The Close app offers a sustainable solution during events

Five years ago, Close invented a mobile communication platform with which information can be shared quickly and easily with visitors immediately after purchasing a ticket, but also during and after events. The tool is now being used for crowd control, additional revenue, first party data, and large organisers and ticketers are queuing up to allow existing platforms to work with Close's software.

Inspired by the way KLM stays in touch with its customers before, during and after their flight via its own app, Kiliaan Toorenaar started the Close app five years ago. His idea: involving visitors much more in the entire experience of a concert or event on several occasions. “The possibility of keeping visitors more actively informed about an event and concert has proven to be relevant. The organiser knows much better who his visitors are, because the main booker invites his fellow concert or festival visitors to also download the app and thus form a group together,” says Toorenaar. “The purchase of a concert or festival ticket is often the end of a transaction, not the beginning of a relationship between an organisation and a visitor.” Just before a concert, visitors receive all practical information about acts, starting times, parking options, merchandise and messages during the concert. Afterwards, visitors to festivals can immediately be tempted to buy early bird tickets for a subsequent edition. Toorenaar: “Just after an event or concert, people are often still full of the music or experience they have undergone. Then it is an ideal time to offer tickets for a new edition of an annual event.”

A modern communication channel

The Close app was used at all Fieldlab events, and the company can count Chasing The Hihat, Stage Entertainment and Disney among its customers. Other parties are also showing interest. “Many ticketers and organisers have their own app. Yet they want to work with us, but only within their own app. They are good at sharing information about acts and the well-known block schedules, but often less good at communicating to all visitors.

“We are making our Close SDK available, linking our capabilities and functionalities to those of many existing apps”

We make our Close SDK (software development kit) available and connect our possibilities and functionalities to those of many existing apps. Our software supports all interactive forms of content and messages. In this way, organisations have access to a modern communication channel in one go, and collect a lot of relevant data about their target group. After which, they can then approach it in a hyper-personalised way.”

Crowd management with the Close app

Crowd management has been a point of attention at large-scale events for years. Crowd management was logically important for the organisation of the Fieldlab events. Close was chosen by the organisation as the communication app of all Fieldlab trial events. As a result, it facilitated, among other things, all automated reporting with visitors. This has provided the Fieldlab Events with a wealth of information and learnings.

Kiliaan Toorenaar

“The app also offers numerous options for this. Instead of people with blue or yellow vests and signs, you can direct groups to the right entrance with the right colour through an app message. You can also start working with time slots to get even more control over the flow of people.” The same applies to concert cancellations. “Never fun, but you also don't want people to come to a room or location for nothing. If you send the right message at the right time, we know that 41% read it within 10 minutes, and 87% read it within four hours. But the app can also prevent any disorder during an event. Suppose there is a sudden change in the weather. For example, you can use the app to warn people immediately of an imminent hailstorm, to prevent panic.”

The sustainable nature of Close

Every event organiser and festival is working on it: sustainability. How can concerts, large-scale gatherings and events have less impact on the environment? Toorenaar: “A lot has been achieved in this area in recent years. Think of less or no more use of plastic. Replacing diesel generators with solar collectors. Offering vegetarian food in addition to traditional food. But the biggest culprit is mobility. If tens of thousands of car journeys take place because people go from A to B, this will result in enormous emissions. So you want to tempt people to go by train.”

As mentioned, the app users are known to festival and concert organisers. The data collected plays an all-determining role in this. “You may not get hardened motorists out of their car that quickly, especially as long as no alternative is offered. The challenge therefore largely lies with the organiser to entice visitors with a great offer,” says Toorenaar. “Or maybe a campaign can be set up with providers of shared scooters or e-bikes. This way you will win over any doubters. As an organiser, you have to work with the Dutch Railways and other companies involved in 'green transport'. Close thus offers circular solutions in the mobility behaviour of visitors to events.”