Kerry Drinks Festival

Project Challenge

The core challenges for this project were:

• Handle in-house ticket sales via WooCommerce and Tickera.
• Create a standalone identity for the new festival while still tying it visually to Cork Whiskey Fest so returning customers could recognise the connection.
• Build a website that was both minimalist and expandable — clean and easy to use now, but structured in a way that allows for future growth and technical upgrades.

The ticketing system itself required full control by the client, QR code generated tickets, Apple/Google Wallet compatibility, and check-in tools. While the workflow was similar to what we implemented for Cork Whiskey Fest, it still needed to be fully configured from scratch, with attention to new content, branding, and structure.

Web Design & Development

The site was built as a fully custom WordPress theme, tailored specifically for Kerry Drinks Festival.
While it takes cues from the Cork Whiskey Fest site — including the layout structure and navigation flow — the visual identity is entirely new, with its own colour palette, branding accents, and tone.

From the beginning, the site was developed with future growth in mind, including support for API integrations down the line. This ensures the platform can expand to support features like mobile apps, third-party sync, or real-time updates as the festival evolves.

Key Features:

• Custom WooCommerce + Tickera Setup: Full in-house ticket sales, QR code generated tickets, and wallet support — mirroring the proven setup from Cork Whiskey Fest, but implemented with new branding, product types, and content for this festival.
• Simple, Focused Layout: The interface was intentionally kept clean and uncluttered, helping customers find essential info quickly and reducing the risk of ticketing confusion.
• Branding & Visual Strategy: I developed a colour palette and style guide that visually connects Kerry Drinks Festival to its parent event, without being derivative. Subtle visual links (like structure, spacing, and type rhythm) help reinforce the connection, while the overall look and feel remains distinct and appropriate to a different kind of drinks event.
• Future-Proof Backend: The site is structured for growth — with API-ready architecture that allows for easy integration of future systems without needing to rebuild the core platform.
• Mailing List Integration: A simple and prominent newsletter signup was added to help the client build their audience and keep customers informed about upcoming festival news, ticket releases, and brand announcements.
• Dedicated Ticketing FAQ Section: To reduce repetitive customer support emails, a detailed FAQ was created to address common ticketing and event-related questions. This allows users to self-serve and frees up the client’s time to focus on running the festival.