As matrics prepare to wrap-up their final exam and celebrate the end of 12-years of school at the annual Rage Festival in Durban this December, their safety is the number one concern for their parents.
Event-technology platform Howler, the festival’s cashless partner, will issue each Rager with a Howler armband which will not only act as a virtual wallet but also as information pods.
The armband allows kids to transact purchases during the event and its new feature also captures personal information and direct contact details for parents in case of an emergency.
“Cashless is not new at these festivals, but the fact that these armbands now capture parents’ personal information, which organisers can access easily if there’s a problem, is,” says Howler CEO, Shai Evian. “We want to give mom and dad peace of mind. If something goes wrong, they will know immediately.
“We started testing the concept at Rage 2016, and after a very successful run we decided to roll it out across the entire festival — giving thousands of students a safe and seamless, 100% cashless experience.”
Through Howler’s RFID technology, Ragers will be able to experience the festivities using their Howler armbands — not only functioning as their tickets, by giving them access to the main venue, over six clubs and four hotels, but also replacing their wallets and giving them cashless access to 100 taxis and an array of other restaurants and service providers bringing new meaning to the concept of “Pay with a Tap”.
When Ragers receive their Howler armbands, their profiles are linked with their pre-purchased Rage Passports, and it is during this process that their personal identifying details are synced with their armbands.
Since its inception in 2005, Rage Festival has grown from 500 attendees to now hosting more than 30 000 students celebrating the end of an era, making it more important than ever to have a safe and secure environment for matriculants coming to blow off some steam.
