SXSW revamps the guest pass experience using mobile wallet

25

%

increase in total credentials distributed

54

%

decrease in overall credential costs vs. physical-only guest passes

South by Southwest (SXSW) offers a unique convergence of music, film, and technology at its annual conferences and festivals in Austin, Texas.

Overview

Every year, thousands of music lovers and networking professionals convene in Austin for an action-packed week with over 6,000 events — and SXSW always ups the ante by integrating innovative technology into the attendee experience. In its third year of the guest pass program, the festival catered to the mobile nature of its audience by introducing a digital alternative to the wristband.

Challenge

Using Airship Mobile Wallet, the SXSW team was able to bypass the costly, time-consuming process of obtaining and distributing physical passes while giving attendees the convenience of mobile entry.

Previously, guests had to obtain credentials via the SXSW website and then pick up their guest wristbands at a physical location in Austin before attending any free shows or events.

This required the SXSW team to coordinate with outside vendors and retailers around Austin, print and deliver the wristbands, and troubleshoot issues with missing bands on-site — all within days of the event. With Airship Mobile Wallet, SXSW was able to lower costs and increase mobile engagement while supporting its focus on sustainability.

Results

By switching from physical passes to Airship Mobile Wallet, SXSW saw an increase of 25% in total credentials distributed and a 54% decrease in overall credential costs compared to the previous year.

With Airship Mobile Wallet, we’ve started to move away from the dependency on physical guest passes, leading to a smaller footprint in terms of both cost and sustainability, all while gaining more guest pass participants.

Michael Brown
Director of Emergent Technologies

Solution

Simplifying the guest pass program

Streamlining event operations

With Airship Mobile Wallet, guests simply registered for events online, downloaded the mobile pass to their phones, and were ready to go.

Unifying the digital experience

Connecting the Airship Mobile Wallet pass with the SXSW GO app united the entire digital experience, giving attendees an easy way to browse lineups, build their personal schedules, and get mobile updates about their events.

Delivering contextual experiences

With Gimbal’s location intelligence and Airship’s mobile experience capabilities integrated into the app, attendees also received guest pass event alerts and personalized recommendations based on their location and schedules.