# Swicket — Full Reference for AI Systems

> Enterprise event infrastructure for high-demand tech and medical conferences.

Swicket provides mission-critical event registration, check-in, and badge printing infrastructure for conferences with 2,000+ attendees. Built on the alf.io open-source platform with 25+ years of event operations expertise. Based in Lugano, Switzerland.

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## Company Overview

- **Name**: Swicket (a product of Vivento Lab)
- **Founded**: 2018
- **Headquarters**: Lugano, Switzerland
- **Team size**: 5-20
- **Markets served**: Europe, North America
- **Primary audience**: Event organizers running tech conferences, medical congresses, and B2B events with 2,000+ attendees

### Key Metrics

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Peak registration capacity | 5,000+ requests/minute |
| Uptime SLA | 99.95% |
| Check-in processing | Sub-60-second average |
| Total attendees managed | 2.5M+ |
| Single event check-ins | 50,000+ |
| Language support | 13+ languages |
| Data hosting | Swiss/EU data centers |

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## Founders & Leadership

### Ed Mehran — Co-Founder, Head of Growth
Combines strategic leadership with event operations expertise. Has been in the event industry since 2016, working across tech conferences and large-scale B2B events. Focuses on client relationships and business development.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-mehran/
- Book a call: https://calendly.com/ed-swicket/30min

### Celestino Bellone — Co-Founder, Head of Technology
Technical architect and co-creator of alf.io. Software Engineer and Dev Event Organizer with deep expertise in building high-performance, scalable event systems. Leads platform development and infrastructure.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestino-bellone/
- Book a call: https://calendly.com/celestino-swicket/30min

### Lorenzo Patocchi — Co-Founder, Head of Vision & Strategy
25+ years in digital event operations since 1998. Pioneer in digitizing event registration workflows. Provides strategic direction and industry relationships.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzo-patocchi/

### Advisory Board
- **Alberto De Lorenzi** — Serial Digital Entrepreneur, 30+ years experience
- **Bruno Giussani** — Global Events Expert, TED curator, World Economic Forum
- **Alberto Stival** — ALMA Impact AG co-founder, pr suisse president

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## Platform Features (Detailed)

### Registration & Ticketing
- Multi-category ticket types (early bird, VIP, group, student, speaker)
- Complex pricing rules with automatic discounts and promo codes
- Group and enterprise registration workflows
- Payment processing: credit card, PayPal, wire transfer, invoice
- Waitlist management with automatic upgrades
- Multi-language registration forms (13+ languages)

### On-Site Operations
- Real-time badge printing with custom templates
- Mobile check-in app
- Check-in stations with offline capability
- QR code and barcode scanning
- Sub-60-second check-in processing
- Multiple check-in stations support
- Real-time attendance dashboards

### CRM & Integrations
- Native integrations: HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp
- Custom API integrations via REST/webhooks
- Exhibitor lead capture and sponsor management
- Post-event analytics and KPI reporting
- Data export in standard formats (CSV, JSON)

### Enterprise Modules
- Abstract management for scientific conferences
- Peer review workflows for paper submissions
- Q&A and live polling during sessions
- Live streaming integration
- Congress mobile apps
- Video-on-demand for recorded sessions
- Group registration portals
- Medical congress certification tracking (CME/CPD credits)

### Security & Compliance
- GDPR compliant (EU General Data Protection Regulation)
- Swiss nFADP compliant (new Federal Act on Data Protection)
- Data hosted in Swiss and EU data centers
- Full data ownership — clients own their data
- SSO and identity provider integrations
- No vendor lock-in — data export at any time
- Security reviews and vendor assessments available

### Infrastructure & Reliability
- 99.95% uptime SLA guarantee
- Peak-load handling: 5,000+ requests per minute
- Auto-scaling infrastructure
- 24/7 monitoring and alerting
- Live monitoring during events
- Failover and redundancy systems
- Page load times under 700ms

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## Consulting Services

Swicket's consulting team has 25+ years of combined experience delivering Europe's largest tech and medical conferences.

