Are you expecting many participants at your next event? But you don’t know how to manage the registrations? Don’t panic: Eventdrive has the solution for you. Organizing an event is a multi-step process and managing your guests’ registrations is a crucial moment.
How can you be sure that you have chosen the most suitable, and above all, the most efficient method? What are the different options available to you? These are a range of questions that you will surely ask yourself. Eventdrive gives you all the advice you need on the best solutions to manage your event registrations.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AN EVENT REGISTRATION SYSTEM
There are different ways to manage event bookings. But whichever method is chosen in the end, it is essential that it meets some criteria:
Easy to use: if you need an infinite amount of time to get used to the tool, it does not fit your need. The solution you choose must be easy to use, both for you and your guests. Keep in mind that the goal is still to save time. If you lose time trying to understand how it works, it is because this tool does not meet your needs. Moreover, the simplicity of use will allow faster access to information about participants and their registration.
Automatic: Imagine having to enter all the contact information of your 1000 or so participants by hand? By choosing an automatic registration system, you will save a lot of time. Reports should be able to be created automatically and allow you to quickly put forward the information you need. These reports or lists of participants must be able to be exported in various formats, including Excel (XLS/XLSX). They must include all the information you need to manage your attendees on site, in particular the data entered in the registration form.
Flexible: The system you choose must be able to adapt to your needs. You need to distinguish between the status of your guests (professional, amateur...) or indicate particular options? You must be able to manage group attendees. Do you want to customize the booking to reflect your corporate image? Your software must be able to do so and offer you a wide range of customization options.
THE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS FOR MANAGING EVENT REGISTRATIONS
Over the years, we have seen our clients use different methods to manage registrations for their events... and finally come to the same conclusion. There is no ideal method, but only a system adapted to each individual’s needs.
Let us introduce them to you!
The traditional method: RSVP
If your event is not very big or if your target is a follower of traditional methods, you can choose to send a paper invitation with a form to be returned by post. You can also choose the modern method by sending an online invitation with a reply by return email.
With this method, there are no implementation difficulties. The problem with this solution, however, is that you will have to manually enter all the answers you get on a separate document, either online or on paper depending on your preferences.
The management time after receiving the answers is therefore longer.
Online form
Alternatively, you can choose a registration form to insert on a website.
With this option, the answers you receive will already be entered online. However, you will probably have to copy and paste them into an Excel document if this registration form is linked to an email address.
This method is a little more automated, as response fields were originally defined and reused for each guest. You might even have the possibility to export them in bulk. However, if you need to make changes later on, you will have to do it manually.
Online registration
Finally, we arrive at the online registration on a site dedicated to the event. With this solution, all the registrations are automatically sent to a management software that will classify your registrations according to criteria that you will have established beforehand.
If modifications are made to the registrations, the exports or reports are automatically updated. Also, the customization possibilities are almost infinite.
And did you know that Eventdrive offers a registration management service that could perfectly meet your needs?
THE ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE REGISTRATION AT EVENTDRIVE
As you have understood, online registration is the most efficient way to manage your registrations. First of all, because it meets the 3 criteria we were talking about at the beginning of this article, but not only!
In addition to facilitating the management of your event, online registration allows you to create a digital identity that reflects your company’s image. How can you do this? Thanks to the multiple customization options in the creation interface! With Eventdrive, you can notably create a website dedicated to your event and even develop a mobile application in just 2 or 3 clicks. Would you like your guests to sign up for sessions that will take place during your event or to inform if they are vegetarian? Anything is possible!
Online registration also allows you to customize your registration form by adding or removing options. You can choose to segment your attendees based on their responses or send out follow-up emails automatically.
In fact, by choosing an all-in-one package like Eventdrive to manage your registrations, you can turn it into a real communication channel with your guests. For example, you can use it to send updates or push notifications on D-Day to inform them of any changes.
An online registration management tool also has the advantage of providing real-time statistics. Want to know when your guests have opened your email the most? What age group do they belong to? Or if they are located near your event location? In short, no matter what data you need, an online management tool will give it to you.
Another important point with Eventdrive is that you can benefit from 24-hour technical support to answer your questions or help you solve any problems you may have.
As you can see, there are many options for managing event bookings. Depending on the size of your event, a simple Excel spreadsheet may be enough. If you’re addressing an older audience than you know, RSVP is probably the best option. In all other cases, we suggest online registration, which will save you a lot of time and make your organization easier. And as they say, time is money