Radio frequency identification, or R.F.I.D., refers to a variety of wireless technologies that create communication between a tag and a reader. R.F.I.D. can be used for long-range communication through ultra-high frequency, or U.H.F., tags or for very close communication using near field communication, or N.F.C., tags. These tags can be embedded in wristbands, badges, plastic cards, and other products that guests carry at an event. Here are examples from six recent events that have used wireless technology.
At IMG’s inaugural Taste of Toronto festival in July, attendees used R.F.I.D.-enabled cards to purchase food and beverages from vendors at the event. The cards were provided by IntelliPay, a division of Intellitix. Guests could go online before the event to load money onto the card, and they could also add funds at stations throughout the festival. At the end of the festival, balances remaining on cards were donated to Second Harvest Food Rescue. Each individual’s online account also provided a history of all food and beverage items purchased.
At the Tomorrowland music festival, which took place in Belgium over two weekends in July, R.F.I.D. wristbands replaced admission tickets and also provided a way for the 60,000 daily attendees to connect with one another. Prior to the event, festivalgoers registered their wristbands online and linked them to their Facebook accounts. At the event, if two people near each other pressed the heart-shaped button on their wristbands at the same time, each person's Facebook name was stored in the cloud and then sent in an email to the other person. So each attendee received a daily email of anyone they had met throughout the day. Organizers also illuminated the lights on the bracelets in coordination with some of the musical acts.
For Montreal’s C2MTL—Commerce & Creativity conference in May, Connect & Go created badges embedded with U.H.F. tags. Unlike N.F.C., which is intended for very close communication, U.H.F. tags can be read from as far away as 30 feet. As the 4,000 attendees passed through the main entrance, U.H.F. readers embedded in the gates instantly read their badges and alerted security personnel with either a green or red light to indicate whether they were approved to enter. Organizers also hung three U.H.F. “chandeliers” on the show floor. The devices could read attendee activity within a 30- by 30-foot zone, tracking when people arrived, how much time they spent in the area, and who else was there. Organizers received real-time information on tablets, so they could make adjustments as necessary, for example to ensure the most heavily trafficked food stations had enough staff and products.
At EMC World in May in Las Vegas, organizers used N.F.C. badges from ITN International to manage the distribution of conference bags filled with valuable gifts such as GoPro cameras and iPods. As attendees went to the bag pickup area, staff scanned their badges with a smartphone to determine which bag they should receive. The data was stored to ensure that the badge could not be used to obtain additional gift bags. ITN’s system also saved the activity so if a badge had to be reprinted, it still indicated that the attendee had received a bag.
At the Ryder Cup, set for September 23 to 28 in Scotland, guests will use R.F.I.D. wristbands from Intellitix for a variety of interactive experiences. In partnership with Active Scotland, a government initiative to promote physical activity, guests will be encouraged to walk the course and check in at various stations for a chance to win prizes. The wristband will track the distances they cover and will also post updates to social media. Guests will also be able to give a “virtual high five” to either the European or United States team by touching their wristbands at specified points, which then registers their support on a leaderboard. Guests who own BMWs will be able to use their wristbands to enter the company’s “Owners’ Cafe” at the 10th hole and spend preloaded tokens.
At the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee in June, organizers partnered with Microsoft to allow guests to create a photo history of their festival experience. Prior to the event, guests went online to register their R.F.I.D. wristbands and link them to a Microsoft OneDrive account. Then each time they swiped their wristbands at photo booths around the event, the pictures automatically uploaded to the online account. Guests could also swipe their wristbands at stations near each stage to receive a photo of the performance in their OneDrive accounts. Intellitix provided the wristbands.
