Norfolk & Norwich Festival's story of success using Epos Now to go cashless
Running the festival under restrictions with Epos Now Order and Pay
Brenda Seymour, Norfolk & Norwich Festival General Manager, set the scene of the challenges that the festival was facing before our partnership:
“In 2020, our festival was cancelled due to Covid-19. But a year later, in 2021, we launched on the first day of the government’s ‘road map out of Covid’, so we were limited in what we could do, and needed to be able work around restrictions quickly.”
The festival and events industry was hit badly by the outbreak of Coronavirus in 2020. The UK government placed restrictions to help manage the outbreak, which left organisations like the Norfolk & Norwich Festival with limited time and resources to respond and still offer an enjoyable experience to guests the following year.
“We had to limit audiences and keep groups to six. 2021 was our first festival for two years, and it required us to drastically replan how we interacted with festival audiences and, in particular, those that were visiting our bar in Chapelfield Gardens.”
Thankfully, N&N Festival managed to quickly adapt by utilising the integrations available across all Epos Now devices in our app store.
By using Epos Now Order and Pay, guests could scan barcodes at their table to send their orders to the bar. Tables of up to six people could order their drinks quickly, without approaching the bar and risking the spread of Covid-19 - keeping everyone safe by going contactless.
Going cashless with Epos Now Payments
It was smooth sailing using the Order and Pay system, and the festival was a great success across Norwich in 2021. But the focus on safety altered both customers and businesses on a more fundamental level. Cash was out, and the popularity of card payments skyrocketed.
“We operated a completely cashless system in 2021, which was a first for us. The majority of income coming through the bar had previously been in cash, and having the new system provided by Epos Now enabled us to move to a cashless system.”
How did this work in practice? Norfolk & Norwich Festival used Epos Now Payments at their events: simplifying the payment process, reducing the workload for the team, and increasing security. This meant they could continue to adapt to their customers’ new spending habits.
“Prior to the pandemic, we could potentially be handling thousands of pounds worth of cash every day which required counting and banking. Going cashless completely wiped out the management and potential risks of handling such high volumes of money so that has really helped us.”
Even the biggest festivals are seeing reduced cash transactions in 2023, and moving to card payments. So we’re glad that Epos Now Payments is continuing to support Norfolk & Norwich Festival in their mission to go completely cashless, with modern point of sale systems designed for speedy sales.
Technical support to ensure a smooth experience for customers and staff
The nature of festivals involves a lot of hard work and build-up over many months. Ensuring you’re fully prepared is essential, and avoiding any problems and pitfalls during the event is every bit as vital. Epos Now’s close relationship with Norfolk & Norwich Festival gave the team someone to call when they were in need.
“The system is great; it’s really quick", a happy Brenda told our team. While the tills are only needed for part of the year, the technical knowledge, the support, and the service make this partnership a dedicated, year-long drive towards a wonderful fortnight of fabulous festivity.
Providing the technology to take festivals further
Norfolk & Norwich Festival may have a legacy spanning several remarkable centuries, but we are three years into what both hope will be a long and fruitful relationship.
Our local staff enjoyed the festival too, with a member of our marketing team saying: "I've had friends perform and help with the festival. I attended it this year and saw some brilliant performances. On a beautiful summer day, getting my drink quickly and easily, paying smoothly, lets me focus on the experience without distractions. It's great seeing it from both sides and knowing we're contributing in such a real way to an unmissable summer experience."
Interested in learning more about how Epos Now can support your business growth? Contact our Sales team below for more information on any of the discussed products, services and more.
