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Events · Opportunity

VUKA Group: a pilot for event registration and check-in.

A proposed pilot for VUKA Group, a conference and exhibition organiser, to test an event registration platform on one of its own events, side by side with its current system.

  • White-label registration
  • Ticketing
  • On-site check-in and badges
  • Local payments
  • WhatsApp, email and SMS
  • HubSpot sync
  • Reporting
Capability streams
8
Pilot length
5-6 weeks
Local gateways live
2
Proposed
2026
An event screen showing VUKA ecosystem concept art: the VUKA hub linked to audiences, exhibitors, sponsors, media, mining, energy, retail and mobility, with a Scan to take part QR card.

QR code that opens this VUKA Group page on hellobrand.co.za.

Concept phone screen: a VUKA Events delegate pass with a QR code, marked checked in.

Concept artwork from our proposals, not photos of a VUKA event.

An opportunity Hello Brand pitched to VUKA Group, with Social Wiiv and JTL Global.

The brief

VUKA Group runs its events on EventsAIR, a mature, all-in-one event-management platform with more than 30 years in the market. Rather than ask VUKA to take an alternative on trust, the proposal offers a low-risk pilot: test the Social Wiiv platform on one of VUKA's own live events, with no disruption to the event itself.

VUKA runs conferences and exhibitions across Southern and pan-African markets, for delegates, exhibitors and sponsors. The outcome of the pilot is an evidence-based scorecard, measured against VUKA's own evaluation criteria, that gives it a like-for-like basis to decide how far to go.

Prepared for
VUKA Group, marketing operations and data
Model
Parallel, shadow evaluation
Hosting
Microsoft Azure, South Africa North
Exit
At any point
Version
July 2026, terms updated Sept 2026
Status
Opportunity

How it got here

  1. November 2025: VUKA sets out what it needs from a registration platform, in 14 areas.
  2. May 2026: a platform demo, and two concepts for VUKA's wider event ecosystem. VUKA is committed to its current platform until the end of 2026, so both sides agree a pilot is the sensible next step.
  3. July 2026: the Pilot 1 proposal and a proof of value. Evaluate first, then decide.
  4. September 2026: the pilot's commercial terms are updated.

VUKA's own brief

VUKA wrote down exactly what a platform must do for its conferences and exhibitions. These are the 14 areas.

  1. Registration forms and ticket types
  2. Sponsors and exhibitors
  3. Reporting and dashboards
  4. On-site check-in and badge logic
  5. Access control and session scanning
  6. Attendee app and engagement
  7. Communication and automation
  8. Integrations and data sync
  9. Gamification
  10. Pricing and licensing
  11. Speakers and abstracts
  12. Group bookings
  13. Data security and compliance
  14. How vendors are judged

The brief asks for detail most platforms skip: one badge that shows the highest-ranked role, pass allowances per sponsor with claimed and unclaimed totals, sales-rep tracking on every registration, and check-in that still works when the venue's signal drops.

The idea

Don't argue on paper. Verify in practice.

A capable incumbent deserves respect. So the pilot runs on VUKA's own event, next to the system VUKA already trusts, and lets the results speak.

  • South African payment rails: PayFast and Adumo live today
  • WhatsApp-first communication, alongside email and SMS
  • Fully white-label: VUKA's brand, domain and email
  • POPIA-native data, hosted in South Africa
  • On-site tools for weak connectivity, in markets such as the DRC, Nigeria and Zambia
  • Close HubSpot alignment, with sales-rep and commission attribution

A delegate's journey, under VUKA's brand

What an attendee would see, from the registration form to the badge on the lanyard. No vendor name anywhere: every screen and email is VUKA's.

  1. 1. Register One form, every ticket

    A multi-step form with Platinum, Gold, Silver and Expo Visitor tickets, add-ons such as the gala dinner, workshops and site visits, early-bird and final prices, and capacity limits.

  2. 2. Pay In rand

    PayFast or Adumo, with an automated invoice; partial payments and outstanding balances are handled for the attendee and the finance team.

  3. 3. One record A unique attendee ID

    One master record per person across roles and registrations, with no duplicate emails or profiles. A self-service portal lets an Expo Visitor upgrade to a paid delegate ticket.

  4. 4. Hear from VUKA On WhatsApp

    Confirmation and reminder emails before the event; WhatsApp notifications, reminders and itinerary links during it; an SMS option; consent captured throughout.

  5. 5. Arrive Scan once

    QR check-in or a self-service kiosk. The ticket is validated once and only once, and a duplicate badge cannot be printed.

  6. 6. Wear the badge 2 days + 1 workshop = 3-Day Delegate

    Badge logic follows the role hierarchy and counts the days, and printing waits for finance clearance.

