Flying High with the Farnborough International Air Show

Having won the contract for the provision of Trade Ticketing and Process Unit Services to supply a badging system for exhibitors and contractors attending the Farnborough International Airshow 2006, Mayhart Limited took the decision to buy plastic card printers from DED to print ID cards for 40,000 contractor and exhibitor passes who attended the show from around the world.

Combined with software written by Mayhart, the card printers were an essential part of the badging scheme which has been tailored to meet the security requirements for contractors and exhibitors on site. Exhibitor ID badges were printed with company name and serial number, whilst contractor badges were printed with name, company name, plus a photograph and serial number.

The software for this scheme had been written to allow pre-registration online for contractors, as all applications were Police checked in advance of collection. The system also allowed the Police to log into the system and accept or decline applications online, instantly giving the organisers a decision on an applicant.

Once approved their security pass was then picked up on site before gaining access for stand build up, whilst exhibitor cards will be delivered either by courier or onsite collection in advance of the show.

Two plastic card printers were selected from DED, each for the specific features they could bring to the project. For printing the contractor passes, Mayhart chose the P330i from plastic card printer manufacturer Zebra. Andrew Allsopp, Director, Mayhart Limited commented that the P330i was chosen “because of the printer cost and cost per card”, the Zebra P330i is also the most flexible and reliable plastic card printer in its class. Printing full colour edge to edge cards in just 25 seconds and offering a host of encoding and interface options, the P330i met the needs required by Mayhart perfectly.

When it came to selecting a printer to provide extra security for exhibitor ID cards, the Magicard Rio2 was the obvious choice for Mayhart. Andrew commented that the Magicard Rio2 was selected “because of the HoloPatch feature”, unique to Magicard printers, the HoloPatch allows a highly visible gold seal to be printed on the card – ideal for providing extra security.

As a leading distributor for plastic card printers and accessories in the UK, DED were delighted to be involved in this project with Mayhart who have been involved in similar projects in the past, most notably, the Dubai Airshow in 2005. Andrew commented that DED were “very prompt and efficient”, and that “the service was excellent.”

Mayhart Limited offers an extensive range of services: digital video displays and control systems, video production, DVD authoring and content creation, High definition TV production and display, mechanical systems and show control, bespoke software and registration systems.