Axess makes game day run seamlessly 

Liam Watson
Axess serves as a leading international manufacturer for ticketing and access management systems - a trusted process for sports clubs. 

Axess serves as a leading international manufacturer for ticketing and access management systems, putting in place a trusted process for sports clubs. 

The company has already achieved substantial reach and with an office in Australia (Currumbin Queensland), their services are right on our doorstep.  

Headquartered in Austria with production taking place in the city of Innsbruck, Axess currently has 20 offices in 16 different countries. 

Axess are specialists in individual solutions for ticketing and access management, software products to integrate own business areas and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to manage consumer data. 

As Axess are able to cater for customers all around the world, they are also versatile with a variety of industries – their solutions are used by ski resorts, fair & convention centres, stadia & arenas, leisure parks, museums, sightseeing attractions and touristic transport. 

Axess can look at the unique fields and identify how to implement their expertise, with complete resort solutions, customer registration and customer loyalty programs with social media integration – as well as numerous standardised interfaces to third-party systems. 

To meet the needs of organisations, Axess will use the very best innovative hardware and the most modern software modules. This means they can offer a tailored service for every area of application. 

The hardware that Axess offers are suitable for any sporting event at a stadium, with customised areas to ensure a smooth process on game day. 

Venues are supported from start to finish by Axess, who provide systems that includes a layer of security so that it’s easy to know who is entering the stadium. 

As people arrive, Smart Gates can be used to verify exactly who is accessing certain parts of the venue. For example, to access a VIP area, a person would only be allowed in if they have an appropriate pass or accreditation, which would be scanned to give them the green light. A venue could even look at the Smart Security Gate for extra security protection to block ineligible patrons. 

This solution can be used in a similar manner for car parks, as Axess provide entrance and departure gates for those with motorised vehicles. This allows clubs to section off a particular area of their parking and reserve it for players, coaches, match officials and media personnel. 

When it comes to ticketing, Axess can assist clubs with both printing needs and digital implementation. They accommodate for fans at a personalised level, with a range of options available to collect their tickets for an event. For example, Axess offers a Pick Up Box that is accessible for people to collect the tickets they ordered online, meaning they’re not required to line up at tills.  

The Ticket Kiosk and Smart Printers by Axess are quick and easy solution for all parties, as customers can source what they need and therefore reduces crowded areas outside ticket kiosks in peak times, especially within half an hour of a big event starting. The technology on offer by Axess can print tickets in no time, covering a range of formats. 

However, as we know it has become important for patrons at an event to ‘check in’ using a QR code to register that they were there for Covid tracking purposes. Axess provides the option for people to purchase their tickets online and receive a code to enter the stadium. This gives all clubs the chance to implement this very important technology that becomes tracking software to identify anyone with symptoms of Covid-19.  

A QR code is also present on Axess’ Smart Cards, where they are more relevant to regular visitors of a stadium – members of a club. With an integrated chip, the card stores data of an individual for fast entry and is highly durable, so there’s no need to worry about replacing it.  

Whether it be those who like it old-fashioned or now tech-savvy, tickets by Axess come in all forms to create a user-friendly experience. 

The modules and equipment that Axess brings are state-of-the-art to match the ever-growing changes to technology. They are a flexible partner of access management, always looking for ways to be innovative in how their solutions can best fit any organisation. 

For a more detailed look into Axess’ products, as well as their latest news and case studies, you can find them here. 

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GIS Industry Masterclass highlights pathways for women’s sport.

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Image Credit: Soccerscene

This month, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) held an industry masterclass with guest speakers discussing the future of development in women’s sport.

The masterclass panel had two key speakers:

  • Chantella Perera, General Manager of Sport at KOJO.
  • Yael Reed, a sports marketing consultant who has worked with Newcastle Jets, Football Australia and Netball NSW.

These two industry experts, representing different areas of the women’s sporting world, delved into answering the event’s important goal of growth and sponsorship in women’s sport.

The role that media and commercial partners have in elevating women’s sport was a key point. Discussion was centred around the importance of encouraging broadcasters to invest in women’s sport directly and not just through male sport avenues.

Yael Reed spoke about the importance of media revenue being invested into women’s sports.

“Media partners with broadcast and commercial revenue is ultimately what is invested in the sport, and you need to invest to grow,” she said.

“Broadcast and commercial revenue also contributes to paying the players

“Media and coverage revenue is what is invested into the sport and their support is needed to help sports to grow, but also to benefit from, Women’s sport is no longer the steak knives.”

Chantella Perera, a former professional sportsperson and with KOJO a big leader in women’s sports events, outlined the position of women’s sports:

“From grassroots we see more equity with facilities and infrastructure for girls now. From my field in the event world lens, the investment from clubs and leagues is improving year on year. The disparity is still huge,” Perera said.

“There must be money invested to grow it. Yes, it is changing—a lot more females can do it as a job.

“But I feel we are still talking a lot but not doing a lot. People can make action, and it doesn’t have to be huge actions. Making those small steps towards that change is where we move forward.

“The Matildas’ success at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has sparked a rise in interest towards women’s football in the country.”