What arrival could look like

  • Concept artwork: delegates use a row of self-service check-in kiosks under a Welcome VUKA Events banner.
    Self-service kiosksDelegates check themselves in and print their own badge.
  • Concept phone screen: a VUKA Events delegate pass with a QR code, marked checked in.
    A pass on the phoneOne QR code, scanned once, marked checked in.
  • Concept artwork: a fast-track entry with QR scanning gates at a busy event entrance.
    Fast-track entryQR gates keep the queue moving.
  • Concept artwork: delegates with lanyards mingle in a bright conference foyer under a VUKA Events banner and a sign reading Connect, Engage, Grow.
    In the hallEvery badge on a lanyard is a record of who came.

Concept artwork from our proposals, not photos of a VUKA event.

Eight capability streams, and what VUKA would check

Pilot 1 covers the registration-to-on-site core plus the features that matter most in VUKA's markets. Each stream comes with the question VUKA would answer by testing it.

White-label registration and ticketing

Multi-step, dynamic registration forms; several ticket types; included and paid add-ons; early-bird and final pricing; capacity limits; custom fields.

VUKA checks: how fast and flexibly a complex VUKA registration flow can be built, fully branded as VUKA, with no vendor attribution.

Live exhibition and gala ticket sales

Exhibition and gala dinner tickets sold live, online and on site, with real-time capacity and stock control; gala seats allocated to sponsors, exhibitors and delegates, with claimed and unclaimed balances.

VUKA checks: whether tickets can be sold live, including at the door, and gala allocations distributed and reconciled without spreadsheets.

Attendee identity and data integrity

A unique attendee ID per person; one master record across roles and registrations; configurable unique-email rules; duplicate profile, record and registration prevention; a secure self-service portal and upgrade flow.

VUKA checks: whether every attendee resolves to a single record, with no duplicate emails, profiles or registrations, across the whole journey.

South-African-first payments

PayFast and Adumo in rand live today; multi-currency framing; automated invoices, partial payments and outstanding balances. More local gateways are on the near roadmap.

VUKA checks: the real local payment experience and reconciliation, against a single embedded processor.

Ticket validation, badges and on-site check-in

Ticket and entitlement validation at the scan, with duplicate-use and duplicate-badge prevention; badge priority by role; day-count logic; QR check-in; a self-service kiosk; finance-gated printing; live sync.

VUKA checks: the accuracy of the badge logic, and whether a ticket is validated once and only once, head to head on check-in speed.

Core reporting and dashboards

Registration, payment and attendance figures; a live event dashboard; exports to CSV and Excel.

VUKA checks: whether day-to-day needs are met and the exports are usable for the VUKA team.

Communications and WhatsApp

Confirmation and reminder emails; WhatsApp notifications, reminders and itinerary links during the event; an SMS option; consent capture and delivery metrics.

VUKA checks: the WhatsApp-first experience, a channel African delegates actually use, for live event communication alongside email.

HubSpot contact sync

A lightweight one-to-one contact sync on a unique identifier, the email address.

VUKA checks: early proof of clean CRM alignment; full deal and commission logic follows in Pilot 2.

Across all eight: full white-labelling under VUKA's brand and domain, POPIA-aligned consent and data handling, encryption in transit and at rest, and hosting in South Africa. VUKA's extra requirements, from live gala sales to duplicate prevention and WhatsApp during the event, are covered in Pilot 1 streams 2, 3, 5 and 7.

How the pilot runs, without risk to the live event

A dedicated VUKA-branded tenant runs in parallel. VUKA's current platform stays the system of record, so the live event never depends on the pilot.

Model
Parallel, shadow evaluation: the current platform remains the system of record
Evaluators
Nominated VUKA team members from registration, on-site, marketing and data
Optional live group
A ring-fenced segment, such as one ticket type or a co-located sub-event, processed live
Guardrails
No dependency for live delivery; all data under POPIA; a clear exit at any point
Comparison
Like for like, against the same workflows VUKA runs today

Five phases, five to six weeks

  1. Week 1, kick-off: confirm the event, evaluators, scope, scorecard and data handling
  2. Weeks 1-2, configuration: build the branded tenant, registration flow, ticket types, gala allocations and badge logic; connect payments, email, WhatsApp and HubSpot
  3. Weeks 3-4, parallel testing: VUKA evaluators run the full journey alongside the current system; the optional live group is processed
  4. At the event, on-site validation: live ticket sales, badge printing, kiosk and QR check-in
  5. Week +1, review: score against the framework, agree the findings and shape Pilot 2

Who does what

Social Wiiv and Hello Brand

  • Run the kick-off; document scope and scorecard
  • Build and brand the tenant; set up flows, badges, payments and integrations
  • Train, guide and support the evaluators
  • Supply and set up check-in and printing on site
  • Compile the scorecard and a Pilot 2 recommendation

VUKA Group

  • Nominate evaluators; confirm the event and priorities
  • Provide brand assets, event details and HubSpot sandbox access
  • Run the evaluator tasks; capture feedback and ratings
  • Provide on-site access and a test station
  • Review the findings and decide on next steps

What we proposed: the pilot scorecard

The pilot has not run, so there are no results yet. These are the criteria and the targets the proposal set, to be agreed with VUKA at kick-off.

