Kenya's event ticketing landscape has long been plagued by issues of fraud, limited audience engagement, and a lack of post-event analysis. However, GiG, a homegrown event ticketing platform, is revolutionizing the industry with its innovative approach to these challenges. Founded in 2018, GiG has already made a significant impact, handling over 500 events, selling over 80,000 tickets, and processing over $200,000 in revenue.

According to David Reed, co-founder and CEO of GiG, the platform was created to address the limitations of traditional ticketing solutions. "We started GiG after realizing that a lot of the ticketing solutions simply ended at providing tickets and left event organizers with a hard time handling the rest of the attendee management process," Reed explained. GiG's solution is to provide a comprehensive platform that enables event organizers to build communities around their events, engage attendees before, during, and after the event, and analyze attendee data to improve future events.

One of the key features that sets GiG apart from its competitors is its focus on audience engagement. The platform provides tools for messaging, polls, and audience analytics, allowing event organizers to build interest-based profiles for attendees and link them with similar events and like-minded individuals. This approach has proven to be highly effective, with event organizers reporting increased engagement and retention rates.

GiG has also implemented robust fraud prevention measures, including a data-driven approach to monitor transactions and detect suspicious purchases. The platform flags suspicious purchases and limits ticket access when the system detects purchasing patterns common with ticket fraud. Additionally, GiG uses real-time reconciliation to process transactions, reducing the risk of disputes and ensuring that event organizers have immediate access to funds.

The platform's growth has been driven primarily by referrals and word-of-mouth, with customer acquisition costs kept low at $5 per organizer. GiG is now looking to raise external funding to expand its operations and further develop its platform. With its innovative approach to event ticketing, GiG is poised to become a leading player in the industry, not just in Kenya but across Africa.

As the event ticketing industry continues to evolve, GiG's focus on audience engagement, fraud prevention, and post-event analysis is setting a new standard for event organizers and attendees alike. With its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, GiG is revolutionizing the way events are organized and experienced in Kenya and beyond.

In a market dominated by international players like Eventbrite, GiG's success is a testament to the potential of African startups to innovate and disrupt traditional industries. As the platform continues to grow and expand, it will be exciting to see how it shapes the future of event ticketing in Africa.