About
Faster entry for better game day experiences
Recognizing that game day starts the moment fans arrive, the Indianapolis Colts sought to improve entry flow and guest access at Lucas Oil Stadium. Outdated handheld scanners could not keep pace at peak times. The Colts deployed Alvarado UltraQ Pedestals for a mobile ticketing experience that gets fans to their seats faster, improves scan accuracy, and allows staff to focus on welcoming guests. The Colts achieved a top 10 NFL ranking in arrival satisfaction and set a new standard for stadium access innovation on game day and beyond.
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Completion: 2024 (initial deployment), ongoing rollout
Official website: www.colts.com
Challenges
How do you get thousands more fans through the gate before kickoff?
Fans were not 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
Difficult to train or retain staff with clunky equipment
Need to improve the overall fan arrival experience
“Over the past two seasons, dormakaba technology has continued to have a tremendous impact on the Colts game day experience. The ease of access, onboarding, and overall experience has been smooth and effective. The pedestals are the future.”
Jim Van Dam
Vice President, Ticket Sales and Service
Details
Faster, smarter entry that gets fans in before the game begins
Seamless fan experience from the start
Long lines and faulty scans leave guests dissatisfied. By switching to UltraQ Pedestals, the Colts gave fans control over their entry using familiar mobile barcodes and tap-and-go technology.
Data-driven results
Pedestal-equipped gates consistently outperform handheld lanes. At the high-traffic North Gate – responsible for over 60% of total entry – just 18 UltraQ units process up to 21,000 guests and routinely clear lines five minutes before kickoff. Scan rates increased from 85% to 91%, and fan satisfaction rose accordingly. As one attendee shared: “I like how easy it was to scan my ticket by just tapping my phone on the sensor. Last year, there were staff with devices trying to scan, and it took forever."
Operations benefits
The Colts’ staffing partner reports easier training and higher morale. Large touch screens and LED light bars with clear “green means go, red means no” audio and visual cues make it easy for staff to manage multiple pedestals at once and interact with fans. In many cases, staffing needs were reduced or reassigned without compromising security.
Flexible and scalable
The pedestal’s portable design enables quick repositioning to adjust entry flow and reduce congestion on the staff’s terms. Inside the stadium, the Colts also use UltraQ for credential scanning at player tunnels and restricted zones. And with branding options, the system was customized to match the Colts’ identity.
Chosen for its product quality and integration expertise, dormakaba’s solution is built for long-term flexibility and aligns with the Colts’ vision for fan-friendly, scalable stadium operations.
