Wristbands for Event Accreditation

Event accreditation and management, as an industry, attracts some of the nicest people I have ever worked with and partners and customers. For some reason, event accreditation managers and coordinators really emphathise with other companies, suppliers and situation, and have a well rounded approach to getting the job done. This may be because they are involved in so many elements of the event, and will often need to also deal with both internal and external stakeholders. The ability to build and maintain strong relationships is incredibly beneficial in the lead up to an event and the execution of it.  Keep reading to learn the pros and cons of using wristbands for event accreditation.

Whilst the majority of accreditation involves ID cards, laminates and pouches, wristbands have become well known as an accreditation solution at events in Australia, with some events utilising several different types of wristbands in a variety of styles.

Wristbands for event accreditation for parties

The challenge for event and party planners often revolves around the location and appeal of the event more than anything else. A very accessible location at an appealing event will pose a challenge for event planners, as the likelihood of gatecrashers increases dramatically. If the location is secure and the event is not very well known to the general public, the likelihood of gatecrashers is drastically reduced.

This is important because one of the key purposes of a wristband is to allow your door staff to know who is allowed access and who is not. Wristbands can either be posted to attendees in advance (as part of an invitation or welcome pack for the party), or at the door upon presentation of ID and proving that you are, indeed, on “the list”. The key here is firstly making sure your wristband is suitable for your event. If you’re organising an event that is costing hundreds or thousand of dollars per head, you should be using a wristband that provides an element of class.

The other consideration for party planning are the logistics of the event itself. Will there be multiple rooms or areas where access may be restricted? Will the venue be shared with another event, meaning an accurate tab needs to be managed? There is nothing more frustrating for a client than suspecting his tab is incorrect or inflated by orders from a neighbouring event.  In these cases, event wristbands are good to use also. Bar staff will easily determine what orders go on which tab by looking at the wristband colour. Some venues (especially those that accept a large number of smaller bookings for say, office Christmas parties), will use as many different wristband colours as they need.

Wristbands for event accreditation for festivals

One of the most complicated event accreditation roles is within major music festivals. Between patrons (and the myriad of variations within the patron accreditation and ticketing structure, including adults and under 18’s), staff, artists, stall holders, campers, parking and more, the accreditation requirements can be incredibly diverse.

A very prominent music festival that we have had the good fortune to work with for many years has upwards of 34 types of wristband being used of the several day event. This is a challenge for the accreditation manager but one that is a necessity due to the prevalence of gatecrashers at music festivals. Wristbands need to be highly secure and very unique to prevent unauthorised access.

It is recommended that music festivals do not send their wristbands to patrons in advance. Whilst this would allow for a faster process on the day, it increases the risk of forgeries dramatically. The only exception to this may be if RFID wristbands are being utilised. These are, of course, very hard to copy of replicate because of the RFID chip on the inside of the attached tag. And, if they are a stolen, the profile associated with the stolen wristband can simply be deactivated, rendering it useless.

A key accreditation for music festivals is that of under 18’s. With such a strong drinking culture present at many music festivals, finding ways to control this is crucial. Often local police will want a say in this process also. it is recommended that fluro or neon wristbands are used in these cases.

Wristbands for event accreditation for community events

With Australia having such a rich social fabric and culture, there are a growing number food and wine festivals, carols by candlelight, community markets, school events, free public concerts, art displays and more.  For the events that require payment, wristbands provide a very simple and efficient solution for identification. They can be applied on the day on presentation of a ticket.  For free events, wristbands still play a role, especially when it comes to health and safety, or if alcoholic beverages are available. By providing wristbands to those over 18, bar staff can be assured that they are serving alcohol to adults only.

Wristbands for event accreditation for conferences and exhibitions

Conferences and exhibitions have primarily used lanyards and plastic pouches (ID wallets) as accreditation and identification. This makes sense, because all the wearers details, and even a photograph, can be presented very clearly. This allows for better socialising and networking, with is a key element of any exhibition or conference.  Wristbands though, can be useful too. Many conferences and exhibitions are now providing wristbands to their exhibitors or attendees for things like VIP party’s or events that are happening in and around the main event.

A growing use of wristbands at these events is for treasure hunts, social media integration or brand activation strategies. These all require RFID (we’ve explored these in detail in another article a couple of months back). For instance, an exhibition organiser may encourage attendees to undertake a certain number of activities at the event. The attendee is required to them complete the activities and scan their wristband at the appropriate station. Upon completion, they may receive an email or SMS telling them that they can now enjoy a 25% discount at a local restaurant.

The final word

Wristbands are a very cost effective means of identifying a wide range of people at many different types of events. Accreditation managers and coordinators at events in Australia are using wristbands to identify many different stakeholders.

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