Software developer jumps on e-ticketing train

Jovan Gaskin wants to help party promoters and organisers incorporate technology into their industry with his new e-ticketing website and app – Made Tickets.

The app, he said, was released on July 20 – after starting last January – as he needed to make a few tweaks to make his app stand out more as opposed to his competitors' and to make operations smoother for organisers and users.

He said, “I tried to be different, aesthetically and have better features, so I have a lot of similar features to those that they have."

His free app, created with his own resources and financials, will include tracking of events – inclusive of when and where the event is, a scanner included in the app for organisers to scan tickets easier from their phones.

Gaskin said what he is trying to do is get people to be impressed, where they start thinking they are using an app created by the “first world.”

He said he took the extra time – from his initial launch date of July 1 – to make the app more user-friendly.

But both the website and app will give users the opportunity to purchase and access tickets faster and help organisers manage events faster and smoother.

Gaskin is a software developer and so, Made Tickets was just a project for him to make a name for himself within this industry.

He added, “The financials behind isn’t what I hoped, but my time and investment in it and my energy will be my comfort. In order to have this up and running, I did have to pay for server, the domain names and have everything to be stored online, so I can put the app on for the public.”

The cost of domains, he said, is upwards of $3,000 per month and this just ensures his work has a safe place online, but those interested in starting their own sites should know that this cost covers the rest of projects he is working on or has established already.

When asked if he was nervous of the already-established, he said, “When you go to the grocery and you look at the lane of bread you don't say ‘Well, I'm not going to not sell my bread, my brand, because I see all of these here. So it's what different ingredients you could have and I don't think the market is meant… well in technology, is meant for one person. Other people could have their input and their products.”

Gaskin said he has had no partnerships with any organisers or businesses, but hopes as the app can be downloaded on the Play Store and the App Store for free, it will attract potential business.

“One of the noteworthy things of the app, I would say, is the feature where you can keep track of all events done by your favourite organiser and notifications will be sent every time they release an event.”

Other projects Gaskin has been working are Made Express which he has partnered with DHL for deliveries to be done regionally and Made Academy which is an online space for people of all ages to access information for the many levels of education.

“The aim of Made Express is to be like Amazon for the Caribbean, so the vision is to have Caribbean Amazon marketplace where anyone with a registered business can post their products on Made Express and we provide the marketplace for people to buy online safely.”

This follows in the footsteps of Parlour Caribbean launched by the Telecommunications Services of TT last year.

Gaskin hopes to embark upon more projects within the cyber realm in the near future.