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How to Organise Event Check-in Process

how to organise check in process for the event

There are several ways to check tickets for an event (offline & online) that we can recommend. For different events, depending on the format and number of participants, the event check-in process may come in different forms.

Below is an overview of the 5 most successful ways to design a check-in process for an event, as well as event check-in process elements and challenges:

  • Print the list
  • Collect printed e-tickets from participants
  • Guest check-in app for Android, iOS, etc.
  • Scan QR codes of any phone
  • Professional check-in online platform

Of course, building any event check-in experience is based on the tools you use, as well as the way you organize the event processing offsite.

Tips for organising the event check-in process step by step

Printing a list and ticking off names is the most obvious method that most organisers use for this process. The only advantage here is that it is a good old-fashioned way to do your check-in offsite. However, there are many disadvantages:

If the list is too large and does not fit on a single sheet, the search for participants takes a very long time so there will be a queue.

If several people check in guests at the same time, each with their own list, the data in these lists will not be synchronized. Accordingly, the system is very easy to deceive: different people could enter with the same name through different checkers.

Very often, after the event, there is no desire to transfer the data to an electronic form in order to save it. The paper is lost, and along with it, the data also disappears.

We recommend this method only for the smallest events, such as those held for 10-20 people. In this case, simplicity may outweigh all the disadvantages of this method.

Collecting printed tickets from participants during the check-in process for the event is the second obvious way to speed up the process beyond hard-copy lists, but it is also not the best option.

It has all the same drawbacks as the first approach: the lack of reliable checks. It is also very difficult to process the data after the event in order to follow up and report.

An additional disadvantage is that if a participant forgets to print a ticket, you can’t let him/her enter at all.

This method should only be used as a Plan B in case of a failure in the main event check-in system.

There are effective apps/tools that speed up and simplify your event check-in work thanks to new online technologies and solutions, so why not start using them?

A smartphone app for Android or other operating systems is a more progressive event check-in process solution for checking tickets than the first two.

It works very simply: install the application, download the list of participants, scan the barcode on the camera ticket, and the ticket is checked. If there are several check points, the information is immediately synchronized with all other checkers, so the possibility of a second entry is eliminated.

Even if the participant has forgotten his/her ticket, there is no need to worry. You can easily find this information in the database by the person’s first or last name. After the event, you will still have complete statistics on who came to the event.

This method has only two drawbacks:

  • You need a phone on the Android or other systems, preferably new enough to ensure reliable speed.
  • Even the most powerful phones cannot cope with an event at which more than a few hundred participants are registered, simply because the power of the phone is insufficient. In other words, a phone won’t be enough for large-scale events.

We recommend using this method for all events involving up to 300 people. Be sure to install the application in advance and test it on your chosen check-in method, provided that everything is loaded and running.

If there’s no phone on Android, etc., you can scan QR codes with any other phone. In the QR code, the link to the landing page to check the ticket is encrypted: when scanning, the phone displays the ticket status (entry allowed, ticket already used, ticket invalid, etc.).

This method allows you to avoid possible stumbles: any model of phone is suitable, so you don’t even need the most powerful one, but there are also limitations:

  • A stable Internet connection is required; if the Internet fails, check-in fails.
  • This approach has a rather low bandwidth: on average, it takes at least 10 seconds to read a QR code and open a verification page. Therefore, if you expect a large flow of participants in a short time, this method will not be suitable.

We recommend this method for smaller informal events – parties, get-togethers, creative workshops, etc.

A professional onsite check-in registration solution for access to control systems is available via the Gevme platform for any type of event. Also, it has none of the disadvantages mentioned above. This resource and its onsite apps work very quickly (it takes approximately 1-2 seconds to check a ticket). It does not require an Internet connection, is suitable for events of any scale, protects against fakes and repeat entries, and collects all possible statistics at the same time.

Often, large sites already have turnstiles with ticket scanners, handheld barcode scanners or mobile data collection terminals. Check with the site administrators if they already have such a solution. If they don’t, you can rent the equipment you need!

Conclusion

With our helpful tips, organising your event check-in process more effectively will be much easier. However, in our experience, this is the only viable option for checking tickets at large-scale events, and the cost of using it is justified by the solution’s reliability and the lack of queues.

For each event, the cost is calculated individually and consists of the lease of terminals, the rental of software for checking tickets, and the payment of checkers. Gevme allows a wider choice of effective solutions for both offsite and online check-in for any event type.

If you have any questions or problems, write to us and we’ll help you figure it out!

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions below.

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