WO1994029112A1

WO1994029112A1 - Magnetic card tickets for events

Info

Publication number: WO1994029112A1
Application number: PCT/US1994/006336
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brent D. Ansted; Rhonda K. Button
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms, Inc.
Priority date: 1993-06-11
Filing date: 1994-06-06
Publication date: 1994-12-22
Also published as: AU7053994A

Abstract

An admission ticket (10) including a plastic card (11) with a magnetic strip (14) having data indicating admission to a sporting event (figure 1) or arts performance, and human readable indicia (16, 20) related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations (17, 18, 19, 38, 40, 41, 45) to represent a seat location (24, 24') and/or street map (25). The magnetic readable data may allow multiple event admissions (a 'season ticket') (40). A method of controlling admission to an event is provided by employing, at multiple sequential entrances (figure 6) for seating for the event, magnetic card reader capable (50, 52, 54, 57, 62, 64) of reading the data and automatically allowing or denying admission (51, 53, 63, 65). A PIN number may be issued with the tickets, and a keyboard (60) controlled access mechanism provided at one of the entrances. The card may be provided with parking admission magnetic data (57, 58), and/or debit card data to allow it to be used to purchase goods, or may include a computer chip (73) instead of the magnetic data.

Description

MAGNETIC CARD TICKETS FOR EVENTS

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There are literally millions of admission tickets to sporting events, arts performances, and the like printed every year. The tickets are typically printed on cellulose stock, such as paper or paperboard, and a different ticket is printed for each seat at each event. The tickets are readily bent or torn, and do not function as good souvenirs because they are typically in some way mutilated when they are presented for gaining admission, and are not durable enough to last for significant periods of time. Also, such tickets require human ticket takers at multiple locations, and it is difficult to control counterfeiting, and "come and go" passage from the seating areas, when conventional tickets are utilized.

According to the present invention, a ticket, and a method of controlling admission, are provided that overcome the problems set forth above. In its most basic form, the invention relates to a plastic "credit card" type ticket with machine readable data thereon (preferably a magnetic strip) which can be encoded with any desirable data, such as a particular event or series of events, date, time, location, security features, etc., related to gaining admission to reserved seating. Virtually anything desired can be encoded on the tickets. Also, since the tickets are of durable substantially rigid plastic material, they will hold up well and will be extremely useful as souvenirs, lasting for many years, retaining any pictorial representations or other human readable indicia that is imaged thereon, and can readily be used for multiple events, such as a number of events over a plurality of consecutive or closely spaced days, or a "season" ticket for a sports team or regular performing arts company (symphony, ballet, etc.).

Also, the tickets of the invention are almost impossible to counterfeit, and if necessary extra security could be provided by issuing a PIN (personal identification number) with the tickets. Also, the tickets would greatly minimize the number of human ticket takers that were necessary to properly control a particular event.

The tickets according to the invention are even more advantageous because they can be replaced if lost (unlike paper tickets). Upon presentation of suitable proof a new ticket can be issued, and card readers instructed not to accept the original (lost) ticket.

According to one aspect of the present invention an admission ticket is provided comprising the following elements: A plastic substantially rigid card having front and back faces. A magnetic strip on the rear face having magnetic readable data including data indicating admission to at least one event. And, human readable indicia on the front face related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations to the at least one event. The magnetic readable data may comprise multiple event admission data, and both the magnetic readable data and human readable indicia may be admission data and indicia relating to a sporting event or arts performance, e.g. a substantially entire season of sporting events or arts performances. The human readable indicia may include a pictorial representation relating to the particular event (such as the illustration of a basketball hoop, or basketball player for a basketball game or team season ticket, or the representation of a violinist or a ballerina for performing arts events). Also, the card may be provided with map indicia, such as showing a seat location or area, or showing a particular location of the sporting event or arts performance (such as a street map). Embossing may be provided as part of the human readable indicia, and the human readable indicia normally also include a seat location. The size of the ticket is the size of a conventional credit card, i.e. having length and width dimensions that allow it to readily fit within a wallet (e.g. about 2 inches by 3 3/8 inches). According to another aspect of the present invention a method of controlling admission to a sporting event or arts performance, utilizing at least one magnetic card reader is provided. The method comprises the following steps: (a) Issuing a plurality of tickets for the sporting event or arts performance having reserved seating, each ticket comprising a substantially rigid plastic card having a face and a back, with magnetic readable admission data relating to the sporting event or arts performance on the back of the card. And, (b) providing at an entrance to seating for the sporting event or arts performance a magnetic card reader capable of reading the magnetic readable admission data, and automatically allowing or denying admission based upon the magnetic readable admission data on the card. Preferably multiple sequential entrances are provided for seating for the sporting event or arts performance, and there are the further steps of providing at each sequential entrance a magnetic card reader capable of reading the magnetic readable admission data and automatically allowing or denying admission based upon the magnetic readable admission data on the card. Also there may be the further steps of issue a PIN (personal identification number) number with at least some of the tickets, and providing a keyboard controlled access mechanism at at least one of the entrances, which requires keyboarding of the PIN number along with magnetic reading of the card to allow access to the seating.