Perera, however, commented on the slow impact it has produced:

“It did have an impact with the eyes and traction, but we are still waiting for the influx of cash,”

“I’d challenge the effect and ask: two years on, have we seen enough from it? I just want to see if we can get more from it.”

A key point regarding investing in women’s sport and central to the discussion was how to invest in the differences between men’s and women’s sport.

Reed expressed her key ways in which this step can be tackled:

“It’s important for brands to consider Who they are trying to connect with? The benefit of women’s sport is it’s fresh and new (compared to men’s sport). There’s a lot to be unexpected. There are amazing people playing the sport and their story needs to be told,”

“I think when you can connect with athletes, with clubs, and harness that promotion and opportunity that’s there with women’s sport.

“The opportunity in women’s sport is to expect the unexpected.” Reed highlighted.

The important question of brand alignment became central to the discussion, with the equation for branding being relevance multiplied by emotion equals impact.

To harness the sponsor’s relevance to the team and the sport, harnessing that emotion and being relevant to the fans and showing up for them and having an impact promotes any brand.

An example presented by Reed was the Suzuki partnership with the Swifts:

“By putting players in their content and in the car the swift has been really positive,”

“The business case is there. We now have a greater asset in women’s sport to take your brands to the next level

“To have a women’s demographic is such a good asset for business branding.”

Women’s sport has faced challenges in gaining support and funding to expand and delve into the ever-growing popularity of the women’s game.

Sponsorships and businesses trying to grow their portfolio and market shouldn’t underestimate the power that women’s sport and football have.

It is unique and it is unexpected, as was discussed centrally in this masterclass.

The ways to grow women’s sport are there, and the benefits are evident. Sponsors need to take the necessary step and will undoubtedly reap the rewards if they do so.

Senseball: A minimalistic design with maximum impact

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Image Credit: Senseball

Ball control, coordination and decision making are three of the most important skills for a football player to master. Mastery of these skills separates players from the rest and allows them to thrive on the field.

Aspiring and current professional footballers need more than raw talent to succeed in the sport. Due to this, reaching the highest levels requires access to the right tools.

Senseball believes their product, a simple ball attached to a handled piece of cord, is one of the tools necessary for developing the mentioned skills.

From 2001 to 2011, Belgian coach, Michael Bruyninckx, and the University of Louvain pioneered CogiTraining, a myelination-based method.

Myelination is the brain function necessary for enhancing motor skills, including footballing ability.

The CogiTraining training method, based on cognitive learning, emphasises rhythm, repetition and decision making under pressure.

These core principles work together to optimise the myelination process, enhancing the brain’s ability to develop motor skills essential for football.

The findings from the ten years of research led to the invention of Senseball.

The idea behind the product combines cognitive science with the only football kick trainer that uses the innovative CogiTraining method.

Specifications, use and benefits

The ball is a size 3, smaller than the standard size 5 used in matches. This challenges users and accelerates the development of ball control and coordination.

Using both feet, players can expect to achieve 1,500 touches in just 15 minutes, improving their two-footed skills. Over the course of a season, players can accrue ~500,000 touches. That is a tenfold increase from the ~50,000 touches provided by traditional training and matches.  

The cord is height adjustable and has an ergonomic handle with grip pads designed for comfort. The ball itself is high quality, featuring a textured design to enhance its durability and improve player control.

Purchasing Senseball’s product grants the ability to connect to the Senseball mobile app.

The app features over 50 guided training videos, personalised drills, and progress training, allowing players to get the most out of the product.

The training videos teach methods that promote symmetrical movement to develop skills in both feet equally.

Unlike traditional training methods, such as cone or passing drills, Senseball allows players to train alone and without the requirement of a full-size pitch.

Additionally, given its compact nature, the ball is ideal for use not just on the training pitch, but also at home or on the go. Injured players can also benefit from the product as it is less straining than other training methods.

Senseball claims its benefits extend beyond the pitch, with research indicating an average 10% improvement in academic performance and enhanced concentration among young players after one year of use.

Australian football ecosystem

Senseball is used by over 500 clubs worldwide, including AC Milan, Leicester City, and FC Metz.

Elite players such as Dries Mertens, Jan Verthongen, Moussa Dembele, and Youri Tielemans have sharpened their tools using the product.

Further, Bruyninckx worked with a sample group of 200 (140 boys and 60 girls) moderately capable players in an attempt to improve their footballing ability using Senseball.

Six of the boys went on to represent Belgium at the international level, while several of the girls went on to make up half of the national women’s team.

Given the product’s status as a proven tool for improving a player’s ability on the ball, it could be a valuable asset for teams competing at the highest level in Australia.

Further, young players at the grassroots level could also benefit from the product.

RSC Anderlecht were one of the first clubs to incorporate Senseball into the training regime of its youth academy.

The results speak for themselves as the club reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League in 2015/16.

Australian clubs may benefit from attempting to replicate this success with their youth academies.

Overall, the mass implementation of Senseball into training schedules has massive potential to significantly strengthen the Australian football ecosystem at all levels.

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