Cover Feature
TA LK I N G TE C H
Technology has arguably had a slow start in the festival world, where
attendees are keen to escape the trappings of the material world, but
this is slowly beginning to change in a few key areas
A
s in the exhibition industry, RFID and
contactless technology is playing an increasingly
large role in the festival sector. While take-up is fairly
slow, the number of cashless festivals is gradually
rising, with events like Standon Calling in the UK and
Hungary’s Sziget Festival arguably leading the way.
The benefits for organisers are clear – attendees
can be tracked around the site, their spending can be
tracked, cash doesn’t need to be handled onsite and
the relationship with traders becomes data-based
instead of trust-based. Plus, the more enthusiastic
festivalgoers have the ability to connect to social
media and engage with brands onsite.
For visitors it can be a bit less black and white.
While cashless arguably speeds up queue times at
bars and food stalls it can be a pain to top-up and all
too easy to overspend when payment comes down to
brushing a wristband against a touchpoint. For some
festivalgoers there can also be an ideological element
which trade shows don’t often encounter – many
attendees don’t come to festivals in order to be tagged
22 — August
and tracked by ‘the man’.
When Bestival announced a partnership with tech
provider tappit, organiser Rob Da Bank somewhat
optimistically stated: “Bestival has always been about
escapism, creating an otherworldly wonderland,
where you can leave all the stresses of real life behind.
“We think [supplier] tappit’s wristbands can be a big
part of that, reducing queues and hassles and making
things a bit more care-free for festivalgoers.”
Cashless wristbands, says PlayPass MD – UK &
Ireland Steve Jenner, can mean greater convenience,
freedom and safety for festivalgoers.
“They don’t have to worry about bringing, carrying
or sleeping with cash on their person,” he explains.
“They can pre-load funds before they arrive, link their
cashless account to a bank or credit card to enable
automatic top-ups and then leave their wallet at home.
“Our new family account feature allows parents to
manage the wristbands of their whole family group
and allocate separate amounts to each individual, with
visibility and controls on what they can purchase.