A Simple Solution for a One-Off Movie Premiere 🎬
The problem: finding the right tool for a one-time event 🎯
A friend of mine runs a small non-event agency. They don’t organize events regularly - just occasionally when something special comes up. Recently, they had a private movie premiere invitation to manage, and they needed a simple attendance system.
The challenge? They needed something that would work for just this one event. No long-term commitment, no complicated setup, and definitely no enterprise-level features they’d never use.
Why not Eventbrite or other big platforms? 🤷
My friend looked at Eventbrite and other enterprise-level solutions. They’re great platforms, but they’re built for people who run events regularly. The setup process felt overwhelming - account creation, payment processing setup, complex dashboards, and features they’d never touch.
For a one-off private invitation, it was overkill. They just needed:
- Generate unique QR codes for each guest
- Scan tickets at the door
- Track who showed up
- Work smoothly offline (because event venues and internet don’t always mix)
That’s it. Simple, quick, and reliable.
Enter Qerge ✨
I suggested they try Qerge. Here’s why it worked perfectly for their use case:
No complicated setup 🚀
They created an account, uploaded their guest list as a CSV file, and generated QR codes in minutes. No payment processing setup, no complex configurations, no learning curve.
Works offline 📱
The scanner app works completely offline. When the venue’s Wi-Fi was spotty (which it was), the scanners kept working. Everything synced automatically once they were back online.
Perfect for one-time use 💼
They didn’t need a long-term subscription or enterprise features. Qerge’s free plan was enough for their guest list, and they could use it just for this event without any ongoing commitment.
How they used it for the movie premiere 🎥
Here’s the actual workflow they followed:
Guest list preparation: They had a list of invitees for the private movie screening. They formatted it as a simple CSV with names and contact info.
QR code generation: Uploaded the CSV to Qerge, and within minutes, they had unique QR codes for each guest. They printed them on simple invitation cards.
Scanner setup: Created a scanner in Qerge specifically for this event. The scanner app was installed on a couple of tablets they borrowed.
At the event: When guests arrived, staff scanned their QR codes. The scanner worked perfectly offline, showing instant confirmation when someone’s ticket was validated.
Real-time tracking: They could see attendance in real-time on their phone - who had arrived, who was still expected. This helped them manage the seating and timing.
After the event: They had a complete record of who attended, which was useful for follow-up and future invitations.
The result 🎉
The event went smoothly. The attendance system worked exactly as needed - no hiccups, no confusion, no complicated tech issues. My friend was happy because:
- Setup took less than 30 minutes
- It worked reliably throughout the event
- No ongoing costs or commitments
- They got exactly what they needed, nothing more
Sometimes simple is better 💡
This is exactly the kind of use case I had in mind when building Qerge. Not everyone needs enterprise-level event management software. Sometimes you just need a tool that does one thing well - track attendance for your event - without all the bells and whistles.
If you’re organizing a one-off event, a private gathering, or just need a simple attendance system that works, Qerge might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Have questions or want to share your own use case? Email me or find me on X @tim.ay.1mb