Behind the scenes at Goffertstadion: how FastID helped redefine stadium access

FastID sat down with Lonneke, the project leader in charge of rolling out FastID at N.E.C. Thanks to her expertise, Goffertstadion is now one of the most innovative and accessible stadiums in the Netherlands. In this conversation, Lonneke shares her experience working with FastID, the impact on supporters and her thoughts on the future of digital access technology.

Can you tell us more about the project and the collaboration between N.E.C. and FastID?

Lonneke: “We kicked off the project last season with the goal of creating a welcoming, accessible and smart Goffertstadion. FastID played a key role in helping us identify everyone entering the stadium. Supporters can now use facial recognition to get in and many of them already do. It’s made access a lot quicker and smoother.”

How has the implementation of FastID changed the way people enter the stadium?

“With this new concept, we redesigned the whole access experience. For instance, we used to have tall turnstiles, but we’ve replaced them with shorter ones. Thanks to facial entry, the whole process feels much more natural. Fans no longer have to fumble for their season tickets, they can just walk in from the supporters’ lounge, beer in hand. It’s faster and simpler.”

Do you see a future for this type of entry system?

“Definitely. This kind of access is the future and not just for football, but for events in general. We’re already seeing Dutch municipalities ask clubs to identify their visitors. This will become a bigger part of event management across the board. At N.E.C., we’re very happy to have FastID as our partner. It opens doors, quite literally, to exciting possibilities.

I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first about how well it would work technically, but we’ve had great results this year. FastID isn’t just fast—it handles supporters’ data with great care, and that matters too.”

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