Pollstar News recently interviewed leaders in the access control and point-of-sale solutions industry, including Ryan Howes, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Intellitix, on how tech upgrades and advances are enhancing the live event experience for venues, operators, and patrons.
Ryan’s interview highlighted some key decisions venues and operators need to consider particularly around adopting technology that supports both QR and RFID solutions. Stressing the importance of its reliability, live event tech solutions should support organizers and venues no matter which they prefer to use. For venues and operators, the choice depends on what works best for the particular event being planned.
Choosing a cashless POS platform is another decision organizers must make, although Ryan points out that competitors here are specializing, resulting in fewer options that are often not integrated into an all-in-one solution. While trying to reduce friction for patrons by using Square terminals or debit cards, organizers are actually missing an important piece of revenue building and data gathering.
Operational Improvements that Matter
The effects of operational improvements fueled by advances in tech lay the groundwork for customizations that aim to improve the event experience for venues, organizers, vendors, and patrons. But not all solutions offer the same or as many customizations.
For venues, it’s important that they have access to the most up-to-date information on things like ticketing in order to provide access control and reduce fraud. Armed with this information, venues can be more efficient with their staffing. For example, if one entry is particularly crowded, they can send additional staff there to ease congestion – regardless of ticketing technology being used – and get patrons in the door with less hassle.
For operators and their vendors, advances in integrated cashless payment systems help maximize spend while providing a frictionless payment experience – a win for vendors as well as patrons. No matter the event size, long lines are a vibe killer. So is post-event reconciliation for venues and vendors. Updated technology and platform customization is making it easier to go cashless whether patrons are using RFID tech, wristbands, or QR codes – with faster moving lines and less on-site cash handling, events see happier patrons and a painless payment reconciliation process.
And one more operational improvement that’s a win – going mobile. Platforms that utilize apps – both for patrons’ ticket, access, and merchandise purchasing as well as for staff that can use an app to scan tickets and as part of a cashless POS customization – are streamlining complicated processes, reducing overhead and the need for additional hardware, and are unifying the patron experience.
Don’t Miss Out on Data
Last but not least , one of the most exciting advances in live event tech, briefly touched on in the article by Ryan, is the data capture set to be available for venues, operators, and vendors. There will be incredible opportunities for event venues and planners to see the most up-to-date trends in patron’s spending habits, venue crowd flow, and ticket sales. This treasure trove of data translates to improved sales for event vendors, a more personalized experience for patrons, and more value for event sponsors and partners.
Providing valuable insights to organizers and venues is just the start of what advances in live event technology can do. Intellitix’s solution reflects our commitment and strategy to supporting venues and operators through flexibility, operational efficiency, reducing fraud, and providing valuable data insights. With the ability to customize all-in-one event technology, everything venues and organizers need to run the show – from ticket sales, to cashless POS systems, and mobile-first technology – is just a click away.
