Are You Getting What You’ve Paid For?

When purchasing wristbands, you would be forgiven for assuming that wristbands are just wristbands and that all “Australian suppliers” are providing the same product. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when dealing with suppliers who source their wristbands from countries with questionable quality standards, such as China, and label themselves as Australian Owned. In this article, we will delve into an industry taboo and explore the reasons why quality matters, how AAC’s wristbands are more than “just a wristband”, and how you may not be getting what you’ve paid for if you are shopping purely for the lowest price.

Why do you use wristbands?

Firstly, let us explore the reasoning behind why wristbands are used for access control. Wristbands are commonly used for identifying and managing access to events, venues, or restricted areas. They come in various colours and patterns and can be custom-printed with logos, text, or event details. This makes them easy to spot and helps venues and event organisers differentiate between different groups of attendees or ticket holders.

Wristbands used for these purposes are designed to be intentionally difficult to duplicate or transfer, making them an effective tool for preventing unauthorised entry or counterfeiting. Once the wristband is secured around a person’s wrist, it cannot be easily removed without damaging it, which helps prevent people from sharing or reusing wristbands.

What impact does poor wristband security have on my business?

Wristbands with compromised security features can lead to significant revenue loss for venue and event organisers. Poor quality, easily tampered wristbands can result in unauthorised access to your event or venues, decreasing ticket sales and opening you up to potential security breaches and fines from authorities for not effectively managing venue capacities.

How far can the impact extend?

The number of people who try to gain access to an event without paying for a ticket can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the popularity of the event, the type of event, the location, security measures in place, and the demographic of attendees. There is no exact science in calculating an exact average, as this number can differ greatly from one event to another. However, it is safe to assume that the more people attending the event, the higher the chance you will encounter ticket/entry fraud.

Event organisers typically take various measures to deter unauthorised entry, such as using wristbands, tickets with unique barcodes, security personnel, checkpoints, and other access control methods. These measures help reduce the number of people attempting to enter without a valid ticket. However, none of these measures are useful if the wristbands can be easily transferred from one person to another. Overall, the average number of people trying to gain access to an event without paying for a ticket cannot be easily generalised, and it’s crucial for event organisers to implement appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorised entry and protect the integrity of the event.

As an exercise, take a look at the average price of every ticket that you sell. Then make some assumptions based on the popularity of your event to estimate the number of people that may want to gain entry without paying if given the opportunity to do so.

Example: Let’s use an event that is expecting an attendance of approximately 5000 people. They charge $65/person for entry; of the 5000 in attendance, 25 people were to gain entry through wristband tampering. Despite the 25 people accounting for only 0.005% of all attendees, the event/venue has lost a total of $1625.00. Take a look at what you pay for your wristbands and compare this to the amount lost through wristband tampering.

Using this method, you will start to see how quickly the losses can add up, especially over the period of a few days, weeks or even months depending on your event.

The importance of wristband material:

Wristbands that are manufactured with lower-quality, low-grade materials and adhesives often lack the fundamental security properties and durability to withstand even the most basic purposes.

For instance, some suppliers may offer;

• Tyvek “Look Alike” alternatives that are thinner than the genuine Dupont patented product, giving them fewer fibrous layers, which do not tear at the security cut as intended.
• The adhesive on such wristbands is of regular low-quality transfer tapes, which are [1] not designed for wristband applications, [2] not strong enough to break the tamper-evident cuts, [3] can be easily peeled off like a piece of sticky tape, and [4] not water-proof, compromising security measures.

Vibrant and Visible from a Distance:

A well-printed wristband should be easily identifiable and recognisable from a distance. If event professionals struggle to identify or mistake the wristbands for something else, it indicates poor printing vibrancy and inferior inks, and it makes your job more difficult to try to identify who should or shouldn’t be there. Ensuring your brand is well-represented through vibrant and visible wristband designs is also vital for lasting patron impacts.

The Importance of High-Quality Printing:

High-quality wristband printing is not just about aesthetics; it plays a crucial role in brand success and the impression a brand leaves on its audience. Some suppliers opt to run wristbands through office printers, compromising the wristbands’ security adhesion. As a result, issues such as poor print quality, lack of waterproofing, and incomplete ink coverage may arise, tarnishing the brand’s image.

The AAC Difference:

At AAC, we take wristband quality seriously, ensuring that our wristbands go beyond mere identification tools. Here’s why our wristbands stand out:

– Proudly Australian Made: Unlike many suppliers who outsource production, we manufacture our wristbands right here in Australia, allowing us to maintain strict quality control standards.

– Local Suppliers and Raw Materials: We source our materials locally, guaranteeing the highest quality and reliability for every wristband we produce.

– Fit for Purpose: Our wristbands are designed and tailored for specific purposes, ensuring they fulfil the requirements of various events and industries.

– Our wristbands are manufactured from 100% genuine Dupont Tyvek

– Our wristbands sport a custom-made and highly aggressive adhesive specifically formulated for all wristband applications.

– Our wristbands are designed to be completely 100% water and sauna-proof, even when printed.

– Our wristbands use the highest quality UV and digital inks to ensure vibrancy and colour consistency, and high resistance against running or bleeding.

– Our wristbands are sequentially numbered to identify specific patrons easily.

– Our wristbands feature a special tamper-evident security cut is the optimal design to ensure that the seal breaks every time when being tampered with

– Time and Money Savings: Investing in AAC wristbands saves valuable time and money that could otherwise be wasted on inferior products.

When it comes to wristbands, settling for subpar quality can lead to dire consequences for both your event security and brand image. Investing in AAC wristbands ensures that you not only receive top-tier durability and printing but are also contributing to supporting Australian Manufacturing. So, the next time you consider purchasing wristbands, ask yourself if you’re truly getting what you’ve paid for. Choose AAC wristbands – your guarantee of superior quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction.