Bar Bachelor - Custom Ticket System

Barbachelor is a recurring, large-scale student event series hosted in multiple cities across Germany. Each semester, the events bring together around 5,000 students across 18 individual events, making it a high-volume, repeatable live event format with consistent operational demands.

The project required moving far beyond standard WooCommerce functionality. I designed a custom ticketing architecture that treats each event as its own configurable system, including event-specific checkout steps, ticket groups, and validation logic. This allowed Barbachelor to run parallel events across multiple cities while maintaining a single, extensible codebase tailored to their operational workflow.

The checkout process was fully customized to adapt dynamically based on event configuration and ticket groups. Upon purchase, the system automatically generated individualized tickets with embedded QR codes, supporting both digital delivery and PDF export. A custom PDF and email designer ensured consistent branding and clear communication for attendees across all events.

Additionally, users could automatically request a replacement ticket if their original was lost, providing a seamless and self-service experience.

To support event staff and organizers, I implemented deep backend extensions to WooCommerce. Tickets can be imported via CSV or YAML, edited directly in the admin interface, searched efficiently, and archived once events are completed. This provided long-term data integrity while keeping the active system performant and manageable over many semesters.

The backend was designed for daily operational use, with clear structures and workflows that allow non-technical users to manage large volumes of tickets and events reliably.

A critical requirement was reliable check-in functionality under real-world event conditions. I developed custom REST endpoints consumed by the event app, enabling attendees and staff to validate tickets via QR code scanning. The system supports offline mode using IndexedDB, with a robust synchronization mechanism to ensure data consistency once connectivity is restored. This ensured uninterrupted operation at busy bars with unstable or unavailable network connections.

Barbachelor runs around 18 events per semester across different German cities, with around 5,000 participants per semester. The ticketing system was iteratively improved from event to event, incorporating real-world feedback, performance optimizations, and usability refinements to ensure stability and scalability under live conditions.