What is Event Registration?
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What is Event Registration?
No matter whether a trade show, conference or consumer event, the aim remains the same… bring people together, help them build relationships and networks and share ideas and knowledge. Every event needs attendees and the number one priority of any event marketer is to ensure that the number of people who attend is as high as it can possibly be. Whether you are organising the key event in the industry calendar, or you are launching an event with campaigns built around your engaging content, something needs to make your prospective attendees turn up. Once you have them interested, you need them to sign up, and once they’ve signed up you need to get them through the doors of your event. This, in a nutshell, is event registration.
In the most basic terms, event registration is simply the process in which an individual gives over their details in exchange for a badge or ticket so they can attend the event. It sounds simple, but getting this process correct is critical.
It all begins with registration forms…
Once you’ve got your visitors attention, you need to get their details, and the humble registration form is what they’re going to fill in. The registration form is a key cog, and one that when poorly thought out can hinder your pre-registration figures. Capturing clear contact details are a must, but those extra demographics can cause a headache. Ask too many and you risk making your form too long and off-putting for the visitor, using too few and you won’t have the data needed for targeted email marketing campaigns. As with everything, moderation is key. A select number of demographics which allow you to understand your audience and what interests them can be beneficial for both your marketing campaigns and those of your exhibitors.
Of course, all your campaigns need tracking, whether that is through the registration software, or utilising integrations with Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel. This helps you to see which campaigns really work and which ones don’t.
Then you need to store that data…
Once a visitor has registered, they need to be stored in an easy to use database with powerful filtering and reporting features. This data can be used to send targeted marketing emails to make sure that they turn up during the event, and they can be sent reminders prior to the show.
And get them badged…
There are multiple options when it comes to selecting your ticketing or badging. This could be print-at-home PDF tickets, badges which are posted out, or badges that can be collected onsite which are available in all sorts of sizes and styles at different price points. Speaking with your event registration provider can help determine which of these solutions is best for your event.
And into the event…
Once they turn up to the show you need an experienced onsite registration team, coupled with the latest software and technology. Whether you want to have self-service terminals or manned desks (or probably a mixture of the two), your event registration supplier can provide the advice you need so that queues are kept to a minimum and your attendees can make the most of their day. Real-time attendance figures are the norm these days and not only allow you to track how busy your event is, but also target those visitors who haven’t yet turned up… perhaps specifying those within a 10 mile radius of the event.
So, that’s event registration in its simplest form.
There are lots of other features your event registration provider can offer you, from lead capture solutions for your exhibitors to email marketing tools and subscription management, but the core process is what everything else is built on. Having one provider that can collect registrations, give you a single sign-on platform to access and report on your data, and provide onsite badging or ticketing is what can take the stress of event registration away so you can focus on everything else.
It won’t surprise you that we, Jonas Event Technology, provide award winning event registration for organisers of trade exhibitions, consumer events and conferences. There are some great companies who offer some of the above, but we truly believe that we can provide both organisers, and their attendees, the best registration experience. We’re always happy to discuss how we can help you make your next event the best one yet.
