Cooltopia - Cool Cats NFT

Client Cooltopia 2022 - New York, USA

Overview

Cooltopia was a connected physical-to-digital event system where attendees used NFC bracelets to start games, track performance, accumulate points in real time, and redeem merchandise or food rewards. The platform acted as the operational application layer for participant identity, scoring, activity tracking, and reward redemption across multiple stations in the venue.

I built the full application layer of the system, including backend APIs, scoring logic, participant tracking, totem interfaces, a reward redemption app, and an event CMS. The result was a real-world event platform designed to support high traffic, distributed interactions, and real-time state consistency during live operations.

My Role

Problem

The event needed a reliable application system to coordinate participant activity across many physical stations in real time. Each attendee used a single NFC bracelet identity across games, scoring stations, and reward redemption, so the platform had to maintain consistent participant state while handling high event traffic and multiple score sources.

The engineering challenge was to connect physical interactions and digital systems into one operational workflow without delays, double counting, or point inconsistencies during a live event.

Solution

I built a full-stack event platform centered on NFC-based participant identity and real-time point tracking. The backend handled participant state, score ingestion, scoring rules, activity history, and redemption logic, while the frontend applications handled participant-facing totems, reward redemption interactions, and event operations through a CMS.

The system was designed to support live-event reliability by:

• Using a centralized participant record tied to NFC bracelet scans
• Processing score updates from time-based activities and external digital games
• Synchronizing points and redemption state across totems, reward devices, and admin tools
• Separating operational interfaces by role (participant totems, redemption app, CMS)
• Integrating treasure chest communication (MQTT) and participant email workflows (RabbitMQ + SendGrid) alongside API-based event integrations

This approach made the platform the operational brain of the event, connecting physical installations and digital experiences through a shared application layer.

Application Features

NFC Bracelet Identity & Participant Tracking

• NFC scan-based participant identification across games, activities, and reward redemption
• Centralized participant profile and points tracking across the venue
• Full activity history storage for auditing and operational support

Totem Applications (Vue + Quasar + Electron)

• Participant-facing totem interfaces to start and finish activities
• Real-time display of results and accumulated points
• Fast, simple interactions designed for high throughput during live event traffic

Scoring & Score Ingestion System

• Time-based game scoring logic managed in the backend
• Score ingestion from external digital games and integrated partner systems
• Point accumulation updates synchronized to participant records and frontends

Reward Redemption App (Ionic Vue)

• Separate redemption application for merchandise and food selection
• NFC scan to identify participant and fetch current points
• Automatic point deduction and real-time backend synchronization during redemption

Event CMS & Operations

• CMS for participant management and activity administration
• Email sending workflows for event operations and communication
• Manual point adjustment tools for operational corrections when needed

Technical Highlights

Backend Application Layer (NestJS + MongoDB)

• API design for participant tracking, activities, scoring, redemption, and CMS operations
• Centralized participant state management tied to NFC bracelet identity
• Storage of detailed activity history and accumulated points
• Integration points for external digital game systems, API-based event clients (including totems), treasure chest communication (MQTT), and email workflows (RabbitMQ + SendGrid)

Real-Time Event Integration & Consistency

• Multi-source score ingestion (time-based games + external game APIs)
• MQTT integration for the treasure chest physical interaction workflow
• Consistency of points and redemption state across distributed devices and apps
• Cross-team integration with digital game systems, totem/client API flows, and physical installation workflows

Frontend Applications (Totems, Redemption App, CMS)

• Vue.js + Quasar + Electron totem interfaces optimized for event-floor usage
• Ionic Vue redemption app for staff-operated reward and food redemption flows
• Admin CMS interfaces supporting live event operations and exception handling
• UI behavior designed for quick interactions, clear feedback, and continuous operation

What This Project Demonstrates

• Full-stack ownership of a real-world event platform application layer
• Real-time systems engineering for live operational environments
• NFC-based identity management and physical-to-digital workflow integration
• Backend architecture for distributed scoring, participant tracking, and redemption logic
• Cross-team technical integration with digital game teams and physical installation teams
• Event-scale reliability and state consistency across multiple apps and devices

Impact

Cooltopia demonstrates full-stack engineering ownership in a high-scale live event environment. The system successfully connected NFC identity, scoring, participant tracking, and reward redemption across physical stations and digital applications, enabling the event to operate as a unified gamified experience in real time.