ACCG Brussels Vlaams-Brabant

The Challenge

ACCG Brussels Vlaams-Brabant (Algemene Centrale - Centrale Générale), a Belgian labor union representing workers in construction, services, and industry sectors, faced significant challenges in two interconnected areas: managing and distributing digital contact information, and tracking member attendance at union events.

The union needed a modern, efficient way for delegates and representatives to share their professional contact details while also providing a simple method for event secretaries to register attendance at union meetings and events. Traditional business cards were outdated, manual attendance tracking was error-prone, and there was no centralized system connecting member data with event participation.

Core Problems:

• Manual creation of individual contact cards was extremely time-consuming for 1000+ members
• No centralized system to manage member contact information
• Event attendance was tracked manually on paper, leading to errors and lost data
• Difficulty keeping contact information up-to-date across the organization
• No way to verify member attendance at events quickly and reliably
• GDPR compliance requirements for handling member personal data
• Event secretaries needed a mobile-friendly solution that didn’t require special hardware

Our Approach

We designed and built a fully integrated solution combining cloud-native QR code management with a GDPR-compliant event attendance system. The architecture uses serverless computing for the QR directory and connects seamlessly to a low-code automation platform for event management.

Phase 1: QR Code Directory Platform

We architected a serverless solution on AWS that handles the entire QR code lifecycle:

• Secretary search interface - allowing secretaries to look up members and resend QR codes on demand when members lose or can’t find their original email
• Admin dashboard - for administrators to manage members, import data, and monitor the system
• Automated email delivery - sending personalized QR codes directly to members

Each QR code contains complete vCard contact information plus a unique MemberID - this identifier serves dual purposes: identifying the member in the directory and enabling event attendance tracking.

Phase 2: QR Code Generation with Event Integration

The QR code generation system creates professional, branded contact cards with built-in event tracking capability:

• Complete vCard contact data (name, title, phone, email, website)
• Embedded MemberID field for scanner integration
• Language preference encoding for multilingual communications
• Company branding with automatic logo overlay
• Member name rendered below the QR for easy identification

The MemberID embedded in each QR code becomes the key that connects the directory system to the event management platform.

Phase 3: Event Attendance System

For event management, we implemented a mobile-first solution using existing smartphones:

Scanning Infrastructure:

• Event secretaries use their personal smartphones with the Make.com mobile scanner app
• No special hardware required - any smartphone camera works
• QR codes are scanned on-site at union meetings and events

GDPR-Compliant Data Processing:

• All attendance data is stored in Airtable, which provides GDPR compliance
• Scanned QR data is automatically parsed and structured
• Member information is linked to specific events

Automation Workflows:

• Make.com automations route scanned data to the correct Airtable tables
• Automatic event matching based on scan date
• Real-time attendance visibility for event organizers

Phase 4: Data Quality & Automation Scripts

To ensure data integrity, we developed custom automation scripts running within Airtable:

vCard Parser:

• Automatically extracts structured data from scanned QR codes
• Populates individual fields: MemberID, name, organization, phone, email, language
• Runs automatically when new scans arrive

Event Auto-Population:

• Matches attendance records to scheduled events based on date
• Links scans to the correct event automatically
• Runs on a scheduled basis to keep data current

Duplicate Detection:

• Identifies when the same member scans multiple times within an hour
• Uses a sliding window algorithm for accurate detection
• Prevents double-counting in attendance reports
• Batch processing handles high-volume events efficiently

The Result

The deployed system transformed both member contact management and event administration, delivering a seamless integrated experience.

• Unified Member Identity - A single QR code serves as both digital business card and event attendance pass
• Self-Service for Secretaries - Secretaries can quickly look up any member and resend QR codes on demand, reducing support requests
• Mobile Event Check-in - Event secretaries track attendance using only their smartphones, no special equipment needed
• Automated Data Flow - Scanned attendance data is automatically parsed, categorized, and linked to events
• GDPR Compliance - All personal data handling meets European privacy requirements through Airtable’s compliance framework
• Duplicate Prevention - Smart detection algorithms prevent accidental double-registrations at events
• Multilingual Support - Full support for Dutch, French, and English across all communications
• Zero Hardware Investment - The solution leverages existing smartphones and cloud platforms
• Real-time Visibility - Event organizers see attendance data as members scan in
• Scalable Operations - The system handles bulk imports of 1000+ members and high-volume event scanning
• Cost-Efficient Infrastructure - Serverless architecture means minimal costs when not actively processing

Technologies Used

• AWS Cloud Platform - Serverless architecture for the QR directory and member management
• Airtable - GDPR-compliant database for event attendance tracking and member data
• Make.com - Automation platform connecting QR scanning to data processing workflows
• Content Delivery Network - Global distribution for fast QR code access worldwide
• Cloud Storage - Secure, durable storage for QR code images
• Email Services - Transactional email for member notifications
• Identity Management - Secure authentication for administrative access
• Custom Automation Scripts - Data quality enforcement running within Airtable