Running an event without a solid guest identification system is a recipe for disaster.
Hosting a music festival, corporate conference or private party? Knowing who should be in your venue and who shouldn’t is essential. Because if you don’t….problems quickly ensue:
The good news? Verifying guest IDs isn’t difficult. It begins with selecting the proper tools and creating an easy-to-follow system for your employees.
Here’s what every event planner needs to know…
The event industry is exploding right now. But with growth comes new problems.
Latest industry reports reveal that 53.1% of event organizers experienced higher attendance in 2025. That means more bodies trying to fit through the same entrances. More attendance at your event equals more potential for entry failures.
And it gets worse…
Ticket fraud is on the rise. Data indicates that nearly 5 million people attend live events annually with counterfeit tickets. That’s a huge number of hopeful gate crashers showing up with useless pieces of paper thinking they paid for admission.
This is where waterproof paper wristbands come in.
They provide event organizers with an easy visual reference to determine who has paid and who hasn’t. Upon arrival and gate check in, guests receive a wristband. No wristband = no entry. Easy Peasy.
Waterproof paper wristbands (also known as printed Tyvek wristbands) are the preferred wristband selection of most event coordinators because they:
That last bit is important though. If you’re hosting an event with hundreds, if not thousands of attendees, affordable and reliable is always going to be your best bet.
Event planners repeat the same mistakes time and time again. Here are the top ones to avoid:
Paper tickets are very easy to counterfeit. One person scans a ticket, prints 100 at home. Now you have counterfeit tickets at the gate.
Tickets aren’t worthless. That means you should use them with a tangible ID like a wristband.
If all guests receive the same wristband, employees will be unable to distinguish VIP guests from general admission guests. Employees will be unable to distinguish fellow employees from guests. Employees will be unable to distinguish 21+ guests from under-21 guests.
Colour coding eliminates that problem in seconds. Gate staff can glance at a crowd and easily see who should be where.
Some wristbands fall right off. Others snap with gentle pressure. That’s a big problem.
A wristband should be worn once and stay on until the event has concluded. If they can be transferred by visitors to friends waiting outside easily, your entire operation is compromised.
Operating a three day festival with a one day wristband is begging for disaster. Have different wristbands for each day – or a design that incorporates which days are valid.
Different events don’t always require the same wristband solution. Learn how to choose below.
This is the workhorse of the event industry. Waterproof paper wristbands are:
Perfect for concerts, festivals, sporting events or any outdoor function where mother nature might intervene. If you just need an everyday that will do the job, choose this one.
Vinyl wristbands are bulkier and sturdier. Vinyl wristbands are ideal for multi-day events where you want your guests to wear their wristband for an extended amount of time.
But they cost more. And for a one-day event, they’re often overkill.
Nice looking and comfortable to wear. However they are costly and can easily be removed with minimal force. Useful for promotional giveaways but not actual guest identification.
Top tier. RFID wristbands allow organisers to monitor guests, accept cashless payments and restrict access to designated areas.
They are also expensive though. Unless you’re running a big festival or need extra security, waterproof paper wristbands will work just fine.
Not sure what to pick? Here’s a simple breakdown by event size:
Small events (under 100 guests):
Simple white paper wristbands available in one or two colours. Quick, affordable, and great for low volumes.
Medium events (100-1,000 guests):
Event branded custom printed wristbands. Use colour coding for VIP areas, staff and general admission so gate attendants can easily identify ticket categories.
Large events (1,000+ guests):
Complete wristband system with numbered wristbands built-in security features, multiple tiers of access etc. You may also want to implement barcode scanning at the gates.
Multi-day festivals:
Coloured wristbands unique to each day. Or tamper proof wristbands that cannot be re-applied once they have been taken off.
Matching the system to the real need is important. Do not overspend on RFID for your birthday party. However, do not skimp when it comes to identifying 5,000 people at a festival.
Here are a few more things that separate great events from chaotic ones:
Cool right? These small tweaks make a massive difference on event day.
Badge scanning isn’t the most exciting part of event planning. But it’s critical.
Without a solid system, event planners deal with:
Waterproof paper wristbands are the answer to almost all these issues and for a fraction of the price! They’re inexpensive, work extremely well, and are popular with event coordinators globally for a reason.
Choose an appropriate wristband style for the scale of the event. Colour code them correctly. Educate wristband checking staff on recognizing counterfeit wristbands. Here are the basics of an effective guest ID system.
If you nail registration, everything else flows easily at your event. Mess it up and your team will spend your event fighting fires at check-in.