If you’re in the events industry, 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 don’t think RFID wristbands are just for music festivals.

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!

Want to know everything about RFID technology for events?

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: 

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

People dancing at a night club

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).

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 concert producer Duck Club uses technology and AI to improve its ads and ticketing. 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.

RFID wristbands beer festival

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. 

Cash usage has fallen down to 14% in the UK, showing consumers’ preference for cashless payments. 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. 

Eventbrite organiser Live Heritage uses cashless payments at their events, 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. With an active RFID event, organisers 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.

A vendor handing a cookie to a guest

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 organising a music event like AMA FEST GLOBAL’s AMA FEST 2024, and you’ve got some seriously devoted fans attending. Someone loses their ticket and starts freaking out about missing their favourite musician. But with RFID, they don’t need to panic! They can just message the organiser and get that tag cancelled and replaced. Crisis averted, thanks to some tech magic.

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

An attendant checks people in using a tablet

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 fulfilment, wristbands go right to your attendee’s home before the event. 

Instead of box office complaints, you’ll see excitement on 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 assign 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 — minimising chaos for staff and getting attendees inside faster.

You can also use the Eventbrite Organiser 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 determine how to improve your future events.

Curious about our app for your next event?

Upgrade attendee engagement on-site

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.

This incentivises 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. 

A crowd enjoys jazz music in NYC

Expand the VIP experience 

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

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.

two people smiling at an event

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 70s and 80s Boogie Night hosted by Ultimate Soul UK. 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 sustainability is more important to 61% of UK consumers than it was two years ago. 

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.

Head over to our blog to read 6 Sustainable Approaches for Your Attraction

Octoberfest partiers toast with glasses of beer

Customise the event experience

Depending on the RFID vendor you use, you can create unique wristbands to customise the event experience. You can add your logo, your event colours, 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. 

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 personalised 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 utilising those insights to improve the experience and secure sponsors.