Step (a) may also be practiced to provide magnetic readable data on the plastic card relating to admission to a parking facility, and the method then also comprises the further step of providing at an entrance to a parking facility for the sporting event or arts performance a magnetic card reader capable of reading the magnetic readable parking admission data and automatically allowing or denying admission to the parking facility based upon the magnetic readable admission data on the card. Step (a) may be still further practiced to image on the card human readable indicia related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations to the sporting event or arts performance; to provide the human readable indicia on the front face of the card; to image seat location indicia on the front face of the card; to provide admission data relating to multiple sporting events or arts performances on the back of the card so that the person issued the ticket may use the same ticket in magnetic card readers at each of the multiple sporting events or arts performances without having to have the ticket reissued or reconfigured; and/or to provide debit magnetic readable data on the ticket so that the ticket may also be utilized with a magnetic debit card reader to allow purchase of goods.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided an admission ticket comprising the following elements: A durable non-cellulose material substantially planar element having front and back faces; and, machine readable data (e.g. in a computer chip, or magnetic media) provided on one of the faces of the element, the data including admission data relating to multiple sporting events or arts performances. The machine readable data may be provided on the back face of the planar element, and the ticket may further comprise human readable indicia on the front face related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations to the sporting events or arts performances. The ticket typically has length and width dimensions allowing it to be readily received within a wallet, and the human readable indicia preferably includes seat location indicia. The human readable indicia preferably comprises a pictorial representation of activity at the specific sporting event or arts performance that the ticket relates to, and may furthe-r comprise a pictorial representation on the card relating to the location of seating for the sporting event or arts performance, or a street map indicating the location of the sporting event or arts performance. The invention also relates to an admission ticket comprising: A plastic substantially rigid card having front and back faces. A magnetic strip on the rear face having magnetic readable data including admission data; and human readable vivid pictorial representations on the front face associated with the facility to which admission is gained by the ticket, so that the ticket has aesthetic characteristics that maximize its utility as a souvenir or collector's item, remaining undiminished for long periods of time.

It is the primary object of the present invention to effectively control admission to events, such as sporting events and arts performances having reserved seating, while at the same time providing ticket users with a durable aesthetic ticket that may readily be kept in complete format for many years as a souvenir. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an exemplary admission ticket according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the ticket of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ticket of FIGURE 1 taken along lines 3-3 thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of admission ticket according to the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the ticket of FIGURE 4; FIGURE 6 is a schematic view illustrating the arrangement of various entrances and admission-gaining machines associated at those entrances, for a sporting event or arts performance having reserved seating; and

FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan view of a third embodiment of an admission ticket according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One exemplary embodiment of an admission ticket according to the present invention is shown generally by reference numeral 10 in FIGURES 1 through 3. The ticket 10 includes a plastic substantially rigid card 11 having front and back faces 12 (see FIGURES 1 and 3) and 13 (see FIGURES 2 and 3) respectively. The term "substantially rigid card" as used in the present specification and claims means that the plastic forming the card 10 will not fold or substantially deform under normal usage, but rather has the rigidity and durability characteristics of a conventional "credit card". The plastic card 11 according to the present invention may readily be obtained from conventional manufacturers of credit cards, such as Data Card of Chicago, Illinois, or CompuCard of Dallas, Texas. The card 11 also is of a size so that it can readily fit within a wallet, again typically having approximately the same size as a conventional credit card (e.g. roughly about 2 inches by 3 3/8 inches), being illustrated full size in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The ticket 10 also comprises a magnetic strip 14 on the rear face 13, which is applied thereto in any conventional manner, such as shown in U.S. patents 3,984,660 or 4,880,963. The magnetic strip 14 has magnetic readable data including data indicating admission to at least one event, such as a sporting event (basketball game, tennis match, racetrack, etc.) or arts performance (such as a symphony, ballet, opera, recital, etc.) having reserved seating. While the magnetic strip 14 with magnetic readable data is by far the preferred embodiment for widespread implementation utilizing current technology, other machine readable data, such as optical characters, computer chip, electro-conductive strips, or the like, may alternatively be employed. The data encoded in strip 14 on the card 10 can be as simple as a specific ticket number that can access a data base to determine the specific services/items to which the ticket holder is entitled (e.g. seat assignment, parking, debit dollars available, multiple events, etc.).

The admission ticket 10 further comprises human readable indicia, shown generally by reference numeral 15, on the front face 12 of the card 11. The human readable indicia 15 is related by alphanumeric characters and/or pictorial representations to at least one event, a same event to which the magnetic data of the magnetic strip 14 is related.

The human readable indicia 15 preferably includes seat location alphanumeric characters 16, as well as the pictorial representations 17-19 which are directly related to the event to which the ticket 10 relates, and alphanumeric characters 20 also directly related to the event. For example the admission ticket 10 illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 is for an Olympic basketball game. The pictorial representation 17 illustrates a basket and basketball, basketball player, or the like, the pictorial representation 18 is the Olympic symbol, and the representation 19 is of the stadium in which the basketball game will take place. The indicia 20 provides substantially the same information as the pictorial representations 17-19 in alphanumeric characters, and includes the date of the event. The pictorial representations 17-19 are preferably vivid and aesthetic, and may be applied by any suitable conventional technique. One desirable technique, known as ULTRAGRAPHICS® offered by CompuCard, Inc., is a process of imaging a picture, figure, emblem, or the like onto a plastic card 11, which after finishing provides a smooth card face with no grooves surrounding the area of the picture.

The card 11 may also include the indicia 22, which is embossed on the card (see FIGURES 1 through 3). The indicia 22 may be a part of the indicia 20 illustrated in FIGURE 1, or it may be separate indicia indicating another admission component associated with the ticket 10. For the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3, the embossed indicia 22 is the word "Park" which indicates that admission to a parking facility is included along with the ticket 10, and part of the magnetic data in the strip 14 provides admission to a parking lot associated with the event; or it may include access to a shuttle bus.

The back face of the card 13 also has substantial room for indicia thereon. For example as illustrated in FIGURE 2 the back of the card may be provided with the pictorial representations 24, 25 which are designed to assist the ticket holder in locating the event, and his or her seat. For example the pictorial representation 24 may be a seating plan for the stadium 19 (e.g. "The Omni"), and may even include highlighted indicia 24' indicating the particular section to which the seat assignment (16) of the ticket 10 relates. If it is impractical to put the highlighted indicia 24' on the card itself, it may be included on a carrier by which the card is delivered to the ticket holder (e.g. see U.S. patent 4,034,210 for a typical carrier). The indicia 25 is a street map of that portion of Atlanta surrounding The Omni, to help a visitor to the Olympics, for example, in locating the stadium. The representations 24, 24' , 25 may also be applied utilizing ULTRAGRAPHICS®.

The admission tickets according to the present invention preferably include the pictorial representations 17 through 19, 24, 25 that they do not only for immediate functional purposes to allow ready human identification of the holder's reserved seat, the date of the event, etc., but also preferably are provided in a vivid aesthetically pleasing format so that the admission ticket 10 may serve as a souvenir. Since the ticket 10 will be utilized with a magnetic card reader, there will be no physical destruction of any part of the ticket 10 when it is used to gain admission to the event. While conventional cellulose material tickets are torn, punched, or otherwise defaced, the ticket 10 will maintain its integrity for years, and therefore is highly suited as a souvenir and collector's item.

