Thanks to mobile ticketing, we left paper tickets behind quite a while ago. No longer do we have to rummage our pockets and handbags for that elusive piece of paper; instead, we can whip out our smartphone, open the Eventbrite app and present our digital ticket, ready to be scanned at the door. While digital tickets have no doubt helped reduce queues already, wait until we tell you about our latest solution for even more seamless entry management: RFID (radio-frequency identification). Fair warning before you get too excited: we are currently rolling this technology out in the US only. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long until it makes an appearance over here, though.
So what exactly is RFID and how does it work for you? Our solution consists of a wristband with an integrated chip that contains the ticket information. It is read by portable readers that are essentially little boxes fixed to the entrance gates. Every attendee is assigned and sent a wristband before the event (using our Eventbrite Neon app, organisers can also assign new wristbands on location in seconds). With that wristband on them, attendees, concert goers, etc. simply walk past the scanner boxes at the entrance gates, which automatically read the ticket data. And that’s it. Cue no queues. Added bonus: These wristbands can also act as a digital touchless payment method, significantly speeding up the sale of e.g. drinks and merchandise.
This solution is designed to help large, multi-day festivals and events streamline entry-management operations, create and enhance revenue streams, and reduce fraud (it’s pretty hard to fake a valid RFID wristband). While RFID technology is primarily used today on wristband tickets for large music festivals, we have designed our solution to be accessible for a broader set of event organisers, including expos, festivals and conferences.
Eventbrite will deliver a consistent, seamless experience with ticketing and RFID on a single platform. Key features and functionality include:
- Access control that is fully operational when offline; encrypted data is written to each individual wristband and entry portal so RFID chips can be read and updated with access changes at any time, even during network outages.
- Ability to rapidly assign wristbands to attendees with Eventbrite Neon, using a single RFID-enabled handheld; the same technology that cut wait times from seven hours to 30 minutes at Anime Expo and is currently being used at Tough Mudder endurance events.
- Lightweight, flexible portals that allow for rapid, real-time addition, removal and re-configuration of entry gates.
- Self-service fulfillment tracking and order management tools for attendees on Eventbrite.com to reduce the customer support load on organiser staff, both pre-event and on-site.
- Wristband activity dashboard available on web and mobile (via Eventbrite Neon); includes real-time insights to inform onsite operational changes and customised post-event reporting for analysis of all access points and cashless transactions.
- Best-in-class partners for fulfillment, credentials, and cashless capabilities.
You can learn more about our RFID product at www.eventbrite.com/RFID.
