FTS + Hidalgo BorderFest
Festival Transaction Services, Inc. (FTS) has announced that it has signed a two-year agreement to implement the FTS cash management services program for BorderFest, in Hidalgo, Texas. BorderFest, celebrating its 37th year in 2013, attracted more than 85,000 visitors in 2012, and increased attendance to 91,117 in 2013.
Hidalgo City Manager and BorderFest CEO Joe Vera said, “We tested the FTS processing service at our month-long Festival of Lights in December. Their devices performed well, and we expanded their service for BorderFest to include entry box office, food and beverage tickets and our souvenir merchandise. Next year, we look forward to adding their Festivals.com prepaid Visa® cards-as-tickets services.”
Charles Brown, CEO of FTS, said, “We are honored to have BorderFest as a partner in the FTS program. Under Joe Vera’s leadership, BorderFest is one of the best run and most respected events in the festivals and events business. They excel at delivering value to their sponsors as well as their visitors and we are looking forward to helping them offer new sponsor opportunities in 2014 through our prepaid Visa cards-as-tickets. As Past Chairman of the IFEA Foundation Board [International Festivals & Events Association] and Immediate Past President of the Texas Association of Fairs and Events [TAFE], Joe’s acceptance of FTS is particularly significant for our service and technology.”
Kay Wolf, assistant city manager, who also manages the city’s December Festival of Lights event, said, “The larger crowds of BorderFest were no problem for the FTS devices and service. The addition of cell phone signal boosters that FTS supplied made a huge difference.”
Brown added, “FTS deployed 32 wireless transaction devices at 8 box office, food coupon and merchandise sales locations on the BorderFest site. BorderFest volunteers had no problem using the devices, and FTS processed all major credit and debit cards for event visitors’ purchases.”
FTS has partnerships both with Visa and with BankAmerica Merchant Services, which have allowed FTS to use its technology leadership to provide unique services and reporting to event organizers and managers. Brown said, “FTS technology allows each transaction device to be identified by location and type of sale, providing new and valuable information to FTS fair and festival customers. All event and vendor sales transactions can be viewed online within the events private account providing new visibility for our customer’s sales results.”
About Hidalgo BorderFest
Hidalgo BorderFest was first held in 1976, and 500 visitors attended the event. This is its 37th year, and attendance was 91,117. BorderFest is produced by the City of Hidalgo, Texas. Joe Vera, City Manager, and Kay Wolf, Deputy City Manager act as event producers for BorderFest, Festival of Lights and other City events. Hidalgo is a city of 11,800 on the Rio Grande, directly across from Reynosa, Mexico. BorderFest has been a significant contributor to Hidalgo city activities, and today attracts visitors from throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
About Festival Transaction Services, Inc. (FTS)
FTS offers transaction services to the fair and festival community including card processing, ticketing, promotion and sponsorship sales support for events, promotion and processing for performers and vendors and Festivals.com VIP prepaid cards for attendees. FTS also operates Festivals.com and KadmusArts.com, the largest Internet resources for information on festivals, fairs and events, with more than 40,000 events in 150 countries.
