T.O. Food & Drink Fest brings a massive, immersive foodie experience to the heart of Toronto. During its three days of operation, it becomes a direct link between hundreds of vendors and their customers. Thousands of food and drink-loving Canadians enjoy a high-energy, party-like atmosphere. At the same time, they sample the delicious fare, watch local celebrity chefs in action, and learn about the latest entertainment trends.
In 2022, T.O. Food & Drink Fest producers, National Event Management, wanted to ensure the event had a carefree, celebratory atmosphere and ensure the 12,000 attendees were engaged and moving through the space. A traditional paper ticketing and vendor POS system would create long lines and slow services, making it hard for festival-goers to enjoy the event.
Purchasing food and drink tickets from a central booth would result in long lineups and wait times for attendees. Poor visibility on when and where purchases were made and how much revenue was generated would also be an issue for event organizers.
With Intellitix, T.O. Food & Drink Fest found a solution that minimized slowdowns, maximized spending, and captured invaluable insights throughout the event.
The complete Intellitix platform was utilized by T.O. Food & Drink Fest: With the Intellitix Console, vendors and their menus were quickly onboarded before the event. Each vendor received a POS kit featuring a standard mobile phone with a Stripe chip and pin module for card-present transactions (though they needed just a mobile phone for transactions using the Intellitix app). They also received a unique QR code to log in, eliminating the need to create and remember a username and password. 30-minute training sessions and a handy quick-start guide provided by Intellitix ensured that vendors were confident and ready to go at the event's start.
Attendees used the Intellitix app to purchase tickets and set up cashless payment methods before arrival. The Intellitix app or a unique QR code was scanned to enter the event. Attendees paid for food and beverages by tapping a mobile phone running the Intellitix app at vendor locations – all of which were equipped with a mobile POS running the CB OS app. No additional hardware was needed for vendors, and guests were able to keep track of their purchases via emailed receipts.
Menu changes during the event were made conveniently in the Console and reflected on the POS devices within minutes. Organizers watched sales as they happened via Intellitix’s reporting functionality, and vendors received daily sales recaps at the end of each night. After the event, vendors simply returned their devices before leaving the venue.
Even with thousands of people in attendance, the transaction process was simple, and the focus stayed on the delicious food and festivities. Event organizers received direct access to attendee data in real-time, unlocking a 360-degree view of the T.O. Food & Drink Fest experience as it unfolded.
By enabling a 100% cashless tap-and-pay experience for attendees, and a by-the-minute behaviour data resource for organizers, T.O. Food & Drink Fest can continue to excite, delight, and retain its title as Canada’s largest food and drink festival.
