Event Registration and Badge Printing Technology: What Planners Actually Need

Event registration and badge printing technology refers to the systems, hardware, and onsite infrastructure used to register attendees, print badges, and track event participation in real time. Beyond navigating maps and parking, registration is typically the first onsite touchpoint your event attendees will experience. Yet far too many registration experiences are slow, confusing, or exasperating. When you invest in event registration and badge-printing technology, you can minimize stress and maximize satisfaction.

This specialized event technology enables you to streamline your registration process by combining event registration software and hardware. Ultimately, the goal is for all attendees to receive their personalized badges as rapidly as possible so they can move through the queue and into the heart of the event.

At SmartSource, we routinely provide insights, access to the technology, and onsite support that go into event check-in. If you’re new to the concept, this guide can serve as a helpful playbook to get a conversation started about the registration process for your next small, mid-sized, or large convention, meeting, summit, or other event.

CORE COMPONENTS INVOLVED IN EVENT REGISTRATION AND BADGE PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

There’s a wide range of registration options and workflows that go into event and badge technology. Below, you can see how they all come together to create an unforgettable first impression for your attendees.

Event Registration Software

Event registration platforms lie at the heart of tech-based event registration. The software manages all data-related aspects of the registration funnel, including capturing attendee information, using that information to send badge identifiers to a printer, generating on-demand reports, and more.

Event planners sometimes prefer event intake CRM management platforms they already use, such as Cvent or Eventbrite. The most reliable and flexible event registration software can integrate with those CRMs, eliminating manual data entry or duplication.

Onsite Badge Printing Hardware

To be able to print badges onsite, you’ll need badge-printing hardware. Beyond having event badge printers that are operated by your team, you could consider renting self-service kiosks.

Self-service kiosks add speed and reliability to registration by allowing attendees to sign in themselves. With a few clicks, they can receive their registration credentials through event badge printers. It’s an intuitive way to avoid having long lines at the registration table.

Lead Retrieval Integration

Remember that event check-in software? At any time during registration, you can log in to see how many people are in attendance at your event. Additionally, you can use registration inputs (e.g., what time most people registered, extra information they shared during their self-check-in) later for marketing and selling to attendees as part of your lead retrieval process.

It’s no secret that data accuracy will be critical, especially for reflecting on the success of your event. With advanced check-in technology software, you gain access to real-time dashboards and post-event reporting you can trust. Those are some of the event tech benefits that can really transform your efforts and highlight your ROI.

Networking and Onsite Infrastructure

The hardwired setup and flow of your event registration and badge printing will involve a series of temporary networks. To ensure dependable connectivity, you’ll need to work with your event technology partner and your event space to confirm that you’ll meet all connectivity requirements to wow your attendees.

At SmartSource, our focus is on preventing any downtime. To ensure continuously operating networks, we test all systems and implement backups as fail-safes.

ONSITE TECHNICAL SUPPORT

This is an element of event registration and on-demand badge printing that event planners sometimes overlook. An onsite technical team handles all the project management aspects of the high-tech registration.

You’ll want to ask any potential event tech partner about the team members they’ll assign to your event. You need people ready to troubleshoot rapidly and keep your registration smooth and accurate.

CONNECTING ALL THE TECH STACK PIECES OF EVENT AND BADGE PRINTING

Now that you have a better idea of the software, hardware, and onsite infrastructure involved in making your registration process shine, you should know how each of those elements integrates. To be sure, they’re all critical to avoiding a disconnected flow (and disgruntled or dismayed attendees) at your event.

First, the software and systems must capture all the attendee registration data, typically in the sign-up phase before the event. These systems will store the data in a centralized repository where it can be retrieved later, including by the onsite badge printing kiosks and printers.

Those kiosks and printers will be coded to pull out specific data for on-demand, onsite badge printing. This ensures that everyone’s badge is personalized and based on the data they originally entered and then (at check-in) verified.

As check-ins occur, the software will continue to track attendee information so you can use it later for reporting, sales, and marketing. For instance, you may want to pull onsite reports to determine when most attendees check in or how many have printed badges at 8:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., etc.

Once you become accustomed to retrieving all your attendee information, you’ll find plenty of uses for the data. Many event planners are surprised and excited to discover they can capture data they never realized was available.

EVALUATING AN EVENT PARTNER’S ONSITE REGISTRATION AND BADGE PRINTING TECH STACK

What if you don’t currently have a go-to event technology partner? In your search for the best fit for your event and goals, be sure to consider the following criteria.

Registration platform integrations: You’ll need to ensure your partner’s registration software integrates with both your existing CRM (if applicable) and any badge printing software. A foolproof integration will be integral to your offering the best attendee experience.

Registration software scalability: Depending on your objectives, you may need to scale up your projected attendance. If that’s your aim, be sure the software being used is scalable and doesn’t limit you.

On-site technical support: Your internal team won’t have the expertise or bandwidth to provide technical support at your event. However, a solid event tech partner should.

Reporting tools: Again, you’ll find opportunities to use the real-time data collected during your event registration. Be sure you know all the tools at your fingertips, and ask your event partner to walk you through how to use them.

Transparent pricing: Why worry that you’ll be presented with hidden costs by your event tech partner? Ask upfront about the pricing structure and any fees before you sign any agreements.

You’ll want to ask any potential event tech partner about the team members they’ll assign to your event. You need people ready to troubleshoot rapidly and keep your registration smooth and accurate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The whole event registration and badge printing technology space can be a little overwhelming. To answer any remaining questions, our SmartSource event technology team has compiled responses to the most common questions we receive.

1. Will we have to buy our event registration software separately?

If you work with SmartSource, we offer event registration software as part of our partnership. This means you don’t have to find any on your own. We can also show you how to use it to maximize the benefits of real-time and after-event reporting.

2. How will attendees print their badges onsite?

You have a couple of ways to set up your event registration. You could offer self-service kiosks or touchdown spots for attendees to print their own badges, you could have a dedicated registration area where team members intake all attendees, or you could have a mix of both self-service and human operator areas.

3. Can registration badges be customized?

You can absolutely customize your registration badges. For example, you may want to include special QR codes for workshop access, or embed the badge with RFID technology to scan attendees in and out of certain areas. The possibilities are endless.

4. What hardware will we need at our event?

If you’re printing badges, you’ll need at least an input device (e.g., a tablet) and an output device (e.g., a thermal or color badge printer). You may also need networking hardware to avoid any downtime or connectivity issues.

5. Will my registration system integrate with my lead retrieval systems?

Always ask an event technology partner to be sure. However, SmartSource always offers full integration with 40+ CRM systems.

6. What if badge printing goes down during registration?

Your onsite support team should be able to mitigate downtime by implementing fail-safes.

7. When should our team begin working on the event registration and badge printing process?

Planning should take place as far in advance as possible. Ideally, this topic will be discussed during the initial planning stages or early enough to vet potential partners.

8. Can we use badge printing to scale from a few hundred to tens of thousands of attendees?

You can absolutely scale if you have the right event registration and badge printing tech stack. In fact, scaling is much easier when you offer self-serve check-ins, as it minimizes bottlenecks.

GIVE ATTENDEES A REASON TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES ONLINE

Registration doesn’t have to be a slow, complex process. Rather than making your event attendees go through traditional registration, move to on-demand badge printing. You’ll find that it can improve engagement, allow you to scale your event, and give you deeper data insights to use later. Plus, you may see more movement on social media as attendees rave about their fast, inclusive check-in.

For more information, contact SmartSource to speak with one of our event technology and badge-printing experts.