89% self-service at Ekka Brisbane
The Royal Queensland Show (“Ekka”) deployed self-service kiosks and in-app top-ups to transform how 400,000+ daily visitors purchased Fun Pass credits — reducing queues, freeing staff, and lifting average spend.
The Fun Pass Kiosk
Wall-mounted touchscreen kiosks placed throughout the showground let visitors tap their wristband, top up credits, and check balances in under 15 seconds — no staff required.
Combined with the Ekka mobile app, visitors had two frictionless self-service channels available at all times, day or night.
Queues that killed the vibe
Ekka is one of Australia's largest annual events, attracting over 400,000 visitors across 10 days in Brisbane. With a closed-loop Fun Pass credit system powering rides, games, and food, the top-up experience was the single biggest bottleneck.
Long queues at staffed top-up counters created frustration, especially during peak periods. Families lost time waiting instead of enjoying the show. Staff were tied to repetitive transactions instead of helping visitors.
Two self-service channels, one seamless wallet
Tap, top up, go
30+ wall-mounted kiosks deployed at high-traffic entry points, food courts, and ride precincts. Visitors tapped their wristband, selected a credit amount, paid by card or Apple Pay, and walked away in seconds. No app download required, no staff interaction needed.
Top up from anywhere
The Ekka mobile app let visitors buy and manage Fun Pass credits before and during the event. Apple Pay and card top-ups settled instantly to the wristband. Parents could manage family wallets, set spending limits, and track balances in real time.
Tap to pay at any kiosk
Stripe-powered card readers mounted alongside each kiosk gave visitors a second way to top up — tap a contactless card, phone, or watch and credits land on the wristband instantly. No app download, no cash queue, no friction. For operators, Stripe Terminal delivered PCI-compliant payment acceptance with real-time settlement visibility and automatic reconciliation — removing an entire layer of payment operations.
MappedIn-powered navigation
Ekka integrated MappedIn's 3D indoor mapping into the visitor app, giving 400,000+ daily visitors turn-by-turn directions to rides, food vendors, animal pavilions, and amenities. Combined with Ludo's real-time analytics, organisers could see where crowds clustered and push notifications to redistribute foot traffic.
89% of top-up revenue through self-service
With kiosks and in-app purchases handling the vast majority of transactions, staffed counters shifted from transaction processing to guest assistance. Queue times dropped dramatically. Average visitor spend increased by 40% compared to the previous cash-heavy model — visitors topped up more frequently in smaller amounts instead of making a single purchase decision.
Proven at scale
Ready to go self-service?
Whether you run a showground, a festival, or a theme park — we'd love to show you how kiosks and in-app top-ups can transform your event.