VUKA Group pilot dashboard

What the pilot will measure

6 weeks · sample

Example dashboard Sample data, not campaign results. This was a proposal, so there are no results. Everything tagged Sample is made up to show how the dashboard works, and is replaced by real figures once they are reported.

  • Sample

    8 of 8

    Functional coverage

  • Sample

    4.3 / 5

    Ease of use

  • Sample

    4.4 / 5

    Support and implementation

  • Sample

    1,486

    Registrations processed

Platform

  • Sample

    8 of 8

    Functional coverage

    Included Pilot 1 streams demonstrated end-to-end on the VUKA event. Proposed target: all 8 streams demonstrated.

  • Sample

    4.3 / 5

    Ease of use

    Evaluator task-completion and a short usability rating (organiser and attendee views). Proposed target: 4 / 5 average or more.

  • Sample

    Verified

    Integration readiness

    HubSpot contact sync and live payment (PayFast/Adumo) confirmed working. Proposed target: verified end-to-end.

Score out of 100, by criterion
Usability rating out of 5, by view
Evaluator tasks completed

of evaluator tasks completed without help

Trust and delivery

  • Sample

    Compliant

    POPIA and data security

    Consent capture, in-region hosting and encryption evidenced. Proposed target: confirmed compliant.

  • Sample

    0 blocking

    Scalability and reliability

    Performance across the pilot registration and check-in volumes. Proposed target: no blocking issues.

  • Sample

    4.4 / 5

    Support and implementation

    Responsiveness and setup experience during the pilot. Proposed target: 4 / 5 average or more.

Score out of 100, by criterion
Check-in uptime on the day

of event hours with check-in and printing running

Support requests, by time to resolve
  • Same day 82%
  • Next day 15%
  • Later 3%

Registration and check-in

  • Sample

    1,486

    Registrations processed

    Registrations run through the VUKA-branded pilot tenant, alongside the current system

  • Sample

    1,172

    Checked in on site

    Attendees scanned in at QR gates, kiosks or the desk: 78.9% of registrations

  • Sample

    23

    Duplicate badges blocked

    Second scans or reprints the badge logic refused

Registrations, week by week (running total)
Registrations, by ticket type
Check-ins, by method
  • QR gate 58%
  • Self-service kiosk 31%
  • Desk 11%

Rand values excl. VAT. Figures tagged Sample are for illustration only: not results from this or any campaign.

The bigger picture: VUKA as an ecosystem

Before the pilot, we showed VUKA where it could lead. VUKA runs events across mining, energy, mobility, retail and the green economy. Every one of them is full of conversations that nobody measures today.

Concept artwork: a glowing VUKA Ecosystem hub linked to mining, energy, mobility, retail and green economy, and to audiences, exhibitors, sponsors, media, communities and data.

We don't replace the event platform. We make the event measurable.

  • No app to download: everything opens in the phone's browser
  • QR codes link delegates to exhibitors, content and offers
  • Passive insight on movement and dwell time, without RFID tags or beacons
  • Exhibitor interactions turned into leads and interest signals

One connected journey, before, during and after

  1. Register on mobileDelegates register on their phone, get a QR identity and an onboarding with their agenda and sessions picked for them.
  2. Fast-track arrivalAt the door they scan in at self-service gates: rapid access, with little to no queueing.
  3. Discover the floorAn interactive map shows nearby sessions and exhibitors to explore.
  4. Play and earnChallenges, rewards, surveys and content move delegates up the levels as they take part.
  5. VUKA sees what workedMovement, dwell time, sponsor attribution and engagement scores land on one live view.
  6. Stay connectedAfter the event, delegates join the community and see the next events, so the conversation keeps going.
Concept artwork: a hand holds a phone showing Registration Confirmed and a QR identity, beside cards for a welcome, an agenda of 18 sessions and a recommended summit.
Concept artwork: delegates pass through QR scanning gates under a Welcome, Fast Track Entry sign.
Concept artwork: a phone shows a Discover map of the expo floor with coloured pins and a nearby session.
Concept artwork: a smiling delegate on her phone, beside cards for her progress to level 4, 250 points earned and 3 of 5 challenges completed.
Concept artwork: an Event Intelligence dashboard with a heat map of the floor and an engagement-over-time line, with placeholder figures.
Concept artwork: a thank-you card reading Thank you for being part of the future of Africa, with a Join Community button, upcoming events and recommended content.
Step 1 of 6

