Who enjoys being stuck in a queue or in uncomfortably crowded places?
Creative technology is helping to cut the queues and manage people flow.
People flow analysis can be applied to big and small spaces with two main benefits:
- Live monitoring and collection of data of user flow, flow trends and usage patterns
- Engagement / communication with customers via useful messaging
Train operators have used sensor technology for many years effectively to map how many people enter and leave a train. These systems help improve the quality of train services by aggregating and analysing passenger movement and site data from trains and stations. This information also helps pricing teams to manage ticket prices to reduce crowding on trains and stations during rush hours.
We are seeing the rise of similar technology being used at music festivals and exhibitions to help make these places more comfortable, convenient and safe.
Festivals can use live monitoring to measure the movement of people around the festival site. Adopters of this creative technology are focusing on where people congregate to identify potential security issues. High traffic areas such a bars are also monitored in real-time. If that bar is more than two rows deep, a message can be sent to a digital device or e-paper lanyard to inform festival-goers that another bar is less busy.
Exhibitions are also using this technology to analyse the amount of time people spend looking at stands to identify areas of high interest, using the data to redesign exhibitions the following year and using digital directional signage or PCB embedded lanyards with digital screens to inform attendees when an area is busy.
Holiday parks struggle to communicate with families after they check-in as they go off and explore the surrounding areas. We’ve been thinking about how similar technology can benefit people staying at a holiday park:
- Daily tips – what to do dependent on weather conditions, popularity and availability, and deals through partnerships with local businesses
- Live notifications – customised messages to advise or direct people to locations based on live information i.e. now open, busy periods or closures
- Activities – designed trails to encourage exploration or quizzes to unlock prizes for guests
- Payments – contactless, adding items to final bill and implementing spend limits
- Tracking – locating family and friends, get alerts if children go out of range or enter zones with age restrictions
- Access – opening doors to enter certain areas based on restrictions i.e. areas that require additional fee or have age restrictions
Need help with managing people flow and engaging with your visitors? Get in touch!
