Why Events Are Making the Switch to Self-Service Check-in

Executive Summary

• COVID-19 has made us reconsider nearly every process in every line of business.
• Virtual events were simply not as productive and in-person.
• As events return to face-to-face conferences and meetings, software like self-check-in software at registration and throughout the event can keep attendees safe and productive.
  

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Ah, the event registration desk. Where several of your team members are tied to the event entrance for hours at a time, fumbling through printed lists and stacks of name badges (that were likely stuffed at 11 p.m. the prior night), all while the line grows longer.

There’s a better way, as savvy event planners have begun to figure out in recent years, and it’s an automated approach that saves time, money, and frustration. The answer is self-check-in apps, which streamline registration and free your staff up to do the other zillion things it takes to pull off an event. And just as pressed-for-time guests have come to expect self-check-in options at hotels and offices, many of them appreciate the ease of self-check-in at events and conferences, too.

Now, an additional factor may put the majority of events on the fast track to switching to self-service check-ins: The need for contactless event check-ins to keep staff and attendees healthy and safe in a pandemic-altered world.

If you’re considering unchaining your staff from the registration desk—or simply making their jobs safer and easier—here are a few reasons to give it a try.

No More “Uh, Tell Me Your Name Again?” Moments

With a customizable digital reception app, you can skip the long lines at your event check-in stations and those awkward “I should remember your name, but it’s escaping me right now” interactions with your attendees.

Set up several tablet-equipped check-in kiosks with a warm welcome message, load in the info you want to collect and let your attendees self-check-in at their convenience. With the fully customizable Greetly app, you can even set up the check-in process to take each attendee’s photo and automatically print their badge right then and there.

If a registrant hits a snag, they can contact you for help immediately, or you can always have someone on hand to help.

Pro Tip: At registration, ask your guests their favorite coffee drink so you can arrange to have it delivered to their room the next morning.

Cater to the Super-Prepared Guest with Pre-Registration

In an era where even famously low-tech doctors’ offices are sending digital pre-visit forms to save everyone time, it’s likely your event attendees will appreciate the same technology from your event. They may be rushing to get to their hotel room and prep for a presentation or to grab a quick bite before the first agenda item—and you may be eager to confirm attendance ahead of time—so having guests pre-register is mutually beneficial time-saver.

Pro Tip: Make pre-registration optional. Some attendees love to be ultra-prepared, while others prefer not to give it a thought until they arrive. Let them choose.

Go Touchless With QR Code Scanning

Put health-concerned attendees at ease with the use of QR codes at event check-in. The best digital registration apps will allow guests to pre-register in advance, as covered above, and then provide a QR code that can be scanned from their own device upon arrival. Done and done. Fewer touchpoints at check-in will put those concerned about shared surfaces at ease.

Pro Tip: Be sure to test your QR code on your own phone and at least three others to be sure it’s working right.

Let an App Do the Health Screening

If you’d like to incorporate a health screening at your event in light of COVID-19, you can keep your event staff safe and healthy by letting an event check-in app do the work. With Greetly, for example, you can add a symptom-screening questionnaire and even thermal temperature scanning integrated right into your registration check-in kiosks.

Pro Tip: Using a digital check-in system will also make contract tracing easy, should you need it.

Get Smart About Event Follow-Up

Once your attendees have registered via digital check-in, cloud-based storage means you’ll be able to download a guest logbook at any time. This will make the post-event follow-up a cinch. Send an event experience survey, prospect sales leads, or send invites for your next event. With Greetly, you can use app integrations to push the data directly into your CRM system.

So when your boss asks if you’ve followed up with event attendees, you can cheerily reply, “Yep, already taken care of.”

Pro Tip: Put yourself in the shoes of your guests and send only the most helpful content post-event, such as a photo album where they can search for themselves in event pics, recordings of performances or presentations that were made, or future “save the date” reminders.

Materialize as If By Magic When VIPs Arrive

If you’d like to know when an important guest, presenter, or attendee has arrived, set up automatic notifications so that you’ll receive an alert the minute they check in. They’ll feel taken care of, and you won’t have to bother them via phone or text to connect.

Pro Tip: Impress your VIPs by greeting them, goodie bag in hand, and steering them to their assigned table.

If you’re ready to harness the power of registration automation and self-check-in software for events contact us.