The company works closely with the concert, festival and sporting industries and can name some of Europe’s biggest stadiums amongst its customers.

Innovation is part of the company’s success and is always working on new technology.

ID&D keeps pace with technology and innovation

Every three years or so, the company launches something new and, in that way, they keep one step ahead of the fraudsters.

This year, ID&C have invested in a new machine that can put a photo-fit on a wristband, along with other information such as seat number, row number, date of birth and 1-D or 2-D bar-coding. This innovative printing technology is available on ID&C’s full range of vinyl wristbands. This type of wristband is referred to as a variable data or personalised photo-fit wristband.

Wristbands can now be individually tailored to the wearer by adding individual photographs and any number of variable data components.

Wristbands are now as secure as tickets.

The information to be printed on the wristband can be imported from a database full of different fields of information and individually printed on each wristband. This is particularly advantageous to event organisers with a large database of delegates or event goers.

Being a UK manufacturer, ID&C can deliver world beating lead times at the right price on time. The company can securely print and deliver up to 20,000 personalised data wristbands in 24 hours, giving customers greater flexibility.

Market research conducted on the new print machine technology for security wristbands revealed an opportunity to provide a wristband ticket carrying every feature a normal paper ticket would have. Maximum security could be provided to improve access and crowd control and full colour print would increase brand awareness for the venue and sponsors. The case for the project was further emphasised when ID&C identified two further benefits, a significant reduction in operating expenditure and an increased production capacity to cope with the new forecast market. The case supported expansion into Europe and placed ID&C in a unique position to service high profile security events, such as the Olympics. ID&C subsequently made a significant investment in this project and the machine was installed at ID&C’s premises in January 2010.

The challenges

1) Vinyl (pvc) wristbands vary in composition and surface tension. From a digital printing perspective this presented a problem not seen in traditional paper based printing solutions.

2) Ink was required in order to be compatible with the vinyl bands. The ink had to be kept at uniform temperature and viscosity,     especially at the point of delivery - the print heads.

3) To differentiate ourselves we had to increase the print area of the wristbands so that we could make use of all the space on the surface for printing.

The beauty of ID&C’s innovative wristband product range is that the products appeal to a wide range of target audiences.

By introducing the variable data wristbands with new in-house sophisticated printing technology, the benefits of this innovation are:

• wristbands can now be as secure as tickets because of the unlimited variable data components, barcodes and serial numbers that can now be printed on the wristband

• wristbands can now be individually tailored to the wearer by adding a number of variable data components e.g. full colour photographs, individual names, seat and row numbers, date of birth

• the ability to replace tickets with wristbands helping to prevent fraud and counterfeiting of tickets which is a particular problem at high priced concerts and events

• a means of easing crowd control and reducing entry time into venues.

This innovation is important in the age of widespread Internet ticket fraud, with authentic-looking but fake ticket websites taking customers’ money but not delivering the tickets, notably for the Beijing Olympic Games (through websites not based in China).

The company is looking ahead to the London Olympics. They worked with security teams at the Athens Olympics and are hoping that business will come their way through the London Games.

Benefits to Stadiums/Arenas

Variable data wristbands serve as highly visible, non-transferable wrist tickets that are worn by spectators to these types of venues. Whether they are used for general admission or special access (VIP area, back stage pass, press pass, luxury seats etc.) these wristbands allow staff at these venues to see if spectators are where they should be.

Patented Fabrikband® wristbands with Smartlock®

Prior to the photo-fit personalised wristbands, ID&C introduced the patented Smartlock® Fabrikband® with its “built in” anti fraud devices and self-locking mechanism. This product is a patented self-locking device for a wristband, incorporating a tamper evidence device for security, serial numbers for crowd entrance count, security holograms and bar coding.

The benefits of this innovation were:

• easing crowd control

• reducing the length of queues by providing faster access to venues

• from a health and safety point of view, reducing crowding at venue entry points

• increased profits for festivals and less fraud

• the ability to include serialisation on this type of wristband helping with policing at events.

• the capability to include Holograms, a well-established security feature used on tickets for the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and other high profile events.

One step ahead - RFID technology heralds cashless venues

Due to be launched next year is radio frequency wristbands, which open the way for cashless venues. These provide security for the wearer, as they don’t need to carry huge amounts of cash at bustling venues or events and they also provide valuable information for the venue itself, in terms of monitoring crowd movement or stock levels.

“There are a few events in the pipeline that will introduce RFID wristbands this year - probably just for access control - but 2011 should be the year of RFID and certainly cashless systems will be established within a couple of years”, contends ID&C Operations Director, Steve Daly.

The benefits of this new technology to venues will be:

• Real time statistics for capacity reporting (very important for police and local authorities who grant the licenses)

• Less people and presence to secure access control

• Real time traffic flow management at access control

• Time though the gate reduced

• Identification of customers now possible, all personal information held on their wristbands

• Reduction in resource required to run food and beverage stands

• Security contractors time and attendance can now be actually measured per person

ID&C Tel: 01892 548364

www.idcband.co.uk