According to the present invention not only do the admission tickets have enhanced value as a souvenir or a collector's item, they also have greatly increased functionality, especially where the same ticket is issued for multiple events. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, an admission ticket 30 is provided for use at multiple events, formed by a plastic card 31 having a front face 32 and a back face 33. Specifically in this case the ticket 30 multiple events are an entire "season" of arts performances.

The back face 33 of card 31 is provided with a magnetic strip 34. The magnetic strip 34 not only includes general admission magnetic readable data thereon for gaining access to the basic facilities (e.g. entrances) in which the performance will take place, which data is schematically illustrated (although obviously it will not be able to be seen by humans on the ticket 30) at 35 and 36 in FIGURE 5. There also is magnetic readable data, shown schematically by representations 37 in FIGURE 5, for each individual event to which the ticket 30 relates. For example if the ticket 30 is for an entire season of a symphony, each one of the magnetic data elements 37 relates to a particular performance of the symphony. In this way, different packages may be offered for multiple symphony events over substantially the entire season, but not covering every single event for the season. For example the ticket 30 could have the data elements 37 thereon for one performance a month, but not for every single performance of the symphony. For the ticket 30, as for the ticket 10, pictorial representations and alphanumeric characters are also provided on the front face 32 relating to the events to which the magnetic data elements 35-37 relate. For example, the aesthetic pictorial representations 38 indicate that the ticket 30 is for musical performances, the alphanumeric characters 39 indicate the particular company giving the artistic performances, the alphanumeric characters 40 indicate the season to which the ticket 30 relates, and the alphanumeric characters 41 indicate the seat location.

The admission ticket 30 may also perform other functions aside from allowing the ticket holder to gain admission to events. For example the card 30 may also have magnetic elements associated with the strip 34 -- illustrated schematically by reference numeral 44 in FIGURE 5 -- to allow the holder to purchase goods. For example the magnetic elements 44 may comprise conventional "debit card" elements, such as described in U.S. patent 4,711,993, which allow purchase of goods. Further, pictorial representations 45 and alphanumeric characters 46 on the back face 33 of the ticket 30 may indicate that the ticket 30 also may be used to purchase these goods -- e.g. beverages a restaurant or bar associated with the facility in which the artistic performances to which the ticket 30 relates, or allowing purchase of food and beverages at intermission time, up until the point that the amount of "money" provided on the strip 34 for debit purchases is exhausted. Also, where desired, a signature line format 47 may be provided, of the same conventional material as used on credit cards, ATM cards, and the like.

FIGURE 6 illustrates various apparatus that may be utilized in the implementation of a method of controlling admission to sporting events or arts performances utilizing admission tickets 10, 30 according to the present invention. The method is implemented by utilizing at least one magnetic card reader of conventional type, such as shown in U.S. patent 4,711,993 or 4,929,821, and preferably utilizing a plurality of card readers at multiple sequential entrances.

For example, in the implementation of an exemplary method according to the present invention, a plurality of the tickets 10, 30 are issued for a sporting event or arts performance having reserved seating, each ticket having particular magnetic readable data in strips 14, 34 thereof relating to the particular event. A first card reader 50 (see FIGURE 6) may be provided at an initial, exterior entrance to a stadium or performing arts center, for example with a turnstile 51 controlled by the magnetic card reader 50. At another location inside the stadium or center, a second card reader 52 is provided, for example for controlling an elevator 53 which allows access to the reserved seating location associated with the ticket 10, 30. A third card reader 54 is then located immediately adjacent the reserved seating, e.g. skybox 55, of the stadium or center, for example controlling access to a door 56 to the particular reserved seating (skybox 55). Yet another card reader 57 is associated with a parking garage 58 serving the stadium or center 49. For example the card 10 has magnetic readable data on the magnetic strip 14 thereof that allows access first to the parking garage 58, then through the turnstile 51, up the elevator 53, and through the door 56 to the skybox 55. Other tickets issued for the same event might only work in the card reader 50, or the card readers 50 and 52, but only those patrons or spectators that had included parking and a seat in "skybox B" could use their admission ticket 10, 30 in each of the readers 50, 52, 54, and 57.

