The Australia’s largest German festival continues to share and promote the beauty of cultural diversity here in Brisbane. This year, Oktoberfest Brisbane 2016 celebrates the 500-year anniversary of The Bavarian Purity Law at the Brisbane Showground on 7th -9th and 14th -16th of October.
New payment method for this year’s festival
This year, Oktoberfest Brisbane announced the introduction of cashless technology for the festival. Customers would be paying their beers and wines with digital wallet. When customers enter the festival at the entrance, a smart wristband would be delivered that customers can top up their digital wallet with their back card or cash.
“I believe the intention of the digital wallet is to avoid long queue time for customers, since people don’t just come here for a cup of beer, they come here to have a good time.” Said Ashvin Farro, contract bartender of the festival.
“For festival like last year, customers had to find their coupons or reach into deep pockets to get their coins. The digital wallet just makes it overall more easy and efficient for us and customers at the bar, you just tap, and you are good to go.” He added.
The digital wallet of Oktoberfest Brisbane 2016.
Queue time for beers in the festival is not as intense as last year.
Osman Garelnabi, two times visitor of the festival finds the festival more enjoyable with less queue time.
“It helps with the queue time definitely, last year when I come here, me and my friends would have to queue for like 10 minutes just for a beer. But this year with this wristband, I might have to queue a bit at the top up station but then I can go straight to get my beer easily, with no lines at the bar.” He said.
“Another thing that I appreciate the new payment method is the fact that it makes us visitors less stressful about our pockets. I come to the festival to drink, it will be much better for me to avoid any “interaction” with my wallets, because that means I will be less likely to loose my wallet!” He added.
Food and vending machine in the festival remain cash only
Although new payment method is introduced in this year’s Oktoberfest Brisbane, food and vending machines in the festival are still cash only.
Johnson Shum, visitor of the festival believes that the digital wallet should be applicable for the food shops in the future festivals.
“I think digital wallet should be applicable for food shops in the festival as well, I have been queued up for a hot dog for around 10 minutes already. I didn’t even need to queue to grab a beer from there(bar).” He said.
Carol Kamahoro, contracted kitchen hand in the festival believes that using digital wallet for food shops in the festival will not make a big difference for customer’s queuing time.
“Unlike beers, making food for sure takes a longer time than serving a cup of beer to customers, it takes time to get the food prepared for customers, using digital wallet wont make a big difference in my opinion.” She said.