Guide

Brand activation in Buenos Aires: how to run time slots with a capacity cap

By SOMOS DER · October 30, 2026 · 6 min read

A brand activation with limited capacity works when every visitor knows their time and has it written on their pass. Split the day into slots with a fixed cap, load them as bookable slots so people pick a time when they register and a full slot closes by itself, and keep a separate line for walk-ins with a clear rule. Ask only for the data you need to give someone a slot, and measure booked against present, slot by slot. If the activation is on a Buenos Aires sidewalk, the city permit comes before all of that.

Before the cap: the permit for the space

A global brand planning a pop-up in Buenos Aires usually starts with the creative. In public space, it has to start with the permit. The City of Buenos Aires has an online procedure to request a permit for advertising actions in public space. It is filed through the city's remote filing system (TAD) and asks, among other documents, for the project and description of the action, a sworn statement signed by the applicant and a certified copy of civil liability insurance covering the action, with the City Government named as co-insured. The page lists the filing as free, but states that final authorization is subject to signing a sponsorship agreement first.

Your local producer handles the filing, but the brand team should know one thing: the insurance and the whole safety conversation depend on how many people you expect. That number should come from your slot plan, not from a guess. It is the first reason to define capacity before you file.

In a mall, the permission is private: the mall management sets the rules (build hours, assigned space, where the queue forms, which security the mall provides and which you provide). Get them in writing before designing slots, because the space you get for the line decides how many people can wait.

How to split the day into slots

Work backwards: how long the experience lasts, how many people do it at once and how much changeover time you need. That gives you the cap per slot, not the other way round. Three rules that save trouble:

• Equal, round slots. 30 minutes or one hour. If every slot has a different length, visitors get confused and so does the team.
• A buffer at both ends. The first slot starts with the activation built and tested, and the last one ends before the permit or mall closing time.
• Keep a reserve. Do not give away one hundred percent of the cap: leave room for walk-ins and for the brand's own last minute guests.

Booking: slots with a cap

In PASE each slot is loaded as an invitation type with a cap and the day and time in its name, for example «Fri 11/12 · 15:30 to 16:00». The event page then shows slots instead of a list of types:

• People pick a day and time. Each option shows how many places are left, so nobody finds out only when confirming.
• A full slot closes by itself. It shows as Full and cannot be chosen. The cap is enforced in the database, not just on screen: if two people confirm the last place at the same time, one gets it and the other is asked to pick another time.
• Invitation only slots. A slot can be marked as invitation only: it appears on the page with that label, but can only be booked through its own link. Useful to hold a time for brand clients, press or contest winners.

The registration page and the QR email are available in Spanish and English: they follow the browser language, and adding ?lang=en to the link forces English, handy for tourists and expats in Buenos Aires. There is no Portuguese version. The day and time of the slot travel to the pass, the email and the PDF badge.

At the door, the scanner validates the QR code online (valid, duplicate or not authorized), but it does not compare arrival time with the booked slot: staff check the time printed on the pass. Agree in advance how much tolerance you give to early or late arrivals, and make every door operator apply the same one. Test the full circuit at the door rehearsal, with a test slot that fills up, before opening registration to the public.

Walk-ins are part of the goal

In a mall or on a sidewalk, people who see the activation while passing by will want in. That is part of what the brand is paying for. The problem is not having the rule written down. The one that works best:

• Two signposted lines. «Booked» and «No booking». Never a single one.
• Walk-ins fill no-shows. When the current slot starts and booked people are missing, those places go to the walk-in line.
• They register on the spot. A sign with the event page QR code: if the current slot has places left, they book themselves. If it shows as Full, or the person cannot register on their phone, staff add them manually at the door, so they are counted too.

If the activation includes a show or entertainment, keep in mind that Law 26,370 on the right of admission applies to such events even when held in open or public spaces: entry conditions have to be objective and the same for everyone.

What data to ask for in Argentina

Activations are where brands are most tempted to over-collect: age, neighborhood, favorite brand, social handles. Argentina's personal data law, Law 25,326, sets the limit. Article 4 says data collected must be "ciertos, adecuados, pertinentes y no excesivos" (accurate, adequate, relevant and not excessive) in relation to its purpose. Article 5 requires the person's free, express and informed consent, Article 6 requires telling them beforehand what the data is for, and Article 7 states that no person can be obliged to provide sensitive data.

• To give a slot and send the QR code, name and email are enough.
• If the brand wants to contact them later, that is a different purpose: a separate, unticked checkbox.
• If you need an age check (drinks, for example), look at the ID at the door; you do not need to store it.

The PASE QR code carries no personal data: it is a random code. More detail in our note on attendee data and Law 25,326.

What to measure, slot by slot

Headquarters will not be satisfied with "lots of people came". With a controlled door you can report booked against present per slot (which times draw people and which ones get no-shows), walk-ins per slot (the spontaneous traffic of the location) and peak hours. The PASE live report shows entries by type, by gate and by hour while it happens, and the post-event report shows peak hours, real attendance and entry times. One thing for teams abroad: PASE reports are in Spanish only, so plan a short English summary for the global team. See also real attendance, not registrations.

Capacity is decided before the permit, the slot before the link, and the walk-in rule before the line opens.

Frequently asked questions