We are proud that the recent merger of Weezevent and PlayPass has taken shape in Spain as a technological collaboration for the first major music event with no restrictions on movement or physical distancing — but with FFP2 masks required — since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic: Festival Cruïlla, which will take place in Barcelona from 8–10 July 2021 and will welcome 25,000 attendees. Our solutions help to manage the strict health and safety protocol implemented, which includes antigen testing every day of the festival and 100% cashless payments to minimise contact and offer festivalgoers an unbeatable experience. Here’s how it works!
Summary
- An innovative solution: cashless payment & antigen testing in one
- Before the festival: managing antigen testing and cashless top-ups
- The day of the festival: antigen testing, delivering cashless wristbands, and access control
- During the festival: a 100% cashless operation
- After the festival: refunding the remaining balance
1. An innovative solution: cashless payment & antigen testing in one
Given the specific needs of Festival Cruïlla for this very special edition, our technical team has developed an innovative and unique solution for a flawless process: an ‘all-in-one’ module for cashless payment and bookings and payment of the antigen tests which attendees will have to take each day they attend the festival.
This module is a widget integrated into the festival website, meaning it can be accessed from any device, whether mobile or computer, and will manage up to 25,000 antigen test bookings and payment for all of them in the space of a few days. The widget is also used for managing cashless payment top-ups before and during the festival. These will be carried out 100% online, completely eliminating cash transactions at the venue.
2. Before the festival: managing antigen testing and cashless top-ups
All festivalgoers aged 7 and above have to take a daily antigen test and obtain a negative result in order to access the festival. To make this process as smooth and convenient as possible, attendees must book their daily test via their cashless payment account, paying the price of the test upfront (with a decreasing unit price depending on the number of days of attendance at the festival). Attendees will also be able to add money to their cashless account at this point. Here’s the process step by step:
1. Access the Festival Cruïlla website, where the widget is integrated as a white box, reflecting the company colours and image of the festival.
2. Create a cashless account, using Weezevent technology and without leaving the festival website, by entering an email address and password.
3. Fill in your personal details.
4. Enter the ticket barcode to associate it with the cashless account.
5. The cashless account can be topped up at this point with one of the selectable amounts in just one click, or by entering the desired amount manually. It is also possible to skip this step and leave the account top-up for later.
6. Enter the details of the card that will be used to make the payment. It’s possible (and recommended) to save the data entered in order to speed up the process for future top-ups.
7. Book a time slot for the antigen test(s), one per day of attendance at the festival. When you select the time, it will be automatically allocated and the access gate will be indicated.
8. If attending with children aged up to 15, you will be able to create a family account. If the children are aged between 7 and 15, their antigen tests can also be managed from a single space. All attendees, regardless of age, must have an account created.
The development of this ‘all-in-one’ module by our technical team has also involved flexibility and adaptation in order to reflect key details, such as:
- Managing the different prices of tests depending on whether the individual holds a season ticket or a day ticket, as well as free testing for certain types of tickets.
- The option for an adult to include a child in the same account in order to book antigen tests for both. In this case they will be directed to the ‘family zone’ for testing.
- Automatically assigning a zone according to the time selected for the test and the number of places remaining in each zone at that time.
3. The day of the festival: antigen testing, delivering cashless wristbands, and access control
On the day of the festival, or each day if attending on several days, attendees must go to the CCIB (next to the Parc del Fòrum) at the time booked in order to undergo the corresponding antigen test. Attendees will only be able to access the festival if their antigen test result is negative. Here are the specific details:
- Identification and delivery of the wristband: Before the test is carried out, the attendee’s ticket is scanned and the personal details that appear on the screen (the cashless account details) are checked to ensure that they match. If they do, the ticket is linked to a wristband, although this will not yet be valid for accessing the festival (this requires the test result).
- Carrying out the antigen test: If step 1 is successfully completed, Aina Group will carry out the test and approve the result, which will be sent to Weezevent via API.
- Updating the results received and activating access rights: Once the test result has been received, again using Weezevent technology, the attendee’s online account will be updated to include the result (positive or negative) and they will receive an email with this information. If the result is negative, the attendee’s access rights will be activated, allowing them to enter the festival.
- Access control: The wristband represents both a ticket and proof of being free of COVID-19. Access control is carried out together with another identity check, verifying the attendee’s ID once again.
- Enjoy: The attendee can now enjoy the festival and, if they’ve topped up their cashless account before entering, can go straight to get their first drink without delay.
4. During the festival: a 100% cashless operation
Once at the festival, payment management within the venue is 100% cashless: attendees can only pay for their drinks, merchandising, and so on with their wristbands. Here’s how it works:
- Cashless payment is the only form of payment accepted at the festival site and cashless account top-ups are carried out 100% online through the personal account already created for the booking and payment of the antigen test, although there will be some terminals available on site for top-ups if needed.
- Attendees can top up their cashless account at the same time as paying for their antigen test, which guarantees the adoption of cashless payment by some attendees, as they will all have created an account for the test and therefore will have understood the payment system implemented at the festival — having created an account, half the work is already done.
- If the payment details were saved when the attendee created the account and paid for the antigen test, the online top-up process is even easier and faster.
- Paying for drinks at the festival is very convenient: just hold the wristband up to the waiter’s payment terminal. The balance will be automatically updated and, if it runs out, you can simply top up your account online. It’s a fast and queue-free process.
5. After the festival: refunding the remaining balance
After the festival, attendees’ cashless accounts will be reimbursed for any unspent credit. This process is carried out automatically, without the attendee needing to make a request. This is not only convenient, but also invites attendees to top up their cashless account without any concerns, and without having to worry about topping up exactly the amount they’ll spend, which also encourages consumption.
Are you organising a festival? Get in touch with our team to find out how the cashless payment system (and much more!) can be adapted to your needs, particularly in the current context.