FrontHAUS – Bridging the gap between physical and digital events

FrontHAUS’ core team (Clockwise from top right): Jason Chee, Shawn Tjai, Tan Kian Ann and Kee Cheng Heng

In 2018, lovers of the arts, Jason Chee and Kee Cheng Heng felt that a better ticketing solution would help the local and international arts scene grow. They set up FrontHAUS as a technology company focusing on the digital transformation of events and developing a next-generation ticketing platform to make the ticketing experience fast and easy. Their initial plan was to create a new ticketing solution that would make it simpler for patrons to purchase tickets, with lower fees, no hidden costs and greater transparency. At the same time, this ticketing solution would be more efficient and profitable for artists and production houses, who could then focus maximum efforts on delivering the best performance possible.  

However, when COVID-19 hit, it came with both challenges and new opportunities for FrontHAUS. Like everywhere else, the arts scene was impacted by social distancing regulations, so Jason and Cheng Heng were forced to pivot. They put developing their ticketing solution on hold, and instead focused on supporting organisations to hold events in a digital or a hybrid format. Their pivot was indeed timely, and to date, FrontHAUS have successfully organised digital events for customers including international banks, large hotel chains and Singapore government agencies.

“Events from Dinner & Dances to conferences with keynote speeches or prize presentation ceremonies, can all be organised virtually or in a hybrid format, with the bonus of a significantly larger reach. With the rise of new technologies like augmented reality, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and the evolution of the Metaverse, we feel that it is unlikely for events to return to their physical-only format, even post-COVID-19. The cost efficiencies and potential reach of the digital space far outweigh the benefit of going back to traditional events,” explained Jason Chee, Co-founder of FrontHAUS.

In addition, digital events open up other opportunities such as online advertising, leveraging data analytics, as well as providing immersive experiences, such as mini games, contests or interactive Q&A. However, despite these advantages for holding digital/ hybrid events, there is still some resistance. Zoom meetings and online seminars/ conferences lack the same feel as a face-to-face hand shake at an actual event. Participants – some who may not be so tech savvy – have to navigate through tech jargon and be familiar with different applications such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom break-out rooms and streaming feeds.  

The landing lobby at a virtual event organised by FrontHAUS

“Event participants should not need to know or understand the technologies powering these digital events. The underlying processes should be invisible to the user. At the stipulated time, participants simply need to visit the event website, which if done correctly would have the same atmosphere of a physical event, and then navigate online to select which talks they wish to attend, or which booths they want to visit. In panel discussion type events, speakers can interact in real time with each other, despite not being physically located together, and audiences will be none the wiser. If there are exhibition booths, participants can chat with company representatives stationed at the booths, or other event participants, much like an actual event. With exciting technologies arising within the event space, we are able to create new gamification experiences. For example, we recently partnered with HelloHolo, a mixed reality tech company, to provide augmented reality invitation cards at our event, which were met with great enthusiasm from the audience,” said Cheng Heng, Co-founder FrontHAUS.

With the business set to take off, Cheng Heng and Jason realized the importance of leveraging on their brand and decided to register FrontHAUS’ trademark in 2021. With assistance from That.Legal, FrontHAUS secured EnterpriseSG’s Market Readiness Assistance grant, which they used to register their trademark in Singapore and 8 markets internationally, including the European Union.

“We knew we had to register our trademark, because of the power this gives to our brand. For example, previously, we were unable to secure some handles on social media platforms, such as Instagram. However, approaching these platforms as a business with a registered trademark allowed us to secure our handles. Furthermore, having a registered trademark helps to boost our reputation and inform clients that we are a serious business entity,” said Jason Chee. “EnterpriseSG’s Market Readiness Assistance grant helped cover a significant portion of the costs for registering the trademark. This is an excellent help for start-ups like us to take their first step into overseas markets. An added advantage is that the process for getting the grant and registering our trademark was nice and simple. With guidance from both EnterpriseSG and That.Legal, it went smoothly, and took far less time and paperwork than we originally expected.”

Registering their trademark will help FrontHAUS in its international expansion efforts. The company has already worked with regional clients, helping them to organise digital or hybrid events, and hopes to work soon with international clients from the United States, Canada, Europe or Australia. And although Cheng Heng and Jason put developing their ticketing solution on the back burner, they have not abandoned it completely.

“For our ticketing solution, we are continuing to develop it, albeit slower than originally anticipated due to our pivot. We hope to launch this new service in Singapore next year, before expanding it regionally and then internationally from 2025 onwards. Our registered trademark will be useful in ensuring our international expansion efforts proceed smoothly. Having a trademark registered in new territories creates an initial legal presence. Its protection gives us a peace of mind, and ensures our brand will not get hijacked. Our trademark also helps us be recognized as an established business, especially should we consider licensing our solution as one way for further expansion,” explained Cheng Heng. “The pandemic has shown the world a new way of conducting events. New experiences like the Metaverse, and the rise of innovative technologies will no doubt make the digital events scene a hot space to be in, with huge potential for growth. Exciting times ahead!”

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