Common Event Registration Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Event planning takes a lot of effort. Convincing people to register for your event will require strategically planning your registration process. You worked for hours developing your event and planning every step. It can be frustrating to see registration drop-offs. If this sounds all too familiar, you’re going to want to read this post!

Why is Event Registration Important?

Your event registration process is one of the most crucial aspects of your event. It lets you know how many attendees there will be, and it can provide the numbers you need to be able to provide a personalized event experience for each attendee.

·   Event registration is the first step your audience takes toward being an attendee. It is usually the first impression your brand makes.

·   The registration process gives you access to attendee data, which helps you know about their preferences and tastes.

·   Having a well-organized event registration process will let you track attendee check-ins. This is helpful when you start to analyze data.

·   Having accurate event registration data lets you create more personalized marketing campaigns that fit your target audience.

·   You can more easily restrict unauthorized entry into the event, which increases security.

·   You can use registration analytics to offer a clear picture of registration and ticket sales. This helps you measure the true success of your event.

If you are having trouble maximizing event registrations, it’s time to figure out what is really going on. Let’s take a look at some of the most common registration mistakes. Avoiding them will help you know what to improve on your next event.

Top 5 Event Registration Mistakes

1.    Making registration too complicated.

Having to endure a long, complicated registration process turns people off. They tend to step back. What complicates the registration process? Having to fill out long forms and answer irrelevant questions is a big no. Make sure your registration process is short and simple. It shouldn’t take too long or much effort to complete.

Pro Tip: Only include questions that you really need to know for your event. For example, small events with fewer attendees only need attendee names, contact details, and ticket types. Bigger events will require more questions that are relevant to provide them with a personalized experience.

2.    Confusing ticketing system.

Registration and ticketing work together. Make sure the two actions are both smooth and secure. Your event may have a huge drop-off in attendance if you don’t have well-designed ticket sales at various price points. Make sure your site is secure if you sell tickets online. If a ticket price changes when checking out, attendees will note the hidden cost.

3.    Not sending reminder emails.

Make sure to send reminder emails about the event and the registration. Once an attendee registers, email updates help keep them engaged with your brand. They should get a confirmation email once they finish the registration process. This alleviates doubt about whether they successfully registered for your event or not.

Pro Tip: Trying to keep up with manually sending emails can be a huge problem. Make sure to automate the process as much as possible. This should be set up well in advance of the event.

4.    Poor check-in management.

A smooth check-in is needed to allow attendees into the event. Keeping it uncomplicated is essential and efficient. If you have the resources, automate the process as much as possible. Organize the area so that event name badge pickup is easy and efficient for attendees and staff. You may consider color-coding name badges to identify participants and help them find their places easily.

5.    Overlooking past attendees.

Those who have attended your previous events are not just “past attendees.” They are actually company assets. Prioritize them since they have trusted you in the past, and will be likely to participate in future events too. Honoring past attendees as part of your registration process helps you attract new attendees.

Pro Tip: There are lots of ways to make past attendees feel valued.

·   Ask them for feedback so you can improve future experiences.

·   Share personalized email invitations with past attendees and acknowledge them.

·   Provide loyalty incentives such as discounts or tokens of appreciation.

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