April 6, 2022 • Volume 11, Issue 4 • Complimentary • HiltonHeadSun.com
PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID BLUFFTON, SC PERMIT NO. 135 POSTAL CUSTOMER
RBC Heritage staff, fans prepare for ’22 ticketing evolution By Tim Wood CONTRIBUTOR
He and his team pivoted to reschedule the tournament to June 2020 with no spectators after the pandemic outbreak. They managed a limited-capacity crowd with COVID back at peak numbers in 2021. Through all that, RBC tournament director Steve Wilmot says the 2022 edition of the PGA Tour event, set for April 11-17, presents the biggest challenge of his career. “The evolution of our ticketing is without doubt the biggest change in my lifetime of 36 years running the event,” Wilmot said of the new electronic ticketing system. “This is four or five years in the making, it didn’t happen overnight. We’re evolving with the times, we’re leaning on the learning of other events that have made this move and we’re ready. The end result will be a better experience for the fans and that’s always job number one for us.” For folks like Wilmot’s 18-year-old daughter, smartphone-based ticketing is now second nature. But even the most tech-averse have adapted as arenas, all pro sports and now
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even middle school sports events use the technology. The bulk of the general admission crowd will see this change when they park at Honey Horn Plantation. That’s where your ticket will be scanned and you will receive your wearable badge. “And we know that those badges and tickets are collectibles, so we’re making sure that’s still part of the experience,” Wilmot said. The new system leads to new operational hurdles. While it will lead to smoother crowd control at Harbour Town, mastering the system at Honey Horn presents a potential bottleneck. “There will be hiccups, we’re ready for that, but we have an amazing team to make sure it doesn’t impact the spectator experience,” Wilmot said. “And the end result will create an even better fan experience next year and beyond.” Managing crowd control has always been more of a manual count and anecdotal feedback. Now, Wilmot and his team will have analytics to point to, as the wearables will
Please see HERITAGE on page 10A
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PHOTOS COURTESY RBC HERITAGE
The 18th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links offers an iconic view for RBC Heritage golfers and spectators.
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