Transforming event experiences for smarter management with IoT solutions
Picture this: it’s a warm summer evening in a Mediterranean city. You’ve just passed through the iconic archway of your longing-expected festival. The buzz of excitement fills the air as fans gather to see first-class performers. But as you navigate the festival, weaving through crowds and searching for the nearest refreshment stand, you feel the familiar pinch—long lines, bottlenecks at popular spots, and a lingering question: “Why hasn’t anyone made this easier?”.
For attendees, this frustration is a momentary inconvenience. For organizers, it’s a logistical puzzle that demands a smarter solution. Every inefficiency—whether it is a delayed beer line or a packed exit route—chips away at the magic of the experience.
Globally, the stakes are high: crowd monitoring is essential for attendee satisfaction, safety, operational efficiency, and environmental impact.
Get in the flow with data in action
The Starlite Occident now has the flow in its veins. Better expressed: It has better information about the flux of people in this boutique festival thanks to a collaboration with Libelium. Better expressed, thanks to a partnership with Libelium, it has more comprehensive information about the flux of people in this boutique festival.
Located in Marbella, in the Mediterranean Costa del Sol, and sponsored by the globally known actor Antonio Banderas, world-class artists like Ricky Martin and Eros Ramazzotti have performed on the stages of this festival.
The challenge: rethinking crowd flow management in iconic events
Libelium has developed an advanced IoT-based crowd monitoring solution for festivals, which originated from the pilot project carried out with the Starlite Occident festival. This technology not only allows monitoring of the number of visitors, but, thanks to its integration with the festival’s mobile app, it makes it easier for both attendees and organisers to manage and enjoy the event efficiently.
To elevate the Starlite Occident experience, Libelium introduced a sophisticated IoT-driven crowd-monitoring solution that did more than just monitor crowds. By integrating with the festival’s dedicated mobile app, the technology empowered both attendees and organizers to navigate the event easily and efficiently.
Behind the scenes of the solution
Libelium solutions bring to the stage a holistic approach to managing the environmental impact of an event.
Let’s see the solution behind the scenes:
- Crowd monitoring: IoT sensors discreetly placed across the venue track crowd density and movement patterns in real time, identifying bottlenecks and peak activity zones, identifying bottlenecks and peak activity zones. This real-time data was shared with the app, offering live updates to attendees and enabling organizers to make instant adjustments.
- Air quality tracking: Sensors monitor CO₂ levels and particulate matter to ensure a healthy environment, especially during high-traffic periods. The app also displayed air quality data, adding transparency to Starlite’s sustainability efforts.
- App integration: The Starlite app brought the data to life for attendees, offering:
- Live crowd flow updates to help users choose the best times to visit popular areas.
- Parking reservation functionality, reducing the stress of finding a spot and optimizing space usage.
- Ticket management and fast-track services, streamlining entry and enhancing convenience.
Real-time data analysis
These sensors collect data on crowd density, movement patterns, and peak activity times, enabling organizers to adjust operations on the fly.
Libelium’s IoT crowd-monitoring solution goes beyond traditional methods, embracing a GDPR-compliant, non-invasive solution that prioritises both attendee comfort and safety.
Key Findings for better experiencies with IoT
Libelium’s smart event management solution, deployed at the boutique festival Starlite Occident, represents an innovative leap forward in organising large-scale events.
Based on IoT technology, this platform enables real-time data collection and analysis to optimise people flows, monitor air quality and personalise attendee experiences. This data-driven approach ensures more informed decision-making and a significantly improved user experience.
For Crowd Control
By identifying peak attendance and optimizing crowd flow, the festival minimized bottlenecks and improved mobility across key zones.
Daily peaks in audience were identified, peaking between 9pm and midnight, in correlation with the start of concerts.
Transitions between key zones were highly efficient, with optimal use of main routes, minimising bottlenecks and overcrowding.
For Air Quality Monitoring
Real-time analyses of CO₂ and PM particles showed peaks during nighttime hours (7pm to 2am).
PM10 particles, although stable, showed increases in high-activity areas, underlining the need for mitigation measures to maintain a healthy environment.
Attendance and sustainability management
Monitoring enabled real-time operational adjustments in critical areas such as bars, entrances and toilets, improving the attendee experience and reducing waiting times.
Historical data generated key insights to design sustainability strategies and comply with carbon neutrality regulations.
Using Libelium’s crowd-monitoring solution not only improved festival operations in real-time, but also provided a framework for future planning. The insights gained demonstrated the platform’s ability to:
- Prevent overcrowding in critical areas.
- Ensure a healthy environment for attendees and staff.
- Implement logistical improvements based on behavioural patterns.
- Optimise resources and reinforce the festival’s position as a leader in sustainability and innovation.
A new standard for luxury experiences
Starlite Occident isn’t just a festival—it’s a curated experience designed for those who value exclusivity, sophistication, and unforgettable moments. By integrating Libelium’s cutting-edge IoT technology, the festival has elevated its status as a benchmark for boutique events, where every detail is meticulously crafted to ensure comfort, safety, and elegance.
From seamless crowd flow to personalized app features, Starlite has shown that technology can be as refined as the event itself. It’s not just about efficiency; it’s about creating an atmosphere where guests feel pampered, their needs anticipated, and their expectations exceeded. With Libelium’s innovations, the festival delivers more than a performance—it delivers a luxury experience worthy of its VIP audience.
Setting the stage for the future of festivals
Starlite Occident’s success with Libelium’s crowd-monitoring technology demonstrates that the future of events is more innovative and sustainable. For festivals in Spain and worldwide, this is an opportunity to reimagine what an extraordinary audience experience can look like—one where technology works silently in the background, creating seamless flow, optimizing resources, and ensuring environmental responsibility.
Moreover, this technology has applications beyond festivals. It can be deployed in shopping streets, helping to manage the flow of people and improving the experience for shoppers, or in public spaces in tourist destinations, optimising the distribution of visitors, avoiding crowds and fostering a safer and more enjoyable experience for all.
If you are an event organizer looking to elevate your festival’s offering, this is the moment you enter the scene.
With Libelium’s expertise, you can transform your event into a model of efficiency, sustainability, and innovation.
