5 Problems You Want to Avoid at Check-in
The check-in is the attendee’s first direct contact with the organizer. It’s like a first impression - you can make a good one or a bad one. In today’s article you will learn how to avoid the latter!
The check-in is the attendee’s first direct contact with the organizer. It’s like a first impression - you can make a good one or a bad one. In today’s article you will learn how to avoid the latter!
It’s no secret - the check-in is one of the most important aspects of the event. When attendees arrive at the venue for the first time, the experience they get on check-in can influence their perception of the entire event. If they have to wait in long lines or they don’t know where to go, it will make a negative impact that will stick to them throughout the remainder of the event.
Below, we list five most frequent problems at the reception desk and tested solutions that will allow you to avoid them.
Unexpected intruders barging into your event… is there anything worse? And if you don’t have enough space to fit them, it will impact the image of your event as a whole. What should you do then?
The best way to prevent this are clear terms and conditions placed on the conference website and efficient conference check-in. In addition to that, make sure you have a proper amount of reception desks that can handle all the attendees in a decent amount of time.
I you want to identify attendees, you need to have their details first, so that the software can display them to the staff. You can either import attendee details from an XLS file or you can collect the data from attendees themselves by using an event management platform.
Do you plan to lay out attendee badges at the reception desk so that the attendees have to browse for their badge? Before doing this, think how much time they could spend looking for their name. And what if there’s an error and the badge is put in the wrong place? This would make that time even longer and it’s possible the situation will require your staff to intervene.
A better solution? Invest in a printer that can print out the attendee’s name in a matter of seconds. This can really make check-in more efficient!
See how it looks in practice:
Just imagine: lost, confused attendees that have no idea where to go.
What caused this?
First, insufficient directions throughout the venue or no properly trained staff. Attendees should know where to go the instant they enter the venue. If you think visual directions are not enough, have your staff drive the traffic as well.
Second, the problem can be caused by ambiguous or insufficient tagging on reception desks. If you want to divide the counters according to last name initials, make sure there is absolutely no doubt as to which tag relates to which reception desk.
It may seem trivial but skimping on marking and labeling can have serious consequences. Don’t let your attendees feel frustrated because of a single mistake on your part.
You think that if your attendees have e-tickets, they won’t lose them? Unfortunately, it happens more often than it should…
Losing track of e-tickets is particularly probable when you start selling them with a huge head start. It’s not that difficult to imagine a situation where attendees can’t find the right email, which is hidden under a heap of other, much more recent emails.
CONREGO has a feature that lets you send mailings to event attendees, so you can easily prepare and distrubute email messages with a digital ticket attached. You only need to send it at the right time before the event and you can forget about printing now!
Are you considering giving away leaflets, brochures, or other sponsored materials at check-in? Think about it. Is it worth it when you risk slowing down the reception, especially when you can deliver this content together with e-tickets? This way, they can be easily accessed by attendees and they’re less likely to be lost.
Apart from selling tickets online, you can try selling VIP products and services that will make your event all the more memorable. And don’t forget about email reminders with e-tickets so your attendees are better prepared to check in quickly.
Every email sent to a registered attendee is a chance to engage their friends and family!
You can find more information about reception desk throughput and handling attendee check-in in out other article: How to Ensure Efficient Event Check-in?
Tomasz Chrościechowski