Wireless 2012: Europe’s first full RFID-integrated festival

Barclaycard Wireless Festival 2012 was a major cashless event and a great demonstration of the power of linking wristbands for Access Control, cashless payment and other services.

The Barclaycard Paypass wristbands were used for Access Control both Fast Track into the event and also into the Perk Park and VIP areas.

All the stall holders took cashless payments via the wristbands and this went down very well as it was so quick to use. Wristband holders were encouraged to register for cashless prior to the event but our customer service team was on hand to help those who left it until they were at the event to register. The customer service team also helped anyone with queries or questions, provided general information and helped if a wristband was misplaced. Lost wristbands could be cancelled immediately and replaced with a new wristband which the holder could use straight way.

Extra benefits were also available to wristband holders. Each wristband entitled the holder to a free promotional gift collected from the Perk Park. Holders could also use their wristbands to check in and collect items from the cloakroom.

One of the most popular features was our social media link up. Users registered with our Facebook app and then posts were automatically made on their walls as they interacted with services around the site. Wristband holders could also have their photos taken in the photobooth and by swiping their wristband their photos were automatically posted to Facebook. During the event we were posting a photo every four minutes and that was with just one photobooth.

Our team were also circulating in the Perk Park with the In-Site mobile voting solution allowing people to vote for the tune the DJ should play next. Very popular except perhaps with the DJ!

The real time information in the system was used to select prize winners who received VIP upgrades and even side of stage passes. Winners were sent text messages that they had won and it was great seeing them so excited.

All the data from the systems is of course available for real time information during the event and for full analysis afterwards. During the event we also had questionnaires running on large touch screens and this provided fascinating results.

‘We are immensely proud to be the first to go completely contactless and offer the choice of a cashless experience at London’s largest music festival.,’ says Barclaycard head of digital payment Tom Gregory.

‘We’re really excited by the possibilities Barclaycard PayBand offers as a wearable, secure and easy way to pay when you’re out and about at the festival. Alongside QuickTap and Barclaycard PayTag, we’re exploring the versatility that contactless offers as an alternative to cash.’