Axess Reports Further Growth
According to market estimates, Axess is the world market leader in the company's core area for the first time: ticketing and access solutions for mountain railways and ski resorts
Since its founding in 1998, Axess AG has established itself as a provider of ticketing and access systems. With a broad product portfolio, the company serves various industries, including ski resorts, amusement parks, stadiums, exhibition centers and tourist destinations. In the 2023 financial year, Axess increased its sales for the 11th time in a row with its annual sales of 86.9 million, making it, according to market estimates, the global market leader in the company's core area for the first time: these are ticketing and access solutions for mountain railways and ski resorts. In addition to growth in this area, the company also achieved strong growth in the stadiums, leisure and attractions, and trade fair and congress solutions segments.
Many customers are enthusiastic about the innovations and new technologies, and the demand for switching to an Axess system is constantly increasing. The innovations and new technologies in 2023 include, among other things, the use of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) as a replacement for classic RFID tickets, which already offers skiers on many continents the opportunity to buy the ticket directly in the online shop and without stopping at ticket offices or Machine to enjoy a day of skiing. In the stadium and leisure sector, the trend is also clearly towards modern and contemporary ticket technologies, such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or the use of biometric identification systems.
Axess offers a variety of solutions, such as contemporary readers (certified by Apple & Google), as well as new opportunities through technology partnerships with innovative companies such as Amazon. Since 2023, access to the fitness studios of the US Chrunch Studios has been via Axess Gates with integrated Amazon One palm readers. Since last fall, at Amazon's Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, thanks to Axess, you can decide for yourself whether you want to enter the arena with a classic barcode or NFC ticket, or use the convenient access with your palm as an identifier. “The US market is driving innovation here, but large stadiums such as the Rhein Energie Stadium (1. FC Köln) in Germany are already using NFC wallets on smartphones to allow fans into the stadium in a controlled manner,” says Oliver Suter, CSO/Board of Axess AG.
Further growth was also achieved in new markets such as Great Britain, with orders such as the Principality Stadium (WALES National Rugby Stadium) in Cardiff, football stadiums such as the Memorial Stadium in Bristol and the soon-to-open Co-op Live Concert Arena in Manchester. In Australia, too, the convenience of the Axess systems is appreciated in ski resorts, amusement parks and at breathtaking new customers such as the Win Stadium or McDonald Jones Stadium, which are part of a large stadium association (Venues New South Wales). Existing markets like the USA leave nothing to be desired here either. Aside from large stadium projects such as Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL team Philadelphia Eagles, last year was also a great success in the ski and leisure segment.
What was possible in the stadium with NFC and biometrics was achieved in the ski segment with technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy. “In addition to the classic RFID media, Axess has been offering series-ready and field-tested Bluetooth Low Energy access systems since last year. This technology, in combination with the Axess SkiWallet app, makes it possible to save your ski ticket on your cell phone and then use it like a normal ticket. The cell phone does not have to be taken out of the jacket, the gate recognizes the ticket on the cell phone automatically and at the same speed as a normal ticket," explains Daniel Wakounig, CTO/Board responsible for the technological strategy. There is great interest in this technology. The The Patscherkofelbahn and the Axamer Lizum (Tyrol) are already running the BLE system in full operation. In France, after the world's largest ski trade fair in Grenoble (Mountain Planet), there will probably be further interest from various countries.
Axess has already taken a leading role worldwide with its innovative technologies. The renowned American ski resort of Aspen has also been relying on the systems and technology from Anif since this year. Two further image-rich projects were equipped with the largest ski hall in the world, the Shanghai Ski Hall, and the modernization of the Dubai Ski Hall. Growth is also steadily increasing in the leisure segment. The new surf park o2Surftown in Munich will enable its guests to enter and stay comfortably using the Axess systems from June onwards. Axess scores points here with experience from already established projects in Australia, such as the Urban Surf parks. Further expertise in these areas arose from countless international theme park projects. You pass Axess Gates in the various entertainment parks almost all over the Arabian Peninsula.
These are just excerpts from the path to success that Axess is on. Around 500 employees will continue to work passionately in the coming year to further expand our existing lead. An average of four new customers are already being taken on board every week. Last year alone, 35.4 million RFID tickets were produced in the Axess factory in Innsbruck and more than 3,000 new access points were installed worldwide. Currently, 17 million web transactions in the ski sector go through the systems every year.
“The healthy and profound growth of Axess AG therefore allows for an extremely positive forecast for the future. Growth seems to be in the company's genes and will not stop in the coming year," says Christian Windhager, CEO/Board of Directors of the company.
