As consumers are getting more comfortable with wearable technology, we are starting to see some interesting applications at live events such as concerts, festivals and theme parks. Perhaps the most well known is Disney’s MagicBand, a colourful RFID wristband used at Disney World as a way for guests to enter the park, pay for food and even get fast-tracked through certain lines.
Montreal-based Intellitix has been in the business of providing RFID solutions for live events since 2011 and has said it has activated over six million RFID tags since. Its solutions have been used in big name festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo and the Festival d’ete de Quebec providing entry access, cashless payments and social experiences all with the tap of a wrist. At the 2013 Coachella festival, Intellitix used its RFID technology to allow festival goers to update their Facebook status and “like” performances using touch points or “LiveClick Stations” around the site.
Up until now, Intellitix has been offering its technology in a “general admission” environment which according to the company has transacted “over $50 million US dollars in Cashless environments at festivals, green field events and temporary event venues in 2014”. This week, Intellitix introduced the InstaBand, a thermal waterproof RFID wristband that can be printed at the moment of purchase at a venue Box Office. The InstaBand takes Intellitix’s technology into reserved seated environments of permanent venues and stadiums, and links directly to the ticketing software of the venue. Patrons will receive a wristband instead of a ticket, with far more flexible applications.
The InstaBand can store a wide range of information, such as the name of the event, the seat location, any special VIP requirements and can also be branded with logos and bear the patron’s name. The InstaBand offers all the benefits of Intellitix’s RFID services previously only used at temporary events including venue access, cashless payments, and interactive “LiveClick Stations” where wearers can get access to exclusive event content, social media channels or special information or promotions related to the event.
Outside of enhancing the customer experience, the main driver for implementing wearable RFID wristbands for venue owners is the data. InstaBand gives owners the ability to understand audience demographics including who they are, what they like and how they behave. This information can not only be used for go-forward performance scheduling but can also be used in real-time to personalize incentives and communication to event goers to increase revenues and pave stronger loyalty ties. Data collection can also help venue owners better measure things like experiential marketing.
“Thanks to the InstaBand, we can start deploying what we have been working on for more than two years: Smart Venues!” commented Intellitix CEO Serge Grimaux in a press release. “Testing this new technology, more than 100,000 InstaBands were used in 2014 and the results were fantastic. We expect to have our first permanent installation active before this summer and I predict that 2015 will be the year venue owners will start to interact with their visitors at another level”.
https://youtu.be/59kdZCCZZ4k