Oktoberfests 2024: Tradition, joy, and technology united surpass the audience of 2023
The success of the events is also linked to innovations in management, such as cashless systems, product licensing, and a platform integrated with real-time operational data
The Oktoberfest, a celebration of German culture, has won the hearts of Brazilians, and this year it brought not only its traditions but also a lot of technology. Four cities – Blumenau/SC, Chapecó/SC, Itapiranga/SC, and Santa Cruz do Sul/RS – stand out for the innovations brought to visitors in 2024. As the importance and scale of the festival increase, so does the need to innovate in management and the services offered to the public.
The Oktoberfests offered unparalleled experiences, filled with dance, music, traditional German cuisine, and of course, plenty of beer. In Itapiranga, there were approximately 20,000 visitors. In Blumenau, the Oktoberfest, considered the largest German festival in the Americas and the second largest in the world – behind only the original Oktoberfest in Munich – attracted over 570,000 visitors. The audience increased compared to last year when 454,000 people visited Vila Germânica, according to the event organizers.
Technology is an indispensable ally in ensuring that the visitor experience is fluid and safe. To guarantee a truly exceptional experience at each of the Oktoberfests, provide convenient experiences for visitors, and ensure operational efficiency, ElevenTickets Imply®, a company specialized in technological solutions for events and attractions, was at the disposal of managers and visitors. The ElevenTickets Imply® technology and services platform was customized to elevate each Oktoberfest to a new level, providing integrated ticket purchasing technologies across various channels, access control with facial recognition, a cashless payment platform for food and beverage consumption, support teams with over 800 professionals, complete management tools with real-time monitoring, in addition to product licensing services.
One of the highlights this year was the cashless payment system, which makes transactions for food and beverages more agile and efficient. This resulted in reduced queues and ease in financial management. Moreover, real-time management was fundamental to the success of the operations, allowing constant monitoring of the numbers. “Imply® provides us with a set of essential solutions for our event, including ticket sales, access control, cashless payments, and dedicated operation teams. The practicality of the management tools is a differentiator, allowing access to strategic information in real-time for management,” celebrates Ricardo Bartz, President of Assemp, the entity responsible for the Oktoberfest in Santa Cruz do Sul.
Access control was also enhanced, with the innovative facial recognition system at the Oktoberfest in Blumenau, along with ultra-rapid validation to provide a more efficient entry experience at the events. “We combine technology and services to optimize the management of organizers and provide the best experiences for visitors. Our focus is to offer agility, ease, and security for everyone attending the events, as well as ease in management. For all these reasons, we are the choice for major events, premium attractions, as well as the largest stadiums and football clubs in Brazil,” emphasized Imply’s CEO, Tironi Paz Ortiz.
This year, for the Oktoberfest in Blumenau and Santa Cruz, there was also the licensing of brands for the companies Imply and Ispartner. This alliance, combined with the innovative vision and unique expertise of each company, further contributed to the success of the festivals, providing unique experiences to visitors and new opportunities for the events’ business ecosystem. Under the new brand licensing contracts, the Oktoberfest Blumenau and Santa Cruz now have official products, such as mugs, hats, and other souvenirs, produced and marketed with a new standard of quality and creativity.
With an exponential increase of over 100,000 people compared to the previous year, the Oktoberfest in Blumenau celebrates the results and reinforces the importance of the partnership with Imply®, as highlighted by Guilherme Guenther, General Director of the festival: “Imply® delivered another excellent operation, with ticket sales, access control with facial recognition, cashless payments, and dedicated operation teams. This year, we had major innovations such as facial recognition and the sale of licensed products. The Imply® team has played an important role in the results achieved”.