The restrictions enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic hit the live events sector particularly hard, using the industry suffering a 90% reduction in revenues in 2022 based on the BVEP UK Events Report.
The industry employs more than 700,000 people across the UK and contributes lb70bn to the economy, so it is vital that live events, including festivals, can continue operating.
To keep attendees safe because they are welcomed back, festival organisers will have to continue implementing measures to minimise the risks from the virus spreading.
While social distancing measures and clearly sign-posted one-way systems are still in place in many settings, the post-pandemic world has additionally cemented the need for technologies to protect and reassure attendees, and Electronic Pos [EPoS] systems have a significant role to play.
EPoS technology
EPoS systems could be integrated across a variety of hardware devices including phones and tablets and may act as an online till. They're especially beneficial to festival vendors as they limit the need for face-to-face interaction and streamline operations, making serving attendees far safer.
Using existing EPoS technology, as well as implementing QR codes and app ordering, can also help festival organisers promote social distancing by reduction of queue lengths.
Along with keeping guests safe, these technologies offer drink and food vendors a greater insight into purchasing, deliveries and stock allocation, and let them to develop a single-customer-view of their patrons through business intelligence and knowledge visualisation.
Social distancing
The pandemic has had a big impact on consumer behaviour, and the adoption rates of cashless payment systems have risen considerably over the last 1 . 5 years because of hygiene risks associated with handling money. Festival organisers must therefore be aware of the concerns and expectations of both guests and staff when it comes to hygiene and social distancing.
Many festival food trucks and bars utilise tickets or buzzers to alert customers when their orders are ready, however these require increased contact between servers and customers.
Using app ordering and cashless payment systems, however, means guests are not required to touch anything other than their own phone to put their order. This can be a good way of preventing customers mixing with others in queues helping reduce the chances of virus transmission. Implementing order collection points also allows vendors to further minimise direct contact without having to sacrifice efficiency.
Revenue and spending
The rise of cashless payment systems can't only keep festival attendees and staff safe, but also opens additional possibilities to generate revenue just before a celebration.
Guests can preload their accounts with credit, allowing both them and festival organisers to budget accordingly.
With cashless payment and app ordering, transaction times and queuing are also reduced by 80% typically, based on the Tappit Festival Report, improving customer experience while making guests feel safer about their money.
Greater insight
While EPoS technologies help festival organisers maximise space and address efficiency concerns whilst ensuring a celebration is COVID-19 secure, additionally they allow organisers a larger understanding of customers' buying patterns.
Organisers can utilise cashless payment systems and app ordering to obtain accurate and real-time data on how clients are spending their money. These technologies allow organisers to analyse which bars and food vendors are attracting probably the most customers, and just what their purchasing habits are. These 360 views of guests enable more promotional opportunities, as well as incentives and rewards that allow for an even more personalised experience.
Individual vendors also take advantage of these technologies, as they possibly can make real-time alterations in their menus and see their sales at a glance, creating a competent ordering solution while lowering the operational costs of additional staff to take and process orders and cash payments. This detailed information is especially invaluable at any given time when vendors must improve their revenue wherever possible to recoup their losses from previous lockdowns.
Conclusion
There isn't any denying that the pandemic has increased the take up of recent EPoS technologies over the live events industry, with increased people having become comfortable using self-service tills, app ordering and QR scanning as a way of preventing multiplication of the virus.