Everything You Need to Know About Using Customized RFID Wristbands

Chances are, you’ve heard the buzz about RFID (radio frequency identification) for events. These wireless wonders have become a staple at top music festivals, with attendees sporting their RFID wristbands like coveted badges year-round.

But hold on tight, because RFID wristbands aren’t just for the music scene. 

Beyond simplifying event entry and gathering valuable attendee data, these nifty wristbands offer many perks for all types of events. Guests can even connect their email, social media profiles, and wallets to their RFID wristbands!

At Eventbrite, we’ve witnessed countless event creators harness the power of technology, and this gem is one we insist you know about.

So, in this article, we’ll uncover the magic behind RFID bands, how they work, and 12 ingenious ways they can improve your events — in terms of planning, logistics, and having your attendees buzzing with excitement.

Let’s dive in!

So what are RFID bands and how do they work? 

An RFID wristband is a wearable device with an embedded radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip. The chip in each wristband contains unique identification data that can be read by RFID scanners. 

For example, an event-goer can scan their RFID wristband to gain access to your event, but also to access different areas or stages if your event is sectioned.

There are several types of RFID tags that offer different levels of data: 

• Active (powered). Active RFID bands have their own power source (typically a battery), which enables them to transmit a signal actively. This means that you can use these bands to see your guests’ locations in real time. 
• Passive (unpowered). Unlike active bands, passive RFID bands rely on power supplied by the RFID reader. They also have a shorter read range but are cheaper to use. Because of their simplicity and lower price, they’re often used for things like access control, ticketing, and inventory management.
• Semi-passive (battery-assisted). Semi-passive bands are similar to passive tags, but they include a battery that helps to extend their communication range. So, if you only need a band with basic features but your event takes place over a large area, semi-passive is a good choice.

This and other types of event technology can truly enrich your event.

Why you should use RFID wristbands at your next event 

Now, you might be wondering about the specifics — and that’s exactly what we’re going to delve into. Stay tuned for the 12 compelling reasons why RFID wristbands should be on your radar for your next event.

Get attendees inside quickly 

With RFID, attendees simply wave their wristband or badge over a sensor to get in. No more digging in purses to find tickets or struggling to make scanners process wet or wrinkled barcodes. The tech can seamlessly handle re-entry for multi-day events or provide easy access to multiple zones within an event (like a VIP area).

Take the SnowGlobe Music Festival as an example. When they switched to RFID, they scanned more than 20 people per minute at each gate. That’s an astounding 1,200 people per hour for each scanner!

RFID bands also make it easier for your security team, who no longer need to operate scanning equipment. Instead, the RFID equipment simply lights up green (“go”) or red (“stop”) when scanned. This reduces the human error of ticket scanning and allows security staff to focus on their job — keeping people safe. 

To find out more about how event technology can improve the success of your event, take a look at How Fitter & Faster Makes a Splash With Their Event Technology. As Fitter & Faster scaled, their technology was holding them back from their mission, so they decided to jump into the future with new technologies and stay on track.

Go cashless 

Forget long lines at ATMs or fans repeatedly fishing out their wallets. With RFID tags, your guests can pay for food, drinks, or merchandise with a simple tap of their wrist. 

In fact, this consumer study found that 15% of respondents leave their physical wallets at home because they’re so used to using digital payment methods. The bottom line is you need to have a cashless option at your events or you risk attendees being unable to buy anything.  

So how does it work? 

It’s pretty simple. Attendees add their payment information to their RFID tags before the event and use the tags for contactless payment, making it easier than ever to buy. 

The New York City’s Bacon and Beer Classic by Cannonball Productions uses cashless payments thus improving their guests’ experience and helping them make more money. 

RFID and cashless payments make it easier for guests to purchase food and drink quickly. As a result, attendees are more likely to buy. And because it’s so quick and seamless, they have a better overall experience. 

