Client: Ginger Owl Productions
Security Partner: Pace Prestige Security
Location: Manchester Opera House
Technology: Access93 Handheld RFID Scanners, Secure RFID Stickers, GoAllAreas Platform
Overview
Access93 supported Ginger Owl Productions at the PFA Awards 2025, delivering RFID access control and accreditation scanning throughout the build, live show, and breakdown at the Manchester Opera House a venue that required complete lockdown security during all phases of the production.
Working closely with Pace Prestige Security, we helped ensure that only fully accredited personnel were allowed on-site, at the right time, in the right zones.
What We Delivered
All access credentials from build wristbands to laminate show passes were upgraded with secure RFID stickers, allowing every pass to be digitally validated using our handheld scanners. This ensured even standard-format credentials became part of the live access system, without requiring a complete redesign of pass materials.
We deployed:
- Handheld RFID scanners to key entry points and roaming security
- Fully integrated connection to the GoAllAreas accreditation system
- Secure RFID stickers, uniquely encoded and applied to all wristbands and laminates
- Zone- and date-restricted access rules, enforced at scanner level
This made every pass tamper-resistant, uniquely identifiable, and capable of being revoked, updated, or monitored in real time.
Key Results
- The Opera House remained fully locked down and controlled from start to finish
- RFID passes were scanned at every critical point, including stage door, backstage, and front-of-house
- Passes were controlled by zone, date, and crew role, helping to eliminate unauthorised access
- Organisers had access to real-time data, including scan logs, flow rates, and access incidents
- Lost or invalid passes were identified and revoked immediately
- Pass swapping was prevented, especially when scanning was paired with random ID checks
Data-Driven Visibility
Using the GoAllAreas platform, Access93 enabled event stakeholders to:
- Generate audit logs of every staff entry
- Monitor real-time flow in and out of secure areas
- Spot and respond to incidents as they happened
- Maintain a clear picture of who was on-site at any given time
Outcome
With RFID-enabled passes, trained security teams, and live accreditation data, the PFA Awards 2025 set a new standard for site access control at a major awards show. What could have been a soft target during a high-profile event was instead fully secured, fully logged, and fully visible to organisers and security alike.
The use of secure RFID stickers meant existing passes could be digitally validated without complex production changes bridging the gap between physical credentials and real-time access control.