Blog

5 things to expect when large events return

Hospitality Leisure & Entertainment Travel Consumer Information & Wayfinding Entertainment Marketing Occupancy Tracking or Footfall POS Security/Access Control Visitor Management

Soon large events will return globally and, hopefully, for good. Technology will help future proof the events industry and ensure returning exhibitions and events will run efficiently.

Below we have listed 5 things to expect when large events return.

Author

Rosie Ellis

Published

05/25/21

1 Self-service

Fast food burger restaurant with a line of self-service kiosks.

There has been a surge in self-service across a multitude of industries since the coronavirus outbreak, this will be no different for events. Catering will change to a tablet/kiosk/app ordering menu and self-service kiosks will man the retail elements. Contactless payment devices, scales and tablets displaying the menus can all be fitted into a kiosk enclosure for a frictionless catering solution.

2 Health checks and enhanced registration

Improving visitor confidence is the key to driving attendee numbers back up, if they see that you are doing all you can to help them stay safe, this is imperative to gaining that trust. On arrival temperature checks can be issued to help mitigate risk of the spread of the virus from potentially symptomatic attendees. If anyone has a fever, they could be denied entry or asked to attend a covid test point. Kiosks installed with a thermal camera can automatically temperature – check for optimum efficiency on entry and is a socially distanced alternative to needing someone to administer temperature checks via a hand-held scanning gun.

Frictionless hand sanitiser dispensers can also be integrated to kiosks on entry, again helping people feel more confident in the event environment.

Render showing a mobile phone being scanned by a kiosk integrated with biometric scanner

Registration is now even more important, due to the requirements of track and trace. The company hosting the event need to be able to contact all the attendees should someone be tested positive for Covid-19. This can be done via sign up forms on a tablet kiosk, or QR codes – a frictionless registration. The visitor signs up prior to the event, who will then be issued with a QR code. Kiosks on entrance will be fitted with a barcode scanning device so that guests can scan their unique QR code to check in and grant access to the event. This will automatically create a list of contacts for the hosts, for post-event marketing and track and trace should it be required. These QR code scanners can be fitted to the entry temperature check kiosk.

3 Structured room layouts with digital signage

Curved and Straight Full Integration Kiosk

Social distancing may still be required at some events should mitigating the risk of virus transmission be necessary in the future. Clear floor markings can show an adequate distance for any locations that may require queuing and the layout should ensure a 1-2m distance between seats and participants. Digital signage is an ideal solutions for adapting messaging depending on the government advice at the time of the event. It also makes navigating the event location clearer and safer.

Digital signage is imperative for events to run smoothly and efficiently, our totem kiosks are ideal for displaying clear messaging and can also be a multi-functional, interactive solution to aid multiple steps of the user-journey.

4 Touchless participation

Tablet Enclosures and iPad Kiosks work with QR Codes

Physical contact at events may still be minimised where possible at events, so that the overall risk is reduced and more nervous customers can feel comfortable attending. Therefore we must make use of the devices that we already have at our disposal. Questions can be asked via hash tags on social media, to keep a high level of engagement at the event. Plus, specific apps for the event can be used to participate, engage with other attendees and navigate the location. We developed a handheld kiosk for ease when navigating an event or restaurant to make quick and simple payments when on the move.

Phones can also be used for kiosks to scan QR codes for loyalty schemes or to enhance apps or engagement further.

5 Contact tracing

Lists can be automatically generated from the sign in form or QR code scanner. The automation doesn’t stop there – the relevant information can be pre-prepared and mailed to the relevant attendees to ensure that contact tracing and isolation is put into motion. The email can also trigger an alert to the relevant authorities to ensure that a potential outbreak is adequately monitored. As a whole, large events will suffer more than smaller events, which are more easily managed. This will be an ongoing global process, depending on the climate at the time. These precautions and actions that can be put in place to minimise risk will bring the events industry back onto its feet.

Let’s get started. Choose an option.

Request a call with an account manager, make a general enquiry, or download our brochure for more information on our visitor management software. If you’d like to speak to us straight away, call UK: 01202 892863 or USA: +1 877 450 2172. We look forward to hearing from you!