Server Cabinets for Music Festivals
It’s early September 2021, the end of the summer and many have had a chance to revisit and enjoy some festival fun in post-COVID Britain. For many, going to a festival is the epitome of summer fun and festivals can be an experience that provides a total escape from the day to day reality of life to enjoy music and the company of friends in an alternative setting. While festival-goers enjoy a deliberately ‘carefree;’ experience the production of festivals themselves has a serious side. The implementation and execution of festivals of all types are big business, contributing US$20 billion globally in jobs and music tourism.
Festivals are sophisticated and complex and consequently, the use of IT in festivals has become ubiquitous as the demand for data transfer and access is expected to rise annually. As with sport, server cabinets in portable and moveable travel cases have become standard travelling kits for musicians and festival organisers. Companies like Maxi-Cool who are experienced and flexible enough to make bespoke server cabinets for music festivals are also necessary for the delivery of a festival experience to the festival-going public.
IT is an essential management tool for festival organisers from online ticketing, setting up, managing the gate and the crowds, to supporting musicians and vendors and then clearing up at the end. Wearable devices like the Disney Magic band has become a standard device used for ticketing and gate control. This radio frequency identification (RFID) allows festival-goers to check in quickly, provides a payment method and allows individuals to make connections with others they meet at the festival. It also provides an accurate count of the attendees. Tech provides location services and apps that allow for site navigation and the schedule of gigs. Some festival apps have bots that can respond to FAQs. Camping sites can be created in a ‘smart’ way to allow for an elevated experience. Integrated systems collect data to understand the user experience and to support improvements in services. Beyond the management of the crowd, the deployment of complex IT systems is essential to the management of the stages for the artists and provides the capacity for the festival to reach beyond itself in the form of live streaming and general broadcast format.
Event Cooling Solutions
Artists employ technology in the set-up and performance on stage. Sound systems depend on the links between the instruments and the stage and the relay and mixing of the sound depends on the equipment to achieve the optimum sound quality beyond the studio. The acts are often supported by light shows and these too require both hardware and software. The use of interactive media by artists is provided by sophisticated software and the use of social media and data capture to merchandise and promote artists are commonplace. Where listening to music is ‘music by experience’ then the successful use of technology is an essential part of this.
Technology has also become an essential part of the way individuals enjoy their personal festival experience. This is enabled by the popularity and the accessibility of the social media platforms where uploading images, videos and geotagging to identify your participation in the event is commonplace. And enabled by the battery charging stations and 5G masts like the ones erected temporarily for the Glastonbury festival in 2019. Touchable and wearable tech enhance the user experience and so provide a personal archive of a summer holiday experience enjoyed with others.
Computer hardware, therefore, needs to be portable and accessible for festival organizers, artists and attendees and contained for safety and high function. Servers in high specification, portable server cabinets or ‘flight cases’ with precision cooling are not only convenient but essential to the successful provision of the festival infrastructure. With the technology in position, the festival is set up for creating an optimal experience for everyone involved. Festivals often seem like a simple ‘band in a field’ experience but in reality, festivals are very complex events, built by a complex web of technology and executed with precision for the optimum festival experience.
