Sparks firm gaining ‘ACCESS’ to the vast credentials market

If you ever look closely at major sporting events, concerts or an event with a celebrity or political figure, you’ll see an entourage of individuals crowded around with credentials dangling from their necks.

And it’s a good bet ACCESS Event Solutions, a firm based in Sparks, had something to do with the design and manufacturing of those credentials, whether it be products such as tour laminates, VIP or backstage passes or event security badges.

Seth Sheck, who co-owns the business with his wife, Alma, says it also prides itself on being at the forefront of the credentials production industry.

The company is developing technology for ‘integrated credentials,’ that will assist event managers in enhancing security and convenience for staff workers. New technology features include managing credential requests and approvals, pick up locations for credentials, onsite photo printing on credentials, and intelligent database management for future events, to name a few.

For event managers to be able to do this, each credential of some kind whether its event passes, tickets or security ID, will have a bar code or tag encoded in the laminate that can be scanned by the users own phone through the company’s “Mission Control” app and allows instant access to data associated with the pass holder via the cloud-based data on-site.

The app also provides the ability to keep data from previous events so that duplication of effort is avoided from event to event.

“Everyone at any event has a credential of some kind, whether it’s a general admission ticket or the GOD pass and everything in between and our technology allows event producers to manage all of that in addition to getting world class artwork designed and high quality credentials delivered within a couple days notice anywhere in the world,” Sheck said.

He noted the company has invested an estimated $2 million in software development so far and maintains an in house development team.

Sheck, a Reno native, had extensive experience in the entertainment and credentials industry.

He worked two stints with T-Bird Entertainment Printing & Graphics, one of the first companies that made backstage passes. In-between he started and owned and operated a nightclub in downtown Reno in 1993. Returning to T-Bird for the second time soon left him disgruntled with the company’s direction and decided to start his own venture.

So Sheck, along with T-Bird co-workers Brad Diller and Frank Himler formed their own credentials company, called ACCESS Pass & Design.

Sheck himself took out a second mortgage while Diller and Himler pitched in to get the company started. They also applied for a small business loan and was turned down by eight banks before finally they were approved.

Sheck eventually bought his partners out and rebranded the company’s name and logo as ACCESS Events Solutions.

“I felt it was important to re-brand the company ACCESS Event Solutions, which opens it up to a more global market,” he said.

The rebrand made it easier for the Shecks to market ACCESS as a company that uses cutting-edge technology rather than just a print company with the intention of differentiating from its competition.

Sheck, a veteran of the industry, used his 25 years of hard work in making long lasting relationships and experience to reintroduce ACCESS as a tech company offering ‘event solutions’ rather than ‘printed passes’ to its 2000 plus customers.

“I’ve been doing it since 1989,” Sheck said and now ACCESS’ customer base includes major college and professional sports teams such as the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Ravens, or organizations like NASCAR, and touring acts like Justin Bieber, or Guns N’ Roses. It’s products and services have even been used at both Presidential and Pope events. Other clients include The Voice, Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers.

Sheck said his staff continues to grow on average at double digits annually. They are working with organizers for this February’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif.

As ACCESS continues to grow, the company is contemplating moving its operations from its 10,000-square-foot facility in the Oakcrest Business Park in Sparks to better consolidate its business operations and manufacturing facilities.

The company has 24 full-time employees on staff plus contractors and temp workers, but is always on the lookout for new talent. It has open positions for director of sales, software developers and salespersons working in the field.