Music Festival On-Site Accreditation Process.

Accurate accreditation for back stage and hospitability zones of music festivals is vital for security and safety reasons. Historically the accreditation process has often been subject to abuse but technology is helping to rectify this. What can festival organisers do to ensure that their on-site accreditation processes operate smoothly with no errors.

A well run accreditation checking process at key entrance gates is important for the safety of performance artists and their crew as well as preventing undesirable individuals entry into restricted areas that contain valuable equipment. In the past it was not uncommon for artists to be refused entry to back stage areas because of inaccurate recording of passes. Equally criminals have gained entry with fake passes where they have been able to steal equipment and instruments.

Planning. 
Organisers should include accreditation in their planning process with clearly defined responsibilities for collection and maintenance of names. Using dedicated accreditation software can make the planning more efficient and accurate. Organisers can allocate the number of passes for artists, crew and contractors and insist on names being associated to each and every pass. These names are logged on a system that can be changed when required. It is essential to ensure that all names are collected well in advance of the live dates so that every approved name is issued a QR Code pass that must be presented at entrance gates.

On-site Systems. 
The team responsible for operating any on-site accreditation process should be fully trained on how to operate and check scanners used. Scanners can be connected in real-time to an accreditation system so that QR Codes scanned will match those on the database. In addition, it may prudent to keep a hard copy of those issued with back stage passes, however, a good system with scanners should make the need for hard copies redundant. For any disputes at entrance gates staff should have a clear escalation procedure in place so that the team responsible for managing artists or contractors can make the necessary checks. A dynamic system also allows for late additions where artist line-ups or crews change at the last minute.

Verification Checks. 
It is not uncommon for artists and crew to forget their QR Coded pass which means gate staff will need to verify their identity against names on any accreditation system. Staff may want to insist on some form of personal identification (drivers licence, passport, credit card etc) to check the name against those on the accreditation system. If their identity checks out staff should have to ability to manually check-in somebody or issue them with a new QR Coded pass printed in situ.

Advances in technology have meant that entry to restricted zones on music festival sites can be managed more efficiently with greater accuracy. This should give peace of mind to organisers, artists and crew that they are operating in a more secure environment.

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics including dedicated accreditation processes. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Photo by PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay

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