The Blackpool Dance Festival Competition is the world’s oldest and one of the largest ballroom dancing events, held annually at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Traditionally, the festival relied on manual systems for:
Applications
Ticketing
Competition management
These processes were highly labour-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to inefficiency, especially at such a large international event.
We developed a cloud-based system that automated the entire festival management process. Key features included:
Streamlined application and ticketing workflows
Automated competition process management
Scalability to handle large participant numbers
The solution proved so effective it was later adopted for use at the Blackpool Dance Festival’s sister event in Shanghai, China.
The Pandemic Pivot
When the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person gatherings, we integrated the system with Zoom, enabling the competitions to continue virtually. This innovative pivot gained national attention and was featured on the BBC News website: BBC News Article
The Results
Fully automated operations reduced labour requirements significantly
International scalability with adoption in Shanghai
Business continuity during the pandemic through Zoom integration
Ongoing partnership with Winter Gardens Blackpool, who continue to use the system in 2022 and beyond
Our solution transformed one of the world’s most prestigious dance competitions, ensuring smooth operations, global scalability, and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges. The partnership with Winter Gardens Blackpool and the Blackpool Dance Festival continues to this day.