When the tickets are issued by the sponsors of the event at the stadium or center 49, they may be mailed to the ticket holders. For this purpose typically the cards 11, 31 would be mounted in a conventional credit card carrier such as those available from Dynetics, and/or as shown in U.S. patents 4,034,210 and 4,194,685. While it is very difficult to counterfeit the cards 10, 30 since a perspective counterfeiter would not know what magnetic data to encode in the strips 14, 34 to make them workable in the card readers 50, 52, etc., if even further security were desired along with the tickets mailed or otherwise delivered to the ticket holders a PIN number could be issued. Then at one of the multiple sequential entrances 51, 53, 56, a keyboard controlled access mechanism 60 (see FIGURE 6) could be provided which requires keyboarding of the PIN number, along with insertion of the card 11, 31 into the card reader 54, to allow access to the skybox 55.

Utilization of the tickets 10, 30 is further advantageous since it readily allows the stadium or center 49 authorities to offer information which assists the ticket holder in locating his or her seat. For example, as seen in FIGURE 6, a card reader 62 is provided with a video screen 63 at various locations around the stadium or center 49. Upon insertion of one's ticket 10, 30 in the reader 62, a seating chart is automatically displayed on the screen 63 highlighting by a different color, flashing symbol, or the like where the seat is corresponding to the inserted ticket, and where the reader 62 and screen 63 are with respect to the seat.

Finally, FIGURE 6 shows another card reader 64 that may be mounted on a shuttle bus, or in association with a shuttle kiosk 65, remote from the stadium or center 49, the reader 64 reading the magnetic data on the ticket 10, 30 to determine if the ticket holder is authorized to ride the shuttle bus.

FIGURE 7 illustrates another exemplary ticket 70 according to the invention, comprising a durable plastic card 71 having a back surface 72. In this modification, instead of a magnetic strip being provided, a computer chip 73 is implanted in the card 71, using conventional "Smart Card" technology, the chip 73 containing the necessary machine readable data. The card 71 also can serve as an advertisement, having advertising indicia 74 on the back face 72 thereof, and FIGURE 7 also illustrates a hologram 75 on the face 72.

While the invention has primarily been disclosed with respect to utilization at sporting events and arts performances having reserved seating, various aspects of the invention also may be utilizable for gaining admission to other types of facilities, such as amusement or theme parks, and various shows or attractions within the amusement or theme park. By providing an admission ticket that is of rigid, non-destructible in normal usage, durable material having vivid, multicolored, pictorial representations thereon, one has a readily collectible long lasting souvenir of a particular experience. The aesthetics of the ticket 10, 30 may also be specifically meshed with functionality for easy human visual identification. For example in a theme or amusement park where a number of different cards are issued which allow access to different types of activities (for example one type of card for rides only, another type of card for rides and musical performances, and another type of card for all activities and buildings), the tickets 10, 30 issued may be of different colors, for example red for rides only, gold for rides and musical performances, and platinum for all activities and buildings. A card reader associated with each activity would then have to be utilized by the ticket holder, but in addition a single "ticket checker" at the main entrance to each activity could be provided to merely view the tickets to make sure that they were of the right color and therefore that the person using them had legitimate access.

The ticket 10, 30, because of its rigid construction, also may have mechanisms associated therewith to allow it to be worn by a ticket holder, such as children during the day at an amuse.ment.park. For example holes, clips, and like fasteners may be associated with the ticket 10, 30, such as described in U.S. patent 4,929,821, or Velcro® fasteners or adhesive strips could also or alternatively be utilized. It will thus be seen that according to the present invention an advantageous admission ticket, and method of controlling admission to a sporting event or arts performance or the like, have been provided. While the invention has been herein shown and described in what is presently conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications may be made thereof within the scope of the invention, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent products and procedures.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An admission ticket comprising: a durable plastic substantially rigid card having front and back faces; a magnetic strip on said rear face having magnetic readable data including data indicating admission to at least one event; and human readable indicia on said front face related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations to said at least one event.

2. A ticket as recited in claim 1 wherein said magnetic readable data comprises multiple event admission data.

3. A ticket as recited in claim 1 wherein said magnetic readable data and human readable indicia are admission data and indicia relating to a sporting event or arts performance having reserved seating, and said human readable indicia includes seat location indicia.

4. A ticket as recited in claim 3 wherein said admission data comprises substantially an entire season of sporting events or arts performances.