And when guests don’t have to carry drink tickets or cash in their pockets, they don’t have to worry about loss or theft. Instead, they can focus on enjoying your event.

Improve your event with real-time insights 

RFID wristbands give you immediate insight into how foot traffic flows through your event. You can see how many people have come through the entrance and how many people you’re still expecting to arrive. This makes it easier for you to track attendee numbers. 

For multi-day events, you can also use RFID data from the first day to change your gate layout or add extra lanes. The data can help you decide where to place concession stands, toilets, and sponsor booths to improve the flow of your event. You can also figure out which performers or speakers were most popular, which is super useful information for future events. 

If you use active RFID tags, you can also see where guests go once they’re through the gates. The SAKURA Festival Night Market & Asian Food by Upstairs NYC is a good example of how these real-time insights could improve any event. With an active RFID event organizers might notice that attendees aren’t going to a particular area of the food festival. They can then head to that spot to see if there are any issues with the location and how they can make it more attractive for guests in real-time.

Strengthen connections with sponsors

RFID creates new ways for your sponsors to see how you engage your attendees in fun and interactive experiences. 

For example, attendees can enter raffles, join competitions, or “vote” in a poll, all by simply tapping their wrist or showing their badge. Your event sponsors can then see how attendees participate in these events. 

This also allows sponsors and exhibitors to gather data without being intrusive. In other words, they can use the data from the RFID bands to track traffic to their booth and measure return on investment. This actionable data increases the perceived value of your event for your sponsors.

You can even use the data you’ve compiled from RFID bands at one event as a carrot to encourage potential sponsors to invest in your future events by proving that your events are seamless, engaging, and enjoyable. After all, the more successful your event is, the better it is for your sponsors.

If you plan to run a larger event like a music or food festival, with RFID bands, guests can easily access your event, buy food, and participate in any activities you offer. You can then see what they’ve bought and where, and show your sponsors that your event generated a good ROI, as well as which activities or products worked best for such an event.

Eliminate fraud 

Unlike traditional print-at-home tickets, RFID chips have a unique identifier that makes them nearly impossible to duplicate — making counterfeit tickets a thing of the past. 

And if attendees lose their tickets, you can help them without worrying about copies. Since tickets are associated with individual IDs, you can instantly deactivate the lost wristband or badge and issue a new one.

This not only reduces the chances of gatecrashers but makes the experience better for your attendees. 

Imagine this: you’re organizing a music event like Enamour  by Audio San Francisco, and you’ve got some seriously devoted fans attending. Someone loses their ticket and starts freaking out about missing their favorite musician. But with RFID, they don’t need to panic! They can just send a message to the organizer and get that tag canceled and replaced. Crisis averted, thanks to some tech magic.

Find out more about using RFID at music festivals before your next live event. 

Simplify the box office and check-in process

No attendee wants to wait in line for hours on-site to pick up their badge or wristband. With advanced fulfillment, wristbands go right to your attendee’s home ahead of the event. 

Instead of box office complaints, you’ll be seeing excitement all over social media when attendees receive the package weeks before the event.

For events with last-minute sales, chances are you’ll still need to hand out wristbands to these guests as they arrive. But since you won’t have to spend time checking all the pre-booked guests in you can easily assigning RFID badges and wristbands to attendees as they arrive on-site. 

Instead of searching for a pre-assigned badge or wristband for each attendee, you can use a mobile app to assign RFID tags on the spot — minimizing chaos for staff and getting attendees inside faster.

You can also use the Eventbrite Organizer app to simplify the entire event management process. You can track all your guests, manage all your ticketing (including RFID tags), and access event analytics to find out how to improve your future events.

Upgrade attendee engagement onsite

Once attendees receive their RFID badge or wristbands, there are endless fun ways to engage on-site. For instance, you could use RFID-enabled photo booths at your event to give attendees instant access to photos of themselves at the event.

