Event Genius Pay to make African debut
UK event technology company Event Genius has announced a new cashless payment deal with the inaugural Ghanian edition of Afro Nation festival this December.
Event Genius has partnered with festivals and events across Europe and Asia including Portugal’s BPM Festival, Jika Jika! in Northern Ireland, Parklife in Manchester, UK and Annie Mac’s Lost and Found festival in Malta
Under the new deal, the company will take its cashless payment technology to Africa for the first time.
The Ghanian edition of Afro Nation festival is scheduled from the 27 to 30 December, with an expected attendance of 15,000. Alkaline, Burna Boy and J Hus are among acts to appear on the line-up.
Festivalgoers will be able to pre-purchase credit to pay for food, drink and merchandise at the event using RFID-enabled wristbands.
“We’re delighted to partner with a ticketing and technology company capable of providing a true end-to-end event platform for the inception of Afro Nation”
Event Genius is powering the ticketing for Afro Nation Ghana through the Ticket Arena website and a white label box office. Using the Entry Genius app, organisers will be able to manage entry points, track attendance and reduce ticket fraud.
“We’re delighted to partner with a ticketing and technology company capable of providing a true end-to-end event platform for the inception of Afro Nation,” says Obi Asika, chief executive of Afro Nation.
“Through our partnership with Ticket Arena and Event Genius, fans are assured the best possible experience from buying tickets, to entering the festival safely and ultimately enjoying their time dancing on the beach, without the need to worry about money or queues for drinks.”
The first-ever Afro Nation festival took place in Portimão, Portugal this year from 1 to 4 August, with performances from Wizkid, Davido, Ms Dynamite and Stefflon Don.
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BPM Festival goes cashless with Event Genius
BPM Festival has signed a five-year deal that sees them join a growing list of festival’s choosing to go cashless with Event Genius.
The deal sees the world-famous electronic music showcase take advantage of the Leeds-based company’s award-winning cashless solution, Event Genius Pay, as part of an end-to-end service that will also provide online ticketing and access control to the festival.
As a result, fans attending BPM Festival will be afforded the best possible experience before, during and after their visit to the sunny municipalities of Portimão and Lagoa in Portugal’s southern Algarve region this September.
Prior to the festival, BPM fans will only need to create a single online account to buy tickets and pre-purchase credits, which will replace cash across the festival site. Upon arrival, these credits will be loaded to an RFID-enabled wristband – which they’ll receive in exchange for their ticket – and be used to pay for food, drink and more with a quick tap. Fans will be able to top-up credits on-site whenever they run low and reclaim any unspent credits after the festival has finished.
“Event Genius Pay offers a win-win scenario for BPM’s fans and organisers”
“It’s a big decision, we’re confident our fans will love it,” says Jason Jennings, director of BPM Festival and AMP Lost and Found Festival, which went cashless with Event Genius Pay in 2018. “At last year’s Lost and Found Festival, the expert staff at Event Genius made the switch to cashless quick and easy for our staff and, more importantly, our fans, so when the time came to make a decision about BPM Festival, it was a no-brainer.”
“Event Genius Pay offers a win-win scenario for BPM’s fans and organisers,” says Reshad Hossenally, managing director at Event Genius. “Without having to worry about carrying money or wasting time waiting in line to be served, BPM festivalgoers can just relax and enjoy the sun. Jason and the BPM family can expect a boost to their revenues, a reduction in cash handling mistakes and won’t have to incur the overheads involved with moving physical money around the site. Cashless really is king.”
Learn more about the Event Genius Pay cashless solution at the company’s website.
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39% revenue uptick for Cocoon in the Park with Event Genius Pay
This July, the UK’s Cocoon in the Park festival recorded a 39% increase in revenues just two years after making the switch to RFID cashless payments with Event Genius Pay.
The growth – calculated by using data from the festival’s last non-cashless, token-based event, in 2016 –was achieved after organisers implemented a series of recommendations provided by the team at Event Genius, who had analysed data from the festival’s cashless debut in 2017.
“Last year we decided to go cashless and saw the benefits of Event Genius Pay, for fans and ourselves, immediately,” says Shane Graham, founder and owner of Cocoon in the Park. “This year, by using the lessons learned from the data insights provided by the system, we were confident we could improve further.”
The cashless POS, which processed its four-millionth payment transaction this summer, works by offering ticketholders the chance to plan their budgets by pre-purchasing credit – to be spent on food, drink and merchandise – directly from the festival’s website.
“Once you’ve bought your first drink, holding out your wrist to pay becomes second nature”
On the day itself, fans exchanged their entry tickets for a wristband equipped with a small RFID chip and had their pre-purchased credits loaded by staff. Customers could then spend their money by tapping their wristband at any of the point of sale devices at the festival’s bars and vendors.
“It’s so easy for fans to get used to,” adds Chris Toich, founder of Outback Events, providers of event production and bar operator services at Cocoon in the Park.
“Once they’ve bought their first drink, holding out your wrist to pay becomes second nature and queues move quickly. There’s no fumbling around for change, waiting for a card machine to connect, and fewer errors.”
“It sounds simple, but by letting fans spend more time enjoying the music, we’re helping them have the best experience possible,” continues Graham. “We saw this reflected in the incredible atmosphere at Cocoon’s tenth anniversary this summer, and the growth will help us to deliver an even better experience next year.”
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