drury, vice-president and general manager for The SSE Arena, Wembley, said: “The comfortability and security of our fans is our highest priority, and utilising Realife Tech will allow visitors to experience live events in a safe, convenient, and enjoyable way.”