The DC Black Food & Wine Festival, hosted by MVEMNT.COM: The amplifiers of blk biz & ent, includes a 360 photo booth with a rotating platform for guests to take photos. With RFID bands, their guests could tap their wristband or badge at the photo booth and automatically email themselves their pictures. 

This incentivizes them to use your photo booth and provides a fun way to capture memories from the event.  

It may also encourage them to share the photos on their social media platforms while they’re at the event, boosting your online exposure. 

Expand the VIP experience 

Elevate your event’s VIP experience by giving them special RFID bands that give them access to VIP areas. 

You can use RFID bands for VIP guests to meet the host or performers at your event in a meet and greet. For example, if the Emmet Cohen Trio had VIP guests at the Birdland Jazz Club, they could have used the bands to allow these guests backstage after the event, making them feel extra special.

RFID makes it easier for your most important guests to access their perks, which improves their overall experience and makes the VIP experience worthwhile. 

It also opens new doors to drive revenue by offering on-site VIP upgrades. For instance, you can use RFID bands to let general admission attendees instantly upgrade their access level to gain entry to a VIP area. That means happier attendees and more revenue in your pocket.

Get to know your audience on a whole new level

When attendees buy tickets in bulk or register as a group, you usually only collect data on the ticket purchaser. This prevents you from truly understanding who your attendees are. 

RFID wristbands give you a better chance of gathering more valuable customer data. Each wristband is assigned to the individual attendee, linking it to their name, address, email, and other personal information. 

This means you can get a deeper understanding of who attended your event and how they interacted with it, and it keeps them on the roster for future events. Plus, all this information is valuable to potential sponsors of your event, so it’s helpful from that perspective, too. 

Generate excitement around your event 

Put yourself in the shoes of an attendee for a second. Imagine you bought tickets to an event like the 80s dance party hosted by Nonsense ATL. How would you feel when your event wristband shows up in your mailbox? Pretty excited, right?

That’s how RFID bands can help you generate buzz around your event. The moment fans receive their RFID wristband or badge in the mail, the excitement for your event begins to build. They might even feel so excited that they post about it on their social media channels, putting your event in front of new people who might consider buying tickets to join the fun. 

And after the event, attendees can keep the RFID wristbands to remember the awesome experience.

Promote sustainability

People care more about the environment now than ever before. In fact, a recent survey found that 78% of people in the US say sustainability is important to them. 

The good news is that RFID wristbands can be reusable, reducing the need for single-use tickets or badges. You can also choose wristbands that aren’t made from any plastic. Take a look at Synometrix or Print Plast as an example — both companies offer wooden RFID wristbands for events, and most other companies offer a silicone option.

By using sustainable bands, your guests can attend your event knowing that you’re taking steps to reduce your environmental impact, increasing their confidence in your brand.

Read our Events Industry Report: Sustainability Is Top of Mind for Summer Events for more information on reducing your event’s environmental impact. And, you can head over to our blog to read 6 Sustainable Approaches for Your Attraction.  

Customize the event experience

Depending on the RFID vendor you use, you can create unique wristbands to customize the event experience. You can add your logo, your event colors, the name and date of your event, and so on. 

This is a great way to develop your brand, establish your event, and build a sense of community — all of which can improve the overall event experience and encourage people to come back in the future. 

Look at this success story from Harpoon Brewery as an example. 

Harpoon throws festivals every year with up to 12,000 attendees. The event focuses on bringing good people together with good beer. They have a communal table for guests to meet new people, and they use their branding on all their cups, featuring each event’s logo. People pride themselves in owning jugs and beer glasses with each of these events on them — owning one of them makes them part of the Harpoon Brewery community.

Use RFID wristbands to streamline your events 

As you’ve seen, RFID wristbands offer a ton of benefits for your events. You can streamline event entry, offer a personalized and fun experience for your guests, and gather valuable information about your attendees. 

If you’re considering using RFID bands for your next event, be sure to make the most of them by gathering event analytics and utilizing those insights to improve the experience and secure sponsors.