April 6-11 2015 – With blizzards and boarding abound, Broadwick Live’s Snowbombing was certainly not a run-of-the-mill festival – and neither was Intellitix’s cashless and access control deployment. To give faultless signal across the entire site, the team devised a bespoke solution which included installing the system’s antenna 1,250m above the festival site. Over 7,000 people flocked to Mayrhofen – in the heart of the Austrian Alps – to throw some shapes on the slopes and the dance floor. The week-long snow-fuelled festival saw acts including Basement Jaxx, MK, Skrillex and Rudimental provide the non-stop entertainment.

Credit: David Rodigan by Danny North

This year, festival organizer Broadwick Live embraced the latest event technology and introduced RFID-enabled cashless payments and access control for the first time. The cashless system was provided by Intellitix and implemented across all of the festival’s main venues: Europahaus, Bruck ‘N Stadl, The Racket Club and the Street Party and Forest Parties. Serge Grimaux, CEO at Intellitix, said: “This was a bold move by organizer Broadwick Live. Snowbombing isn’t your usual greenfield festival site; it takes place across various venues in a busy working town, so we needed to take a completely different approach to setting up our system.” Typically the system would use cables, but this wasn’t possible for Snowbombing. Instead, to ensure 100% signal coverage across the entire site the team positioned an RFID antenna 1,250m above Mayrhofen. This gave a faultless signal reach spanning a massive 15k and 125⁰ radius, which powered the cashless and access system below.

Credit: Ride and Seek by Andrew Whitton

“This was a very unusual deployment and worked faultlessly, despite the ever-changing weather, which even included an unexpected blizzard,” continued Serge. “The results obtained were above and beyond Broadwick Live’s most optimistic expectations and were a total success.” Next to the urban area and extreme weather conditions, this event was also unusual because of the temporary venues. Serge said: “Not only did we setup and maintain the performance of the permanent venues, parallel to this we continuously built and took down one-night temporary venues such as the Street Party and The Forest Party. There were events around the clock.” Commenting on introducing the technology at Snowbombing, Broadwick Live director Alexander Bennett said: “The location was a challenge, but Intellitix provided fantastic support. The pre-loaded top-up levels from customers were better than expected, as was the ease with which customers took to the technology. The data we have gathered from this is also incredible, and now that we have tried the system once, I don’t foresee us not using it again at Snowbombing. In fact, we’re now keen to develop this further, as well as looking to roll it out at other Broadwick Live events.”

Credit: Fat Boy Slim by Danny North

Intellitix installed 160 cashless point-of-sale terminals, 40 top up stations and 15 access points which was supported by 32 handheld scanners and eight swap stations. Serge concludes: “Snowbombing is proof that cashless and access systems can work in even the most unusual of locations and are extremely robust solutions for events looking to improve both spectator experience and vendor turnover.” About Broadwick Live Broadwick Live creates award-winning and internationally renowned events and experiences that deliver global impact. It works with brands, artists and venues to create live experiences for discerning audiences in inspiring locations globally, such as Festival Number 6 and Snowbombing. It also develops global entertainment properties for brands, such as The Bacardi Triangle. About Snowbombing Run by Broadwick Live, Snowbombing is a week-long whirlwind of worldclass DJs and bands, in the idyllic alpine setting of Mayrhofen, Austria. Days are spent skiing, boarding, enjoying music on mountain top stages or relaxing in the spa of a luxury hotel. Nights deliver cutting-edge performances in unique venues, from a sky-high igloo, to an enchanted forest clearing. Regarded by many as the Greatest Show on Snow. Takes place from 6-11 April 2015. About Intellitix Intellitix is the leading global provider of technology-driven solutions for festivals and live events. Intellitix’s RFID access control, interactive brand experience and cashless payment solutions enhance the guest experience, increase revenues and decrease costs for event organizers. Watch an overview of Intellitx’s RFID solutions here. Fast Company ranked Intellitix as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies” in Live Events, recognizing leading enterprises that exemplify the best in business and innovation. Since 2011, Intellitix’s technology platform has enhanced over 7 million guest experiences at live events around the world including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Tomorrowland, Taste Food Festivals, The Ryder Cup, and many more. In 2014, Intellitix’s cashless payment system experienced a twentyfold increase with over four million cashless transactions processed, totalling over $50 million USD in on-site spending. Check out the tremendous year Intellitix had in 2014 in this video reel here.]]>