5. A ticket as recited in claim 3 wherein said human readable indicia comprises a pictorial representation of activity at the specific sporting event or arts performance that the ticket relates to.

6. A ticket as recited in claim 5 further comprising a pictorial representation on the card relating to the location of seating for the sporting event or arts performance, or for a map indicating the location of the sporting event or arts performance.

7. A ticket as recited in claim 1 wherein said human readable indicia includes embossing.

8. A ticket as recited in claim 1 wherein said card has length and width dimensions that allow it to easily fit within a wallet.

9. A method of controlling admission to a sporting event or arts performance, utilizing at least one magnetic card reader, comprising the steps of:

(a) issuing a plurality of tickets for the sporting event or arts performance having reserved seating, each ticket comprising a substantially rigid plastic card having a face and a back, with magnetic readable admission data relating to the sporting event or arts performance on the back of the card; and

(b) providing at an entrance to seating for the sporting event or arts performance a magnetic card reader capable of reading the magnetic readable admission data and automatically allowing or denying admission based upon a magnetic readable admission data on the card.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein multiple sequential entrances are provided for seating for the sporting event or arts performance, and further comprising the steps of providing at each sequential entrance a magnetic card reader capable of reading the magnetic readable admission data and automatically allowing or denying admission based upon the magnetic readable admission data on the card.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 comprising the further steps of issue a PIN number with at least some of the tickets, and providing a keyboard controlled access mechanism at at least one of the entrances, which requires keyboarding of the PIN number along with magnetic reading of the card to allow access to the seating.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein step (a) is practiced to also provide magnetic readable data on the plastic card relating to admission to a parking facility, and comprising the further step of providing at an entrance to a parking facility for the sporting event or arts performance a magnetic card reader capable of reading the magnetic readable parking admission data and automatically allowing or denying admission to the parking facility based upon the magnetic readable admission data on the card.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein step (a) is further practiced to image on the card human readable indicia related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations to the sporting event or arts performance.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein step (a) is further practiced to image seat location indicia on the front face of the card.

15. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein step (a) is further practiced to provide the human readable indicia on the front face of the card.

16. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein step (a) is further practiced to provide admission data relating to multiple sporting events or arts performances on the back of the card so that the person issued the ticket may use the same ticket in the magnetic card reader at each of the sporting events or arts performances without having to have the ticket reissued or reconfigured.

17. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein step (a) is further practiced to provide debit magnetic readable data on the ticket so that the ticket may also be utilized with a magnetic debit card reader to allow purchase of goods.

18. A method as recited in claim 9 further utilizing a card reader and video screen adjacent or within a facility having said reserved seating; and providing for the video screen to display a seating plan and indicate on the seating plan where the seat corresponding to a ticket inserted into the card reader is located.

19. An admission ticket comprising: a durable non-cellulose material substantially rigid substantially planar element having front and back faces; and machine readable data provided on one of said faces of said element, said data including admission data relating to multiple sporting events or arts performances.

20. A ticket as recited in claim 19 wherein said machine readable data is provided on said back face of said planar element, and further comprising human readable indicia on said front face related by alphanumeric characters or pictorial representations to said sporting events or arts performances.

21. An admission ticket as recited in claim 20 wherein said element has length and width dimensions allowing it to be readily received within a wallet, and wherein said human readable indicia includes seat location indicia.

22. A ticket as recited in claim 21 wherein said human readable indicia comprises a pictorial representation of activity at the specific sporting event or arts performance that the ticket relates to.

23. A ticket as recited in claim 22 further comprising a pictorial representation on said element relating to the location of seating for the sporting events or arts performances, or a map indicating the location of the sporting events or arts performances.

24. A ticket as recited in claim 19 wherein said machine readable data is provided in a computer chip mounted in or on said substantially planar element.

25. A ticket as recited in claim 19 further comprising a hologram on said substantially planar element.

26. An admission ticket comprising: a durable plastic substantially rigid card having front and back faces; a magnetic strip on said rear face having magnetic readable data including admission data; and human readable vivid ^"pictorial representations on said front face associated with the facility to which admission is gained by the ticket, so that said ticket has aesthetic characteristics that maximize its utility as a souvenir or collector's item, remaining undiminished for long periods of time.