The IoT trend is also continuing at festivals. At the international fireworks festival "Flammende Sterne" in Scharnhauser Park (Ostfildern) in mid-August, around 40,000 visitors were able to order and pay for their drinks digitally using their smartphones via the Stuttgart-based self-ordering & payment platform provider sizzly.
The organizer, MCE GmbH from Leinfelden-Echterdingen, used 18 tablets at ten bars and food trucks to transmit the digital orders. These were equipped with M2M SIM cards from Hamburg-based WhereverSIM GmbH . non-steered roaming ensures stable connections "Our M2M SIM cards ensured stable data connections throughout the festival," says WhereverSIM Managing Director Tim Müller. The SIM cards from WhereverSIM enable non-steered roaming and thus achieve network independence. This means that they do not prefer any mobile network, but always connect each device to the strongest network at the respective location. In Germany, this is possible via all three existing mobile networks, and the networks of neighboring countries are also available near the border. Mobile coverage bottlenecks can occur, especially at events with many visitors. Individual networks or their radio base stations are overloaded by many users, and spatial conditions also affect reception.
non-steered roaming gives the device a free choice of network. Connection security can also be guaranteed for events taking place in rural regions. Event organizers do not have to operate mobile hotspots to enable smooth data traffic for the transmission of orders. "During the pilot project, a tablet with a SIM card from a single network operator was used for comparison. During the festival, there were problems with data transmission with this card," said Raphael Büdel, Managing Director of sizzly, confirming the successful use of the M2M SIM cards from WhereverSIM GmbH. Digitalization helps restaurateurs and event organizers with staff shortages Benefits for restaurateurs and event organizers: With sizzly's solution, they can successfully counteract the current staff shortage, easily optimize existing ordering and payment processes and thus sustainably increase their sales. sizzly provides a full-service package consisting of a branded ordering front end (web app) in the customer's CI, the hardware required for issuing orders, including SIM card and M2M mobile connection, as well as staff training. On request, the existing cash register or merchandise management system can be integrated so that incoming orders are always recorded correctly. This allows event organizers to offer their guests a digital ordering and payment option without waiting times in addition to cash and card payments. In addition to festivals, other areas of application include sporting events, trade fairs and company caterers throughout Germany.
Carina Speidel, Managing Director of MCE, said: "The response from the guests was very good. They saw that digital orderers didn't have to stand in line, but could simply walk past the queue. For the staff at the booths, digital ordering via tablet made their work easier." As a result, there were a four-digit number of orders with a five-digit turnover without having to deploy additional staff.
With its Mobile Ordering & Payment Platform, sizzly GmbH enables digital ordering and payment processes via smartphone for the hospitality, event and catering industries. Guests at restaurants and events, for example, can use their smartphone to view and order the food and drinks on offer and pay for them digitally. The orders generated in this way are transferred to the restaurateur's respective POS and merchandise management systems - without any manual intermediate steps. In this way, sizzly reduces unnecessary waiting times, relieves the burden on existing staff and ensures a sustainable increase in sales. The Stuttgart-based company was founded in 2021 and the platform of the same name has been online for around a year. Further information is available at: https://sizzly.de
