Gateway Ticketing Systems, a leading global provider of admission control systems, has recently launched significant updates to its flagship Galaxy platform and also introduced a new e-commerce solution. These developments aim to meet the attraction industry’s growing demands and address user and guest expectations in a fast-moving, digital-first environment.
Gateway Ticketing System’s Michael Andre, president and CEO, and Tom Chiarella, executive vice president and head of product, share insights into what inspired these updates and what clients can expect as they move forward.
A history of innovation
Gateway Ticketing Systems has led the way in ticketing technology for over thirty years, serving a wide range of venues worldwide, including museums, theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and more. Its flagship product, Galaxy, has evolved through years of development. The latest version, Galaxy 8, is a significant step forward in both technology and usability.
Michael Andre explains the motivation behind these updates:
“We’ve built up a great set of features over all the years of development. But we felt it was time to refresh the user interface, incorporating newer design elements that we see in today’s applications to make it even easier to understand and use. The more intuitive it is, the easier it is to train new users on the system. Even experienced users will benefit from the changes, as we’ve rearranged some of the most frequently used elements to be more accessible.”
This attention to detail helps newcomers and seasoned users, reducing the learning curve while improving efficiency for veteran operators.
Key advancements in Galaxy 8
Underneath the surface, the latest Galaxy updates go far beyond aesthetics. Tom Chiarella speaks about some technological advancements underpinning Galaxy 8, such as the platform’s enhanced architecture.
“Galaxy 8 marks a significant step forward for us in how we deploy the most appropriate and modern technologies in a way that is both beneficial to our users and invisible to them simultaneously. They’ll see the refreshed user interface, as Michael mentioned. But under the hood is where the company has made most of the improvements:
“From an architectural standpoint, we’ve fine-tuned the performance of our applications, making them more cloud-ready and optimising how the business logic is executed. This ensures that information is presented to users in a timely manner in the application. So, they’ll have faster processing of guest service requests, whether at the point of sale, managing access control, or handling guest service requests at a call centre.”
One of the key innovations is Galaxy’s new event-based architecture, designed to provide attractions with better reporting and business intelligence. According to Chiarella, this will enable venues to achieve greater operational efficiencies and revenue gains by delivering actionable insights.
The architectural overhaul also brings scalability and flexibility, which are critical in today’s fast-evolving market.
“Attractions are becoming more complex, and Galaxy has always been strong in supporting multi-channel sales. With this new architecture, we’re prepared to rise to the challenge of more advanced features and complex ticketing scenarios,” says Andre.
One example of these complexities is dynamically priced, time-ticketed events sold through multiple sales channels, often with multiple sales limits, including distributors. For instance, an attraction might offer a ticket package combining two events, with enough time allocated between them for guests to move from one to the other. “Our new architecture automatically scales to address that kind of demand, more automatically and more seamlessly,” Andre says, ensuring a smoother experience for operators and guests alike.
Future-proofing Galaxy 8 with cloud capabilities
One of the primary goals of the Galaxy 8 update is to prepare the platform for future cloud-based services. Gateway Ticketing Systems has already laid the groundwork with products like Galaxy Connect, which integrates attractions’ ticketing systems with online travel agencies. “Galaxy Connect has already proven the effectiveness of our cloud-based approach,” says Chiarella.
Plus, the company recently added a cloud-based waiver feature, which allows guests to complete the required forms before they enter an attraction. “This new capability ensures that when a guest scans their ticket, our system automatically checks for completed waivers if required,” says Chiarella. He adds that the cloud integration extends to third-party retail systems and access control technologies.
“This brings reliability and scalability for high-volume attractions, something that was previously limited by on-premises integrations.”
A new e-commerce platform built on decades of experience
Beyond Galaxy 8, Gateway Ticketing Systems is also launching a cutting-edge e-commerce platform. With more than 30 years of experience behind it, Gateway has built a solution that combines deep industry expertise with the most modern technologies available today.
Andre discusses the thought process behind the new platform:
“What makes our e-commerce platform stand out is not just its modern architecture but the decades of experience that went into its development. We have staff who have been with us for 10, 15, and 20 years. They are very knowledgeable and bring that experience to every project. Drawing on this, we’ve built a deep catalogue of features necessary for today’s operators, who are managing multiple sites, multiple currencies, time zones, languages, and both complex and simple ticketing offerings.”
The new platform offers unmatched flexibility for attractions of all sizes. “Our platform can handle the full range of scenarios, from simple transactions to highly complex ticketing structures. All while ensuring fast and reliable service through multiple sales channels.”
See also: Gateway Ticketing Systems: 35 years of innovation
Key features for customisation and personalisation
A significant innovation of Gateway Ticketing Systems’ e-commerce platform is the Page Builder and content management tools.
“The Page Builder puts customisation directly in the hands of our users,” says Chiarella. “We know that we have a wide array of users, from very new technology users to seasoned pros. Technologists can control and customise nearly every guest-facing component of the e-commerce storefront to provide that coherent brand and guest experience right from when a guest visits a website for an attraction to their ultimate purchasing of products.”
