Mastercard offers patrons cashless option at Reggae Sumfest
Published:Wednesday | May 29, 2019 | 12:07 AMCarlene Davis/Gleaner Writer
Patrons attending the 27th staging of Reggae Sumfest will have the opportunity to pay for goods at the festival without using cash. Mastercard, for the second consecutive year, has partnered with the festival organisers to ensure safety, security, and convenience for the estimated 32,000 patrons who are expected to be in Montego Bay, St James, for the July 14-20 event. This means that purchases at the event, including food, beverage, and merchandise, can be done using cards.
“We experimented last year with the sponsorship with Sumfest, we got great results, great feedback from our partners, as well as from consumers; and then it was very easy to make a decision to continue this year to support this festival and to enhance some of their benefits as well,” Mastercard’s head of marketing and communications for the Caribbean, Luis Araujo, told The Gleaner.
Araujo said that a cashless system at a festival like Sumfest is bound to improve the experience of the patrons.
“The concertgoer wouldn’t need to carry cash in their pockets, as this is not always the safest or most convenient option, and what we are offering is another alternative for them to make purchases without depending on cash. You don’t need to worry about running out of cash, we provide a solution for you to pay for everything you want during the festival. I also think it is a way to enrich the experience, not only around the payment part itself, but also how we, as Mastercard, can provide additional benefits to Mastercard’s cardholders, above and beyond,” said Araujo.
Josef Bogdanovich, chairman of Downsound Entertainment, promoters of Reggae Sumfest, said the partnership with Mastercard will redound to the benefit of patrons.
“It’s a good partnership, because the world is becoming more cashless and more transparent and more accountable in terms of these kinds of transactions, and it is what they are doing in a lot of places in the US, where you just go in and you have your highly intelligent wristband, and you can top it up anytime you want. And you don’t need any cash to buy your drinks, your food, your massage, your tickets,” he said.
“Although here in this country we are kind of suspicious of credit cards, perhaps, and maybe, some people don’t like people having all their information, but we will grow, and as we get bigger, it will become more cashless in this country as well,” said Bogdanovich.