Tactile news

INKOM, Maastricht’s official introduction week, is a four-day programme in which both new and existing students get to know each other, explore the city, and build a solid foundation for their student life. 

Every summer Tilburg buzzes with energy when the Tilburg Orientation Program, better known as the TOP Week, kicks off. The official introduction week for students of Tilburg University. For one week, thousands of new students get to know the city, their fellow students, the university and the many associations.

Whether you are organizing a three-day festival, a small village celebration with a thousand visitors, a business expo, a culinary event, an introduction week for thousands of students, or a jubilee for your student association, an event app that contains all the information about your event is the key to clarity and experience.

When people think of a food festival, they often picture food trucks, beer tables, and live music. Fun, but often a bit predictable. Bite of Amsterdam takes a different approach. At this culinary event, visitors can experience fine dining in a relaxed setting. All of this takes place during a summer weekend in the green surroundings of Amstelpark.

The ultimate introduction week for new students in Groningen: every year, no fewer than 5.000 first-year students begin their studies in the vibrant city centre. This makes the KEI Week the largest introduction week in Europe, whilst this is entirely organised by students.

In the world of event management, a comparison that truly matters is rarely made: the one between tokens and closed-loop payment systems using wristbands or payment cards. Yet leading festivals and venues don’t choose these solutions by chance. What makes these methods so attractive?

Darklands is an event unlike almost any other—and therefore difficult to capture in a single term. It is a seven-day event that runs 24 hours a day, featuring three stages, an erotic party, an extensive kink expo with 56 vendors, and 65 masterclasses. At the end of February, the heart of Antwerp becomes the setting for this all-encompassing experience.

Proef Amersfoort is not a food truck event. Forget the quick bite and long queues at mobile trucks. This free culinary event is all about flavor, experience, and connection. Visitors are given the opportunity to sample dishes from thirteen renowned restaurants in the region. Think of it as a short restaurant visit, but in a vibrant, open setting where you can enjoy both a starter and an intermediate course from your favorite chefs. 

Vroeger was het duidelijk. Je kocht meteen bij binnenkomst een zwik muntjes en als ze op waren, sloot je weer aan in de vaak lange rij. Maar met de opkomst van cashless betalingen staan organisatoren vaker voor een dilemma.

Stel nou dat op alle festivals, dorps- en tentfeesten straks met een zogeheten bierpas betaald zou kunnen worden. Weg met die muntenpröttel, gewoon een soort bel- ik bedoel biertegoedkaartje waar je je druivensloempjes en gerstennatjes mee kunt afrekenen. Ik las over dat initiatief.

Met open hand langs je vrienden om muntjes vragen voor je naar de bar loopt. Of een leeg bekertje waar iedereen zijn muntjes instopt. Op menig dorpsfeest of festival is het de gewoonste zaak van de wereld. Nog wel. Langzaam maar zeker verdwijnt de fysieke munt uit het feestgedruis.

Van dorpsfeesten tot grote festivals als Lowlands. Vele organisaties willen van de vertrouwde drankmuntjes af. Dat is alleen makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan. Bovendien vraagt dat wat van de bezoekers. Feestgangers zullen er toch aan moeten geloven. 'Je hoeft niet meer in de rij te staan voor munten of een biertje.'

Geen gedoe meer met papieren tickets. Niet meer in de rij om muntjes te kopen. Broers Tim en Bas Leunissen uit Hall bedachten een armbandje met een chip, waarmee je op festivals en andere evenementen eenvoudig kunt betalen. “Je zet vooraf of ter plekke geld op de chip en kan er meteen mee betalen”, legt Tim Leunissen uit.

Wireless Logic, de wereldwijde aanbieder van IoT-connectiviteitsplatforms, levert sinds kort de Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity services achter de cashless betalingssystemen en toegangscontrole van Tactile. 

In the Netherlands, there is a unique event that breaks through the conventional boundaries of conferences and embraces the energy of a festival, all with a strong focus on sharing knowledge. This event, known as The Largest Knowledge Festival of the Netherlands, is among others the brainchild of Kornelis Wetsema, and Rudie Jansman

In the lively seaside town of Zandvoor, surrounded by sea, dunes, and a charming boulevard, a unique event comes to life: Wereldse Smaken. “A friendly, laid-back event where you can enjoy a bratwurst or pretzel with a cold beer while listening to a Bavarian orchestra. Or where your attention is drawn away from a Turkish köfte by a performance from a belly dancer"

Purple Festival is a one-day festival held annually in the summer in Tilburg. It attracts around 10.000 visitors and marks the end of the introduction week for many new students of Fontys University of Applied Sciences. The festival is co-organized by Montopinto, an event agency based in Tilburg. 

