Heritage Special Events - a unique solution for a unique brief

Visit the Heritage Special Events website - http://www.heritage-events.co.uk

We were asked to not only build a online e-commerce ticketing solution for their forthcoming events, but create a secure e-ticketing system allowing for customers to purchase and download their event tickets online in the form a printable PDF file. For the system to work, each ticket was required to have a unique identifier, in this case a barcode, plus the users details would be printed on ticket.

Redemption

We were then asked to create a system to redeem tickets at the event gates. The problem we faced was that each event was in varying locations, with multiple entrance points in potentially varied weather conditions, so a wi-fi network / microwave link was out of the question. Our solution was to create an online redemption interface and utilise the GPS (2G/3G) networks. We helped source multiple, industrial handheld PDA’s with both GPS connection and a built in laser barcode scanner.

The secure redemption system would scan the barcode and automatically cross reference online and update the ticket status with full telemetry. This online system would highlight potentially forgeries and copies and only allow one person into the event with that specific ticket, even if the attempt was made at multiple entrances.

A backup system

Our next challenge was a backup system, in case the mobile network failed. We first developed an offline application which downloaded the data sets from the online database, and allowed the events team to lookup using the barcode, email address or ticket ID as a reference and subsequently redeem their ticket. The data set created can then be uploaded to the online database which would update the telemetry for each ticket. To speed up this process, we were then asked to upgrade this system to integrate a barcode scanner into our offline application.

Seating

Heritage Special Events were so impressed with the web site, e-commerce and redemption system that they asked us to provide a solution to manage event seating.

We created an desktop application which allowed them to create new seating plans, allowing for specific rows, columns and walkways. The system had direct access to the online database and would, via a drag and drop system, seat customers and group bookings. We also developed a ticket printing system, which would update the online database with the seat reference position and the printable ticket with the seat number.

Our next challenge was to try and automate this system, so for version 2, we created an automated seating system which upon request would automatically seat unplaced customers, sitting all groups together without splitting across walkways and would find any potential gaps and seat smaller groups.

A few words of thanks from heritage Special Events

Dear Peter

We would like to thank you and your team for all your hard work and producing us a fantastic web site, that far exceeds our expectations.

Our initial design and concept for the site, was to produce an automatic ticketing / e-ticketing for our events business. The tickets would then be scanned on entry to our events, which then provides a complete secure entry solution. The site being built from scratch carries out some complex tasks without our customers knowing what’s going on behind the scenes. Our customers only need make some simple choices to select the products they require, then a very simple process for payment.

We have moved the goal posts several times to make more of our tasks automated. This includes a complete seating system and a barcode scanning application for our PDA scanners, which makes our job so much easier.

All of the work has been undertaken within your time estimates and at a very reasonable price.

We would have no hesitation in recommending Rogue Interactive to anyone who needs anything from a basic website to a complex bespoke system.

Once again thanks for everything you have done for us.

Kind regards

Jon Wright
Heritage Special Events Ltd