Play that professionals take part in

  1. Your level, points and badgesEach delegate's home screen shows their level, missions completed, booths visited, points earned, badges and the next reward to unlock. Concept phone screen: Hi, Sarah, level 7, with 12 missions completed, 8 booths visited, 3,250 points earned, five badges and a next reward to unlock.
  2. Booth missionsMissions drive traffic to exhibitors: delegates visit the booths, scan the QR code and collect points. Concept phone screen: a booth mission card with a QR code to scan and +150 points.
  3. Learning questsQuick quests let delegates learn, engage and earn while they unlock insight, such as what drives Africa's energy transition. Concept phone screen: a quest asking what is a key driver of Africa's energy transition, with four answers and +250 points.
  4. Live pollsPolls, surveys and live content capture what the room thinks, for a few points each. Concept phone screen: a live poll on delegates' top priority, with energy security, sustainability, digital transformation and workforce skills, and +100 points.
  5. Invite a colleagueDelegates share their own code and earn together, which turns sharing into referrals. Concept phone screen: Invite a colleague, earn together, with a share code and +250 points.
  6. Climb the leaderboardThe event leaderboard fuels friendly competition and recognises the top performers. Concept phone screen: an event leaderboard of seven delegates by points, with You in seventh place highlighted.
Concept phone screen: Hi, Sarah, level 7, with 12 missions completed, 8 booths visited, 3,250 points earned, five badges and a next reward to unlock.
Step 1 of 6

Concept artwork and screen designs from our proposals, not a VUKA event; names and figures on them are placeholders.

Activations on the floor

  • Concept artwork, six panels: a golf simulator, kick the ball at goals, a putting challenge, a spin-the-wheel, a photobooth and a win-an-experience screen at an expo.
    Activations on the floorGolf simulator, kick-at-goals, putting, spin-the-wheel, photobooths and win-an-experience.

Exhibitors choose their digital fit-out

  • Bronze: digital presence

    A QR stand profile, company and product showcase, downloads, floor-plan location, basic lead capture and a basic dashboard.

  • Silver: engagement

    Bronze plus team profiles, video, meeting bookings, gamification, download tracking, push updates and a fuller dashboard.

  • Gold: full insight

    Silver plus audience journeys, heat maps and dwell time, lead scoring, sponsor attribution, API export and a presence all year round.

Open question from the demo: large South African convention centres often do not allow outside Wi-Fi hardware, so movement insight has to work with the venue's own Wi-Fi or with QR scans. That is one reason the work starts with a registration pilot.

What's next: four steps, then Pilot 2

  1. Confirm the pilot event and the window
  2. Nominate the VUKA evaluation team and agree the scorecard
  3. Sign off the Pilot 1 scope
  4. Schedule the kick-off and begin configuration

Held for Pilot 2, once the foundations are proven

An attendee app with personal agendas, consent-based networking, matchmaking, Q&A and polls; opt-in in-venue wayfinding to stands; exhibitor discovery and WhatsApp connections; a sponsor and exhibitor portal with lead retrieval; gamification; full HubSpot deal and commission attribution; an event website builder; speaker and abstract management; group bookings; offline scanning for low-connectivity venues; and an automation engine and API.

Privacy by design: location, colleague finding and WhatsApp connections are explicit opt-ins. Attendees choose what to share, can see what is shared and can revoke it at any time, with a full consent audit trail; where consent is absent, the feature is simply unavailable.

From registration to an intelligent event ecosystem

Pilot 1 proves the foundation. Pilot 2, an indicative 8 to 12 weeks, extends it step by step.

  1. Registration intelligence (Pilot 1): smart forms, ticketing, payments, badge logic and self-service. A branded experience and clean data.
  2. Engagement intelligence (Pilot 2): WhatsApp-first messages, notifications, content and an attendee portal.
  3. Audience intelligence (Pilot 2): live behaviour, preferences and segments, for smarter targeting.
  4. Exhibitor intelligence (Pilot 2): lead capture, meeting booking, content uploads and performance tracking.
  5. Sponsor intelligence (Pilot 2): visibility tracking, deliverables and return on sponsorship.
  6. The intelligent event ecosystem: all data connected and every stakeholder aligned, across VUKA's events and markets.

Let VUKA's own event make the case.

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