Ordering
How many wristbands to order
Updated 2 min read Paper Bands by Adalwin
Count the people, multiply by the bands each person wears, and add 5 to 10 percent for re-issues, staff and mistakes. A two-day festival selling 12,000 single-day tickets needs about 13,000 bands. Printed orders start at 5,000; below that, plain stock comes in cartons of 1,000.
The formula
Bands = people × bands a day × days × (1 + spares)
- People: tickets sold or expected footfall on the peak day, not the average.
- Bands per person per day: one for entry, plus one per meal or zone if those are banded separately.
- Days: only if guests get a new band each day.
- Spares: 5 percent for a numbered gate with a tight count, 10 percent for a club or a crowd where bands tear and staff need them too.
Work it out
You need about
2,200 bands
Under 5,000: plain stock, 3 cartons of 1,000.
Worked examples
| Who | Inputs | Bands |
|---|---|---|
| Club | 250 guests a night, 4 nights a week, 10% spares | About 4,800 a month |
| Festival | 12,000 single-day tickets over 2 days, 8% spares | About 13,000 |
| Conference | 1,200 delegates, 2 days, entry plus 2 meal bands a day | 7,200, plus spares |
| Hospital | 25 admissions a day, 20% re-issues | About 900 a month |
| Race | 8,000 runners, 5% spares | About 8,400 |
| Mela | 1,50,000 on the peak day, 10% spares | About 1,65,000 |
How many colours
Colours = tiers × days, when a band is only valid for one day. Three tiers over two days is six colours. A club changing colour every night needs as many colours as nights in its rota.
Round to a price step
Our price table steps at 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000 and 1,00,000. If your total is just under a step, ask for both prices and compare: the larger order may also cover your next event. Under 5,000, plain stock comes in cartons of 1,000.
Questions
How many spare wristbands should I order?
5 percent when every band is numbered and counted at the gate; 10 percent for clubs and crowds, where bands tear and staff wear them too.
Should I order for the whole season at once?
Order to your storage and to the band’s shelf life, not only to price. Shelf life of blank stock: 6 to 12 months.