Over the past year, Aniek had the opportunity to organize her association’s Lustrum for its 2,200 active members. This Lustrum celebration consisted of activities throughout the entire year, culminating in fifteen days of festivities during the summer. As Operations Officer of the Lustrum Committee, she was responsible for the entire beverage and food provision.

In the world of payments at events, an interesting comparison is almost never made. That between closed-loop cashless systems and tokens, why do top venues choose these systems? Let's take a look at the advantages and make a comparison!

As an event organizer faced with choosing a payment system, you will likely come across the terms open loop and closed loop. But what does closed loop actually mean? And how do these systems influence the experience at your event or festival?

Through its collaboration with Tactile, the Introduction Week of the University of Amsterdam, a large-scale event with over 4,000 students, has been able to optimize event management and communication using advanced access control and cashless payments. This has not only improved operational efficiency but also significantly enhanced the visitor experience.

Event visitors are looking for genuine connection and want to fully immerse themselves in music, theatre, or culture. Technology can offer a lot of convenience in this regard. The solution lies in smart, invisible technology such as wristbands that enable digital functionality without smartphones disrupting the experience.

The best choice depends on the scale and objective of the event. Tokens are simple and familiar, while a closed-loop cashless payment system is more efficient and provides more data insights. If you want to professionalize and organize with the future in mind, closed-loop cashless is usually the smartest choice.

In a first for live music competitions, Tactile, in collaboration with the Mentos Grote Prijs van Nederland (GPNL), developed a unique voting experience that enables real-time interaction between artists and the audience.

Tactile has perfected access control and cashless solutions with a focus on transparency, reliability, technology, and sustainability. Already, 90% of Dutch universities use the Tactile system. Now, it’s time for the next step: the live industry.

In recent years we have seen a noticeable shift from traditional payment methods such as coins and cash to cashless payments at major events and festivals. Cashless payments have numerous advantages over traditional festival tokens. Below we outline six of these benefits.

From 1 July 2023, changing legislation will prohibit the use of single-use plastics in the events industry. How does this regulation work, and what can you as an organizer do about it? You can read all about it here!

“De 18-jarige Renee Oosterhout is blij dat ze een fysieke introductieweek heeft meegemaakt. Ze liep de Groningse KEI-week. Daar kon de organisatie iedereen toelaten en was er geen online programma. “Je merkte in de eerste dagen dat de organisatie van activiteiten chaotisch verliep door de coronamaatregelen 

Toch heeft de organisatie van de UIT-week de online activiteiten niet helemaal losgelaten. Aan een digitaal programma doen zo’n 1800 nieuwe studenten mee. Daarvoor is in TivoliVredenburg een speciale tv-studio uit de grond gestampt. “We hebben deze week zes livestreams, allemaal erop gericht om de student kennis te laten maken

 De Utrechtse Introductie Tijd (UIT) is van start gegaan. Het is natuurlijk anders dan anders door corona, maar er kan al een stuk meer dan de digitale versie vorig jaar en daar is iedereen heel blij mee. De organisatie verwacht de komende drie dagen zo’n 2000 UIT-lopers.

Eerstejaars studenten kunnen dankzij een app in meerdere steden toch kennismaken met het studentenleven. Door de app moeten er kleine groepen bij elkaar kunnen komen. Onder meer de organisatie van de Intreeweek van de Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) gaat de app gebruiken.

Tactile vervangt betaalmunten en toegangskaartjes door een polsbandje. Oprichter Tim Leunissen begon het bedrijf om mee te mogen met de introweek van zijn studievereniging, en zoekt nu pretparken als klant.

Nieuwe studenten die meedoen aan de Intreeweek kunnen dit jaar gebruikmaken van een app waarop het weekprogramma staat. Elke student krijgt daarnaast via zijn of haar polsbandje een persoonlijk programma te zien in de app, waarbij je bijvoorbeeld ziet in welke groep je bent ingedeeld.