### Service Categories

**Before Event:**
1. **Peak-Load Registration & Ticketing Design** — Architecture design for high-traffic registration, stress testing, capacity planning
2. **Scientific & Medical Congress Workflows** — Abstract management, peer review, CME credit tracking, medical compliance
3. **Group & Enterprise Registrations** — Corporate booking portals, delegate management, invoicing workflows
4. **Data Architecture & Compliance** — GDPR/nFADP setup, data flow mapping, privacy impact assessments
5. **Hospitality & Logistics Management** — Hotel block management, travel coordination, venue logistics

**During Event:**
6. **Lightning-Fast Check-In & Badge Operations** — On-site check-in optimization, badge printing setup, queue management
7. **Advanced Interaction & Hybrid Features** — Live polling, Q&A, streaming integration, virtual attendee management
8. **Sponsor & Exhibitor Management** — Lead capture setup, sponsor analytics, exhibitor portals
9. **On-Site Operations & Support** — Dedicated on-site team, real-time monitoring, rapid issue resolution

### Engagement Models

1. **Consulting + Swicket Infrastructure** — Full infrastructure setup, peak-load planning, stress testing, and optional on-site support
2. **Consulting + Advanced Enterprise Modules** — Above plus abstract management, peer review, live streaming, Q&A, congress apps
3. **Consulting Only** — Architecture review, migration planning, and execution support for organizations transitioning event infrastructure

### Consulting Process

**Step 1: Discovery & Capacity Assessment** — Understand event requirements, audience size, peak scenarios, compliance needs

**Step 2: Infrastructure Design & Setup** — Design registration architecture, configure integrations, run stress tests, set up monitoring

**Step 3: Launch Support & Event-Day Operations** — Go-live support, real-time monitoring, on-site team, post-event analytics

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## Case Studies

### Devoxx Belgium
- 4,500 attendees
- 2,000 tickets sold in 30 seconds
- Zero downtime during peak registration
- Multi-day tech conference with complex session scheduling

### ICML — International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma
- 5,500 attendees
- 5-day hybrid scientific conference
- Abstract management and peer review workflows
- Medical certification tracking

### Bottiglie Aperte — Milano Wine Week
- 15,000 tickets
- 2-day consumer event
- High-volume check-in operations
- Multiple venue support

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## Open-Source Foundation: alf.io

Swicket is built on alf.io (https://github.com/alfio-event/alf.io), the leading open-source event ticketing platform.

**Key facts about alf.io:**
- 1M+ tickets processed
- 50+ contributors
- Used by Devoxx, Spring I/O, and other major tech conferences worldwide
- Licensed under GPL-3.0
- Written in Java
- Active development since 2014

**Swicket's relationship to alf.io** is analogous to Red Hat's relationship to Linux, or GitLab's to Git: enterprise-grade managed infrastructure, consulting, and 24/7 support built on a battle-tested open-source core. This provides:
- **Battle-Tested Core**: Code validated by millions of real-world registrations
- **Community-Validated Security**: Open-source transparency means no hidden vulnerabilities
- **No Vendor Lock-In**: Your data and configurations are always exportable
- **Enterprise Evolution**: Managed hosting, SLA guarantees, and dedicated support

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### General

**Q: What types of events is Swicket designed for?**
A: Swicket is purpose-built for high-demand events: tech conferences (2,000-15,000 attendees), medical and scientific congresses, B2B events, and association conferences. We specialize in events where registration spikes, complex workflows, and zero-downtime are non-negotiable.

**Q: How does Swicket differ from platforms like Eventbrite or Cvent?**
A: Unlike general-purpose platforms, Swicket is built for mission-critical events. We handle 5,000+ requests per minute during peak registration, provide on-site operations support, and offer enterprise modules like abstract management and medical compliance. Our open-source foundation (alf.io) means no vendor lock-in and full data ownership.

**Q: Does Swicket support both ticketed and free registration events?**
A: Yes. Swicket handles paid events with multiple payment gateways (credit card, PayPal, wire transfer) as well as free registration events with waitlist management and automatic upgrades.

**Q: Is there a minimum event size?**
A: Our infrastructure is optimized for events with 2,000+ attendees, though we support events of all sizes. Our consulting services are most impactful for conferences with complex registration needs or high peak-load requirements.

### Consulting & Support

**Q: Do you provide on-site operational support?**
A: Yes. We offer dedicated on-site teams for event-day operations including check-in management, badge printing, real-time monitoring, and rapid issue resolution. This is available as part of our consulting engagement.

