Queuing is one of the most universally disliked aspects of attending events. Standing in a physical line wastes time, creates frustration, and prevents attendees from spending money at bars and food stalls. For organisers, poorly managed queues create safety risks, negative reviews, and social media complaints that can damage an event's reputation.
Digital queue management systems address this by replacing or supplementing physical queues with virtual alternatives. The attendee joins a queue digitally, receives updates on their position, and is notified when it is their turn. They can wait wherever they like -- watching a performance, sitting with friends, browsing the food options -- rather than standing in a line.
How virtual queuing works
The basic principle is straightforward. The attendee joins a virtual queue, typically by scanning a QR code at the location, sending a text message, or using an event app. They receive a confirmation with their position in the queue and an estimated wait time. As the queue progresses, they receive updates (via text, push notification, or the app). When it is their turn, they receive a final notification to return to the location within a set time window.
The system works because it decouples the act of waiting from the physical location. The queue still exists -- the same number of people are waiting -- but they are waiting comfortably rather than standing in a line. The service point (bar, food stall, attraction) processes people at the same rate, but the experience for the person waiting is fundamentally better.
Timed entry slots
A variation on virtual queuing is timed entry, where attendees book or are assigned a specific time slot in advance. This is common at exhibitions, immersive experiences, and events with limited-capacity attractions. Instead of arriving and joining a queue, the attendee knows in advance when they will enter.
Timed entry can be allocated at the point of ticket purchase (the attendee selects their preferred time slot when buying their ticket) or on the day (the attendee requests a time slot via an app or kiosk and receives an allocation based on availability).
The advantage of timed entry is that it smooths demand over the day rather than allowing everyone to arrive at once. This is particularly valuable for experiences with fixed capacity, where a queue forming at opening time is otherwise inevitable.
Where digital queue management adds value
Food and drink service
At festivals and large events, bar and food queues during peak periods can stretch to 20-30 minutes or more. Mobile ordering and virtual queuing systems allow attendees to order and pay from their phone, receive a notification when their order is ready, and collect it without standing in a line. This increases throughput (orders are prepared in advance of collection), reduces perceived wait time, and increases spending (people who would not queue for 20 minutes may order when the process takes 2 minutes of active engagement).
Entry and access control
Large events can experience severe queuing at entry points, particularly when all attendees arrive within a narrow window. Timed entry slots spread arrivals across a wider period, reducing peak queue length and improving the experience of those first moments. The entry queue is the attendee's first impression of the event; a 45-minute wait sets a negative tone that is difficult to recover from.
Attractions and experiences
Events with popular attractions (rides, immersive experiences, meet-and-greets, workshops) often see disproportionate queues at one or two locations while the rest of the event is underutilised. Virtual queuing allows attendees to request a spot, explore the rest of the event while they wait, and return when their turn comes. This distributes foot traffic more evenly and increases overall engagement with the event.
Merchandise sales
Merchandise queues, particularly after a headlining act, can be extremely long and slow. A mobile ordering system where attendees select their items and size, pay on their phone, and collect from a pick-up point when notified can dramatically reduce physical queue length and increase total sales by capturing impulse purchases from people who would not have queued.
Implementation approaches
Dedicated queue management platforms
Several software platforms specialise in virtual queuing for events and attractions. These typically provide the queue management logic, attendee-facing interface (app or web-based), staff-facing dashboard, and analytics. Costs vary based on the scale of deployment and the features required.
Event app integration
If your event already has a mobile app, integrating virtual queuing into the existing app reduces friction (no second download required). Some event management platforms now include queue management as a feature.
SMS-based systems
For maximum accessibility, SMS-based queue management requires no app download at all. The attendee sends a text message to a number displayed at the queue point and receives updates via text. This works on any phone, including basic feature phones, and removes the barrier of app installation. The trade-off is less rich interaction (no visual queue position display, limited push notification capability).
Challenges and limitations
Connectivity dependence
Most digital queue systems require internet connectivity to function. At outdoor events with poor signal, this can be problematic. Ensure your event connectivity plan accounts for the bandwidth and reliability needs of the queue management system, particularly at the physical service points where staff are calling the next customer.
Digital exclusion
Not every attendee has a smartphone or is comfortable using digital queuing systems. Maintaining a physical queue option alongside the digital system ensures no one is excluded. The digital system reduces the physical queue length, making it shorter and faster for those who prefer or need the traditional approach.
No-shows and timing
When an attendee is called from a virtual queue, they need to reach the service point within a reasonable window. If they are on the other side of a festival site, the walk time may exceed the window, resulting in a missed turn and a frustrated customer. Setting appropriate time windows based on the size of the site, and communicating them clearly, mitigates this.
Perception versus reality
Some attendees feel uncomfortable with virtual queuing because they cannot see their position in a physical line. The lack of visible progress can make waiting feel longer, even if the actual wait time is shorter. Clear, frequent updates on queue position and estimated wait time help manage this perception.
Measuring the impact
The value of digital queue management can be measured through several metrics:
- Average wait time -- Compare with historical data from physical queues.
- Throughput -- Number of people served per hour at each service point.
- Revenue per head -- Whether attendees freed from physical queues spend more elsewhere.
- Customer satisfaction -- Post-event survey scores related to queuing and service.
- Negative mentions -- Social media and review site complaints specifically about queuing.
For events where queuing is a known pain point, digital queue management is a practical solution that improves the attendee experience while potentially increasing revenue. Start with the highest-impact queue (usually the main bar or the most popular attraction), measure the results, and expand based on what the data tells you.
