x

Visit Stockton Spiced Up the Flavor Fest with a Digital Passport

Visit Stockton launched a gamified check-in challenge at the Stockton Flavor Fest using Seeker XP’s digital passport platform. Attendees earned badges by visiting festival areas, checking in with photos, and competing on a live leaderboard — all within a self-service platform their small team set up in days. The result: a buzz-worthy activation that generated hundreds of authentic UGC photos and a database of first-party visitor data to fuel future campaigns.

Overview

Visit Stockton, the DMO dedicated to showcasing Stockton, California’s vibrant culture and culinary scene, wanted to supercharge engagement at their annual Stockton Flavor Fest — a multi-day celebration of food, art, music, and community. With a small in-house team and no major stadium or arena to lean on, they needed a tool that was fast to launch, visually compelling, and capable of collecting first-party data and user-generated content. Enter Seeker XP.

Amy Alpers, Director of Marketing and Communications at Visit Stockton, turned to Seeker XP’s digital passport platform to transform the Flavor Fest into a gamified, badge-driven experience that drove unprecedented attendee engagement — including 400+ UGC photo uploads in just 72 hours.

At a Glance

Activation: Stockton Flavor Fest Digital Passport
Location: Stockton, CA
Timeline: 3-day festival (Stockton Flavor Fest)
Audience: Festival attendees and Stockton locals
Use Cases: Festival Activation, Visitor Experience
Experience Type: Digital Passport, Photo Challenge, Check-in Challenge
Industry: Destination Marketing
Key Features: Digital Badges, Photo Check-ins, UGC, Geolocation Check-ins
Platform: Seeker XP
Results: 400+ UGC photos uploaded

About Visit Stockton

Visit Stockton is the destination marketing organization for Stockton, California — a city often called a “diamond in the rough.” Their tagline says it all: “It might not be for everyone, but it can be for you.” With a rich tapestry of cultural diversity, a vibrant culinary scene, and a waterway system perfect for adventure, Stockton has something for every explorer willing to look past the obvious.

Visit Stockton operates with a small but mighty in-house marketing team. Unlike larger DMOs with agency support, they do it all themselves — on a budget, with ingenuity. Their strategy centers on creating buzz-worthy events and festivals that shine a light on Stockton’s hidden gems, positioning the city as a must-visit destination and competing with nearby urban centers like Sacramento and San Francisco.

The Stockton Flavor Fest is their flagship event: a multi-day celebration featuring diverse food vendors, local artisans, live music, and cultural performances that captures everything that makes Stockton unique.

How it Worked

QR codes were scattered throughout the Stockton Flavor Fest fairgrounds — at bars, tents, food trucks, and activity areas. Attendees could join the challenge instantly by scanning any QR code they came across, with no app download required. The frictionless entry meant anyone at the festival could become a participant on the spot.

Once joined, attendees earned badges by posting a photo check-in at designated locations across the grounds:

Art installations — local murals, sculptures, and pop-up creative exhibits
Food trucks and vendor booths — sampling the city’s diverse culinary lineup
Activity tents — family-friendly experiences and interactive activations
Main stages — capturing live music and performance moments

Each check-in required a real photo, generating authentic UGC while pulling participants deeper into the festival. A live activity feed and leaderboard kept the energy high — attendees could see each other’s check-ins and compete for the top spot, driving even more exploration throughout all three days.

Signage throughout the festival and prizes on display.

Activities

Food Trucks & Vendor Booths

Attendees checked in at food trucks and drink vendors to earn the Food & Drink badge and discover the best bites at the fest.

Art & Culture Exploration

Participants photographed art installations and local artisan booths to earn the Art badge and spotlight Stockton's creative scene.

Activity Tents & Stages

Festival-goers checked in at the main stage and music venues to earn the Music badge while discovering Stockton's vibrant live music scene.

Badges

Rewards

Buzz-worthy prizes were on display throughout the festival and could be redeemed at the merch table. Bonus prizes included concert tickets and branded Visit Stockton merchandise, giving attendees multiple incentives to keep exploring throughout all three days.

Why We Love It

Self-service for a small team

Visit Stockton's lean in-house team launched the entire challenge themselves in days — no agency, no developer, no problem.
Festival UGC

Authentic festival moments captured by real attendees, ready to fuel Visit Stockton's marketing for the entire year ahead.
First-party data goldmine

Every sign up gave Visit Stockton a rich database of engaged visitors for targeted future campaigns and email marketing.
Drove foot traffic to vendors

By tying badge check-ins to specific food trucks, art booths, and stages, the passport gave attendees a purpose-driven reason to explore every corner of the festival — keeping vendors busy all weekend.

UGC from Stockton Flavor Fest

400+ photos were uploaded by attendees over the 3-day Stockton Flavor Fest — authentic moments captured at food trucks, art booths, the main stage, and family activity areas. All available for Visit Stockton to use across their marketing channels year-round.