Scanning tickets at the door

The door is your event's first scene and your data's last chance. Running it well is arithmetic (scans per minute), preparation (offline mode), and one rehearsed protocol for the moment a ticket scans red. (Underlying tech: QR tickets guide.)

The arithmetic

• Real-world throughput: 6–10 scans/minute/device including the fumbling.
• So: 400 people, doors 19:00, headliner 20:30, 70% arriving in the peak hour → 280/60 ≈ 4.7/min average with 2–3× peaks → you need 2 devices minimum, 3 for comfort.
• Every device is a staff phone with the platform's scanner app — hardware scanners earn their keep only at 1,000+/hour or in rain.

Setup that survives the venue

1. Confirm offline scanning and multi-device sync before the day; basements eat signal.
2. Download/sync the guest data on wifi before doors; re-sync hourly.
3. Charge bricks per device; brightness up; torch mode found in advance.
4. One lane per device plus a separate resolution point out of the flow — problems must never block the queue.

The duplicate protocol

When a code scans 'already used': stay warm, step them aside, look up by name, check ID against the order, and decide by policy (first-scan-wins unless the named holder is standing in front of you). Ninety seconds, no drama, queue unbroken. Rehearse it once with staff and it stays boring.

The data you keep

Scan timestamps are your arrival curve — next event's staffing rota, support-act billing argument and bar-stocking plan. Export it. Door data is the cheapest operational intelligence an event generates.