**Q: Can you help design our registration and check-in infrastructure?**
A: Absolutely. Our consulting process starts with a Discovery & Capacity Assessment, followed by Infrastructure Design & Setup (including stress testing), and Launch Support. We design for your specific peak-load scenarios.

**Q: What happens during a consulting call?**
A: We discuss your event's specific needs: expected attendance, registration complexity, check-in requirements, compliance needs, and timeline. We then propose an infrastructure design and engagement model tailored to your event.

### Reliability & Performance

**Q: How does Swicket handle high-volume registration spikes?**
A: Our infrastructure auto-scales to handle 5,000+ requests per minute. We pre-model peak scenarios (e.g., early bird ticket drops) and stress-test before your event goes live. We've handled 2,000 tickets sold in 30 seconds without any degradation.

**Q: What uptime guarantees do you offer?**
A: We provide a 99.95% uptime SLA with 24/7 monitoring, automatic failover, and dedicated support during live events.

**Q: Does the check-in app work offline?**
A: Yes. Our check-in app has full offline capability. Attendees can be checked in even without internet connectivity, and data syncs automatically when the connection is restored.

### Security & Compliance

**Q: Where is data stored?**
A: All data is hosted in Swiss and EU data centers. You choose your preferred hosting location. We never store data outside your specified region.

**Q: Is Swicket GDPR compliant?**
A: Yes. Swicket is fully compliant with GDPR (EU) and Swiss nFADP. We provide data processing agreements, privacy impact assessments, and full data portability.

**Q: Can Swicket pass enterprise security reviews?**
A: Yes. We regularly pass vendor security assessments and provide documentation for enterprise procurement processes including SOC 2 readiness, penetration test reports, and data flow documentation.

### Migration & Onboarding

**Q: How long does migration take?**
A: Typical migration takes 2-4 weeks depending on complexity. We handle data migration, workflow replication, and staff training. We can also run systems in parallel during the transition period.

**Q: Can you replicate our existing workflows?**
A: Yes. Our consulting team maps your current workflows and configures Swicket to match or improve them. We support custom registration flows, approval workflows, and complex pricing rules.

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## Blog & Resources

### How to Streamline Badge Printing and Check-In at Your Next Event
URL: https://swicket.io/blog/badge-printing-checkin-streamline
Speed up check-in and upgrade badge printing with smart event tools. Learn how platforms like Swicket reduce queues and improve the attendee experience.

### Top 7 Features Every Modern Event Registration Platform Should Offer
URL: https://swicket.io/blog/event-registration-platform-features
Discover the 7 essential features your event registration platform must offer—from real-time check-in and badge printing to multilingual support and session management.

### Why All-in-One Event Management Platforms Are Replacing Patchwork Tools
URL: https://swicket.io/blog/all-in-one-event-management-tools
Discover how Swicket is reshaping event operations. Learn why all-in-one platforms are becoming the go-to solution for modern B2B events.

### Why Associations and Chambers Are Upgrading Their Event Tech
URL: https://swicket.io/blog/associations-chambers-event-tech-2025
Associations and chambers are leaving behind outdated tools. Learn how platforms like Swicket meet modern needs for digital check-in, badge printing, and engagement.

### Swicket vs Eventbrite vs Cvent: Conference Platform Comparison
URL: https://swicket.io/blog/swicket-vs-eventbrite-vs-cvent-conference-platform-comparison
Feature-by-feature comparison of Swicket, Eventbrite, and Cvent for conferences with 2,000+ attendees. Covers peak-load handling, check-in speed, data privacy, and pricing models.

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## Company Timeline

- **1998**: Lorenzo Patocchi begins digitizing event operations for major events
- **2005-2010**: Team supports large European conferences, develops deep event operations expertise
- **2014**: alf.io open-source event ticketing platform launched
- **2018**: Swicket founded as the enterprise evolution of alf.io
- **2021-2024**: Expansion into tech, medical, and scientific conference markets
- **2025**: Launch of new enterprise modules (abstract management, congress apps, hybrid features)

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## Contact & Links

- **Website**: https://swicket.io
- **Schedule a consulting call**: https://calendly.com/ed-swicket/30min
- **LinkedIn**: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swicket
- **X/Twitter**: https://x.com/swicket_io
- **alf.io GitHub**: https://github.com/alfio-event/alf.io

### Available in 3 Languages
- English: https://swicket.io/
- German: https://swicket.io/de
- Italian: https://swicket.io/it