How Montreal Korean Festival turned a paper passport into a digital experience
Article
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August 21, 2025
Last year, the Montreal Korean Festival spent more than $3,000 on paper passports for their event, but only a few hundred were used. This year, to reduce costs and waste, they adopted a digital approach with CHCKN, transforming the festival into a fully trackable and engaging experience.
From stamps to badges
With CHCKN, the passport became a digital card. Instead of carrying paper, visitors earned badges linked to Korea Fest's games and activities:
Complete a challenge → scan a QR code → claim a badge instantly.
Collect all 8 badges → unlock a prize.
In just 3 days, over 500 people participated, and organizers now know exactly who joined: by name, email, and phone number, and on what date they participated.
What we built
To make this possible, CHCKN customized its core product to fit a festival format:
Custom sign-up page: A fully branded portal where participants join the program.
Self-claiming stamps: Instead of merchants scanning cards, participants scanned QR codes themselves to claim badges after each activity.
Verified claiming flow: A claim process with sign-up and authentication, ensuring every badge was tied to a real participant profile.
Why it worked
Interactive by design: Challenges weren’t passive; people had to participate to earn badges. That made the rewards feel more meaningful.
Prizes boost participation: Sign-ups increased when organizers offered better prizes. It showed how rewards can drive engagement.
Digital means data: Instead of guessing how many people played, organizers had a real list of participants to invite back next year.
Takeaways for your event
If you’re thinking about doing something similar, here’s what we’d recommend:
Capture sign-ups first. Make joining the program the initial step, then let people earn badges along the way. That way, you won’t miss anyone.
Match the reward to the effort. Small prizes can work, but bigger rewards encourage people to complete the entire journey.
Track engagement in real time. With a digital system, you can see how many people are signing up and which activities generate the most interest.
Montreal Korean Festival x CHCKN
For Montreal Korean Festival, going digital wasn’t just about convenience. It transformed a one-off paper passport into a living loyalty program, offering a way to identify and re-engage people who care about Korean culture long after the weekend ended.
From stamps to badges
With CHCKN, the passport became a digital card. Instead of carrying paper, visitors earned badges linked to Korea Fest's games and activities:
Complete a challenge → scan a QR code → claim a badge instantly.
Collect all 8 badges → unlock a prize.
In just 3 days, over 500 people participated, and organizers now know exactly who joined: by name, email, and phone number, and on what date they participated.
What we built
To make this possible, CHCKN customized its core product to fit a festival format:
Custom sign-up page: A fully branded portal where participants join the program.
Self-claiming stamps: Instead of merchants scanning cards, participants scanned QR codes themselves to claim badges after each activity.
Verified claiming flow: A claim process with sign-up and authentication, ensuring every badge was tied to a real participant profile.
Why it worked
Interactive by design: Challenges weren’t passive; people had to participate to earn badges. That made the rewards feel more meaningful.
Prizes boost participation: Sign-ups increased when organizers offered better prizes. It showed how rewards can drive engagement.
Digital means data: Instead of guessing how many people played, organizers had a real list of participants to invite back next year.
Takeaways for your event
If you’re thinking about doing something similar, here’s what we’d recommend:
Capture sign-ups first. Make joining the program the initial step, then let people earn badges along the way. That way, you won’t miss anyone.
Match the reward to the effort. Small prizes can work, but bigger rewards encourage people to complete the entire journey.
Track engagement in real time. With a digital system, you can see how many people are signing up and which activities generate the most interest.
Montreal Korean Festival x CHCKN
For Montreal Korean Festival, going digital wasn’t just about convenience. It transformed a one-off paper passport into a living loyalty program, offering a way to identify and re-engage people who care about Korean culture long after the weekend ended.
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