“Meanwhile, less experienced users can still make adjustments with our drag-and-drop tools. This allows attractions to maintain brand consistency and adapt their e-commerce site to seasonal events or new marketing campaigns.”
This level of flexibility ensures that users of all skill levels can personalise the platform to suit their needs, whether they are adjusting the layout of product offerings or tweaking the design to fit brand guidelines.
Meeting guest expectations in a mobile-first world
As consumer behaviour shifts, Gateway Ticketing Systems has emphasised mobile-first design with Galaxy 8. “At some point, e-commerce transactions shifted from desktop to mobile, and ticketing is no different,” says Andre. “Our new platform is built with mobile-forward experiences in mind. It looks great and works seamlessly on smartphones, allowing guests to purchase and receive tickets on their mobile devices.”
Guests have multiple options for receiving their tickets, whether through SMS, email, or directly into their Apple or Google wallet. Gateway’s systems also allow guests to manage their tickets, including upgrades, exchanges, and rescheduling, all from their mobile devices. “We saw this trend before COVID, but the pandemic accelerated the demand for guest self-service. Now, guests expect to be able to handle all aspects of their visit from their phones,” says Andre.
This focus on convenience extends to membership management as well. “Whether it’s renewing a membership or changing a payment plan, we’re building in those capabilities. So, guests can manage their passes or memberships on their own schedule,” Andre adds.
Gateway supports attractions in the transition to Galaxy 8
Rolling out such significant updates requires support, and Gateway Ticketing Systems is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for clients. “We introduced Galaxy 8 at our North America User Group meeting and have already received great feedback,” says Chiarella. “We offer a range of training options, from in-person courses to self-paced online training. Plus, our consultative Galaxy Vision Program helps attractions optimise their use of the platform.”
Gateway Ticketing Systems’ customers are eager to try the new tools:
“We already have a list of clients lined up to upgrade, and we’ll be working closely with them to ensure a seamless transition,” Chiarella adds.
Feedback from early adopters of Galaxy 8
The response from early adopters of Galaxy 8 has been overwhelmingly positive. According to Chiarella, users have particularly appreciated the small but impactful changes that streamline their workflows. “It’s interesting to see how the little things, like clearer visual indicators or shortcut keys, make such a big difference to users. These are the things that make their daily operations smoother.”
For example, Gateway Ticketing Systems has introduced to Galaxy 8 new icons with notification badges, similar to those on smartphones, to alert users to changes that need attention. “The small enhancements have had the most significant feedback because they address the daily pain points that operators encounter,” says Chiarella.
Another area of user feedback centred around adaptability. “Our users operate in various environments, from brightly lit outdoor kiosks to dimly lit indoor areas. Based on their feedback, we’ve made sure to offer flexible colour schemes and display settings that cater to different operational environments.”
As Gateway Ticketing Systems continues to innovate, it remains committed to learning from its customers. “Our user group meetings are invaluable,” says Andre. “We learn just as much from them as they do from us. It’s a chance for us to see how our products are being used in the real world and to gather feedback that helps us refine and improve our offerings.”
Looking ahead
Looking to the future, both Andre and Chiarella are excited about the innovations that will emerge from the new platform. While they remain tight-lipped about specific upcoming features, they say Galaxy 8 is designed to be a living platform—one that will continuously evolve as new technologies and trends emerge.
Chiarella points to the integration of more advanced AI-driven guest service tools in the attractions industry as a key area of focus, noting that chatbots and intelligent self-service systems are likely to play a more significant role in the guest journey in the coming years.
“We’re excited about the possibilities around guest self-service,” says Chiarella. “There are different guest personas to consider—those who want to handle everything themselves and those who prefer a more traditional approach. We’re developing tools that will cater to both while also making the experience more seamless for operators.”
“Additionally, with this new platform, we can have direct understanding and knowledge about how customers are using our solutions. That will give us better insights to make our solutions more robust and performant and respond to how they’re being used. Seeing all the data flowing through the system, I’m interested in seeing how we’ll use that to have better technology than the competition and to allow our customers to fine-tune what they want their guest experience to look like.”
Andre adds he is excited about expanding Gateway Ticketing Systems’ reach into new markets and customer segments:
“We see a lot of potential for growth by bringing our solutions to operators who have never had access to this level of functionality before. It’s an exciting time for us, and I think the next five years will be transformative.”
A team-driven success
While the technology behind Galaxy 8 is impressive, Andre credits the whole Gateway team for the platform’s success. He says that the development of Galaxy 8 has been a labour of love for the entire company. Everyone from developers to customer service teams has contributed to the final product.
“Our team has invested their heart and soul into this,” says Andre. “It’s incredible to see their passion and dedication. At a recent training session, developers showed up in person to surprise users with a preview of Galaxy 8. Seeing them get that direct feedback from the people who will be using the platform was incredibly rewarding. It speaks to the culture we’ve built here.”
With the launch of Galaxy 8 and the new e-commerce platform, Gateway Ticketing Systems is once again demonstrating its ability to adapt to the changing needs of the attractions industry. By combining cutting-edge technology with decades of experience, Gateway is helping attractions enhance both the operator and guest experience.
