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How RFID Ticketing Technology Can Fast-Track Your Events

Picture this: You’ve spent months planning your event, and the big day finally comes. People are pouring in, but a legendary queue has begun to form because staff are taking so long to check tickets.

Attendees are frustrated, the security staff is exhausted, and your guests are in danger of missing the band they came to see — total chaos!

None of that would’ve happened if you’d implemented RFID ticketing at your event. RFID automates the admission procedure, improves security, and allows you to gather crucial data about your attendees.

In recent years, this wireless tech has become essential for venues throughout the entertainment industry. Below, we’ll explain how it all works, and how you can make use of it to transform your events.

What is RFID ticketing?

RFID ticketing is a modern alternative to mobile and paper ticketing. It’s an enhanced form of ticketing that uses wireless communication chips to give better options for managing identification, payment, and security.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to identify and track tags attached to objects. When an RFID tag is placed near a reader device, it transmits digital data back to the RFID reader. This exchange of information creates endless possibilities for interactivity in a way that non-digital tickets can’t.

RFID technology is simply too good to pass up – and it isn’t just for huge events anymore.

How does RFID ticketing work?

Most RFID ticketing setups (including Nutickets’ solutions) consist of a wristband with an integrated chip that contains the relevant ticket information.

After buying a ticket, every attendee is assigned and sent a wristband before the event. Wearing the wristband, they can simply turn up and walk past portable scanners which automatically read the ticket data.

When they’ve entered the event, their wristband can have multiple other functions, too. It can act as a contactless digital payment method, capable of storing a pre-paid balance they can pay for drinks and merchandise with. This can significantly speed up the purchase process (and means that attendees don’t have to carry a wallet or purse with them).

What are the benefits of using RFID ticketing technology?

There’s a wide range of reasons that venues and event organisers are switching to RFID ticket technology. The main advantages are that it:

1) Improves access control

Checking paper tickets or QR codes manually is a time-consuming process that requires extra staff and increases queue times. RFID-powered access control allows for a much simpler way of doing things.

With QR codes, attendees have to go through the hassle of searching their emails or finding the right app to generate the code to be scanned. And scanners have a hard time reading them if they hold their phone at the wrong angle, or if the screen is cracked or not bright enough. These little inefficiencies can add up at a busy event and cause big delays.

RFID also has QR codes beat for security and convenience. QR tickets tend to be single-use: once they’re scanned they’re invalid, which means people can’t leave and come back in again. With RFID, they can be validated multiple times. Tickets can't be swapped either, because the RFID holds the ticket holder’s identification.

2) Helps you save money

RFID solutions are also good for your bottom line. Implementing an RFID ticketing system helps automate various processes that previously required manual input. The chance of human error is removed, and operational costs can be greatly reduced. You no longer need an army of people checking tickets at the gates, and since fewer people are paying by cash, you can also make life easier for your serving staff.

Organisers of big events can set up online top-up platforms weeks, or even months, before the event. The improved cash flow can help them better prepare for the big day.

3) Eliminates ticket fraud and counterfeiting

Unlike traditional print-at-home tickets, RFID tickets function as an end-to-end solution and are almost impossible to duplicate or counterfeit. And because they’re tied to unique IDs, attendees don’t have to worry about losing them — you can replace them with the press of a button. When linked to a ticketing app like ours, attendees can remotely lock and unlock their wristbands, too.

4) Enables easy, cashless payments

Because they carry data, RFID tags make it possible for visitors to make cashless payments by linking their card information. Introducing easy and flexible payment methods at your event is the way to go — if guests want to buy snacks or order a drink at the bar, they can do so with a flick of their wrist. And it’s worth investing in – research shows that attendees typically spend 20% more at festivals and events when using RFID wristbands.

Without cash handling procedures, your operating costs are reduced. It’s a more secure environment for your staff and attendees if there’s no physical money involved, and it makes for a faster-moving purchase process with shorter queues.

What’s more, RFID wristbands can act as an eWallet. When arriving at the event, they can top up the balance at a kiosk or through the app on their phone. They can even do this before arriving, and even pre-purchase items, so they’re ready to spend as soon as they get there.

5) Provides you with real-time data

RFID-enabled tickets carry and transmit data that you can access at any time. With Nuticket’s Access Control App, you can quickly view your zone capacity (to avoid overcrowding), examine zone stats, and see where bottlenecks are forming. It’s especially useful if you’re monitoring several event experiences at once and want to make sure everything’s going according to plan.

After the event, you’ll be able to use this data to see how attendees moved around your event, and which areas were particularly popular or not.

6) Allows for zoned or upgraded experiences

Not all events include different zoning, but those that do can benefit quite a bit from RFID technology. With Nutickets’ RFID ticketing system, you can set up multiple zones for different areas within your venue.

For example, a staff member can be deployed at the entrance to scan visitors’ tickets, which will admit or deny them based on their permissions. You can set it up so different tickets have access to specific zones. For example, a VIP ticket could have access to special areas or backstage that you don't get with general admission.

Make your event ticketing a breeze with RFID

RFID ticketing is smart ticketing. If you don’t want to experience delays and deal with frustrated customers, you can’t rely just on printed tickets anymore.

RFID cards and wristbands are the future, helping organisers host highly-successful, hassle-free events all around the globe. At Nutickets, we specialise in developing tailored RFID ticketing solutions to seriously improve your event logistics. Contact us to book a demo.

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