Destroy The Lines: A New Era of Event Queuing
In a world where people grow more and more impatient while waiting in line, event managers often debate ways to cut down the queue times. Maybe handing out wristbands is the solution, like you see at Comic-Con International: San Diego, with the Hall H lines. Maybe you can utilize a system where people who stand in line get first priority on seating, and then the rest of the room can be filled with walk-ins. Whatever the case, we’d like to eliminate lines as we know it, so we’re proposing a few new ideas.
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There are several different solutions to being able to allow your attendees to just tap a button, or a badge, and not have to wait in line for anything. However, before we get into any of that, let’s look into Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay Resort, and how they utilize virtual queuing to meet the needs of over two million guests per year.
Universal Orlando conducted a hard opening for Volcano Bay, which is where they actively advertised the park instead of conducting a soft opening, where they would test the systems and attractions based on people who are staying at the resort and just wandering in. Due to this, they had no actual ride + capacity data, and when you have an untested queue system, matched with no data on how long it takes to load rides, it defeated the purpose of not waiting in a physical queue.
When your virtual line solution is about to be deployed at your event, make sure to do a test run, maybe with event volunteers. That data may be the difference between a well-oiled machine, and a disaster, complete with unhappy attendees.
(If you’re wondering how the wristbands at Universal turned out, they are now extremely popular. Guests are grateful that they don’t have to wait in line as long anymore, and actual, physical wait times are down to 5–10 minutes.)
Mobile App
The first is utilizing your mobile app. By partnering with a mobile event solution like cvent (maybe even Guidebook), you’ll be able to integrate virtual queuing inside of your application. By creating a custom-coded application, you’ll be able to create a system where your attendees can click a button to enter a queue for events. In return, they’ll get a time when they can come back to enter the panel room that depends on when they entered the virtual queue, to allow the people who checked in first a spot closer to the front.
NFC + RFID Solutions
If your event is utilizing NFC or RFID powered badges, use the badges as a placeholder for that person inside of a virtual queuing system. Have a Hub at a central space in your event, or have dedicated RFID receivers at the door to each event. A monitor and an RFID reader is a simple solution. When a user holds their badge up to the RFID/NFC reader, have their space logged, and when it’s time for the panel to begin, that information can be conveyed using a PA system, monitors spread around the event, or mobile push notifications. The possibilities are endless. Then, just have RFID readers at the entrance, and have people scan their badges as they walk in. It’s that simple.
Well, there you are! Like everything else, this is a framework of something greater you can build and edit and apply to your own event.
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