Enhancing the
Carnival Experience with Wristbands
Original
Article: Most Common Uses for Carnival Wristbands
Part of
summertime fun is attending the county carnival. In the “good ol’” days, guests
got their hands stamped upon paying the entrance fee so they could have access
to the carnival grounds, and then stood in line to purchase ride tickets that
always seemed to get lost. Fortunately, these “good ol’” days have gotten
better, thanks to carnival wristbands. Carnival wristbands eliminate the
inconvenience of a smudged or disappeared hand stamp and the disappointment of
losing paper tickets. Upon entry, carnival wristbands are securely fastened to guests’ wrists to identify patrons who have paid admission and are authorized to be on the carnival grounds. Anyone not wearing a carnival wristband can easily be identified by security and other carnival personnel. Carnival wristbands are especially effective if they are custom printed with the carnival logo, a sponsor logo, a tagline, or the date. By distributing unique carnival wristbands to paid guests, sneaky counterfeiters cannot crash event wristbands the carnival. Since generic wristbands can be purchased online or at party stores, anyone can get the idea to attempt to get by security with just such a wristband. But, fakes will stand out like a sore them to security and other personnel.
To tighten security more, color coding carnival wristbands has its advantages. Different colored carnival wristbands can represent different levels of access. For example, VIP guests may receive orange carnival wristbands, allowing them access to special events, such as concerts and shows. Another suggestion is to have different colored carnival wristbands represent different event dates. As an example, blue carnival wristbands could be distributed for the first day of the fair and orange carnival wristbands for the second day. Doing so prevents attendees from reusing their wristbands in an attempt to gain access a second day, when they only paid for one day.
Most carnivals book entertainment, like concerts or rodeos, to attract more guests and increase revenue. Tickets to see an entertainer perform or watch a rodeo are extra—above and beyond the standard carnival entry fee. Uniquely colored carnival wristbands are critical for identifying concert and event goers. Want to make the carnival wristbands stand out even more? Imprint a unique design, logo, tagline, or the date. You can break people who have access to the concert areas into subgroups: VIPs, staff, volunteers, performers, and so on. Each group could either wear a uniquely colored carnival wristband or the subgroup could be imprinted on the carnival wristband, such as “VIP” or "STAFF". Making carnival wristbands for special groups unique makes it easier for staff to quickly identify authorized persons and remove anyone from the premises who isn't permitted.
What’s a carnival without rides? Carnival wristbands are a great idea for carnival goers who purchase unlimited rides or an all-day pass. Patrons can move about from ride to ride without worry of losing tickets. This is an especially great idea for those week days that typically have lower attendance. Ride operators can identify any carnival goer who has access to unlimited rides by a quick glance at their wrist, which speeds up the lines for rides. Additionally, carnival wristbands are non-transferable. Patrons cannot just slip off their carnival wristband and give it to a friend to "reuse". There's a unique tamper cuts feature at the adhesive closure that causes the carnival wristbands to shred when they are removed.
It is common for alcohol to be served at carnivals. Checking IDs is an important task for staff. One way to make this task easier on staff and to increase sales is to have staff check identification at the entrance. Upon verification of age, staff can fasten carnival wristbands that are imprinted with "Over 21" onto the wrists of patrons who are of legal drinking age. Taking care of this as soon as guests arrive, enhances their experience. Service at concession stands will be quicker because servers do not need to check IDs over and over again.
One way to cover the cost of carnival wristbands is to get sponsors to purchase advertising space right on the carnival wristband, itself! Besides imprinting a logo, sponsors can imprint coupons to drive up sales. If a local ice cream shop has a booth set up at the carnival, they could invite people to stop by, "Buy a cone, get a cone free!"
Carnival wristbands not only enhance the carnival goer’s experience in multiple ways, but also enhance the experience for carnival staff. It’s an effective tool with multiple functions.