Direct Ticket Sales Ecosystem
Product design and engineering to free the production company from high ticketing platform commissions, processing local payments and validating access with proprietary QR technology.
Real Impact on Operations
Ticket sales processed quickly and securely directly on the production company's platform.
SEO campaign with technical content about niche bands to attract qualified audiences.
On-site access control by scanning digital tickets directly at the door.
Fees and Holds
Traditional ticketing platforms in Peru charge high commissions and hold event cash flow for weeks, squeezing net margins and limiting pre-production capital.
E-commerce Autonomy
Custom WordPress + WooCommerce platform with local Mercado Pago gateway, digital ticket issuance with unique QR codes, and a mobile access control system.
Operational Independence
Own customer database, full control over processed cash flow, and the ability to manage ticketing in-house from end to end.
The Challenge: Breaking dependency on ticketing platforms
For independent progressive rock shows in Peru, margins are extremely tight. The 8% to 15% commissions from traditional ticketing platforms eat into profits and hold back essential funds for deposits and pre-production.
The challenge wasn't creating a web catalog — it was building a complete transactional engine: local currency payments, PDF ticket issuance, and secure access management for hundreds of people.
Comparative Analysis
WooCommerce + QR Ticket Integration
Structured platform on WordPress + WooCommerce with responsive Dark Mode design focused on the aesthetics of Rock and Progressive Metal. Mercado Pago integration for local payments, with checkout adapted for smartphones.
- 1User selects their ticket by zone (Pre-sale, General, VIP).
- 2Once payment is confirmed, the system generates a unique PDF ticket with QR code.
- 3Staff scans and validates tickets live against the own database.
System Screenshots
The Platform Inside
UI/UX Dark Mode Design
Dark editorial aesthetic adapted to the progressive rock identity, with intuitive navigation toward the purchase funnel.
QR Ticket Generation
Automated generation of digital tickets with unique QR codes sent by email for physical validation.
Checkout & Payment Gateway
Multi-gateway payment setup — Mercado Pago and Izipay — to build buyer trust through reputable local processors.
Process Timeline
From Idea to First Live Event
MVP Under a Hard Deadline
Tarkus had a real constraint: two months to get the platform working before the first concert. Instead of chasing a pixel-perfect website, we prioritized an MVP that validated the full model — online ticket sales, personalized QR ticket generation, and door access control.
I convinced Armando to launch even though the design didn't yet match Tarkus' brand identity. At that moment, what mattered was proving the platform worked — aesthetics could wait, a failed first event couldn't.
First Real Validation
The platform operated live with bands like SOEN and later Sauron at Teatro Festiva — a venue with roughly 2,000 people capacity. The flow worked end to end: sale, payment, QR ticket, and access.
The first event proved the core thesis — the model worked. It also made crystal clear what needed to improve: scan speed and door staffing. Real usage beats any mockup.
Key Decisions
Decisions That Defined the Build
MVP Over Perfection
With a two-month window, we shipped the functional minimum instead of waiting for a finished design. Real validation is worth more than a design without data.
WordPress + WooCommerce + QR Tickets
Instead of building from zero, we mounted the system on a stack that allowed fast iteration: solid e-commerce + unique QR ticket generation with the buyer's name on each entry.
Local Payment Gateways, Not International
I recommended Mercado Pago for its positioning and trust in the Latin American consumer, and Izipay for reasonable fees and Visa/Mastercard support. Diversifying gateways built confidence in a young company: buyers saw the backing of serious payment platforms.
Personalized Tickets, Not Just Codes
Every entry carried the buyer's first and last name plus a unique QR code. Purchase and resale happened entirely through the page — no middlemen, no external ticket shops.
What Real Events Taught Us
No design survives contact with a queue of 2,000 people. The live events exposed frictions that only production conditions reveal.
Validation Slower Than Expected
The scanner took too long to validate each ticket, and attendees arrived with mixed formats — paper prints and phone screens — which broke the line flow. Armando also found himself alone at the door: access control needed more staff than planned.
A Security Gap We Caught Early
Tickets carried the buyer's name, but the scanner only returned a binary signal: green (valid) or red (invalid). That meant someone with a valid ticket could make copies and let anyone in. There were no reported forgeries — the theater never reported more attendees than tickets sold — but the gap was real and documented as pending improvement.
Iteration Cut Short
After the first event, Armando redirected efforts toward marketing the next concert instead of refining the validation system. The speed and identity improvements we identified were never implemented — a real lesson about product ownership and stakeholder alignment.
Product Leadership
From Strategy to the Door
Engineering & E-commerce Solution
WordPress/WooCommerce implementation with technical adjustments to overcome native limitations of the ticket issuance plugin in the Latin American market.
SEO Strategy & Traction
Organic SEO campaign on YouTube accumulating over 60K views that converted traffic into repeat buyers without ad spend.
Real Access Logistics
On-site validation supervision on concert day. Configuration of scanning terminals for smooth access and counterfeit ticket mitigation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tarkus Producciones?
A Peruvian music production company focused on bringing progressive rock bands to Lima — a passionate niche with few local players.
How did the ticketing system work?
Purchase and payment were fully integrated into the website (Mercado Pago and Izipay). Each order automatically generated a personalized ticket with the buyer's name and a unique QR code, validated at the door with a scanner.
What stack powered the platform?
WordPress + WooCommerce, with a custom ticketing plugin and personalized PDF generation that included the buyer's name and the band's design.
What happened to the platform afterward?
It operated through the main events and stopped working after its creator left. A handover without clear documentation didn't survive the change of ownership — a real lesson about product sustainability.
"This project demonstrates my ability to connect design, technology, and business."
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