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One moment of excitement for event planners is undoubtedly the moment just before the doors open. And for guests, admission is the first impression they get of the event. Although the event check-in may seem inconspicuous, it is a crucial component that contributes significantly to the atmosphere and shapes the first impression. Careful preparation is the key to ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
With over 20 years of experience in the event industry, both as an organizer and in the development of digital technologies for events, Marc combines his extensive expertise with a Master's in Digital Business Management and a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing.
Event check-in is the first physical touchpoint guests have with a live event and directly influences their overall impression. Digital check-in solutions — using QR codes or badge scanning — are significantly faster and more reliable than manual guest lists, reducing queue times and entry errors. Key considerations include staffing levels, hardware requirements, contingency plans for technical issues, and how to handle walk-in guests or last-minute changes to the attendee list.
Event check-in refers to the process of controlling entry at events. Guests are received to verify their access authorisation and record their attendance. There are basically two types of access control:
Not every event requires access control. Events without registration options usually do not require access control. Access control is useful when:
Without access control, event planners lack important event data for organising and optimising event marketing.
Before opening the doors, it is important for event organisers to consider possible scenarios and the process:
Remember that there may be early birds as well as latecomers. Be prepared for both cases.
For large events with over 200 participants, a support desk is essential to answer specific questions and handle special cases such as visitors without valid tickets. Ideally, the support desk should be placed separately from regular entry to avoid delays in visitor flow.
Put yourself in your guests' shoes and optimise the event experience step by step:
Incorporate your insights into the staff briefing before opening the doors so that everyone is up to date.
To achieve entry to the event without significant wait times, the required entry time per guest must be calculated or estimated. This entry time depends heavily on how access control is conducted and what individual steps a guest must go through. If you have no experience, it's best to play out the process a few times and time how long it takes per guest. Then multiply the entry time per guest by the total number of participants to get the total check-in time required. With this value, you can estimate how many check-in stations are necessary. Generally, the event entry should not take more than an hour for 80% of your guests. Note that guests who arrive early may otherwise have too long of a wait until the event starts. Also, consider that a digital solution is faster than a manual one. Approximately 5 seconds can be assumed as a guideline per guest for stepping forward, showing a QR code or e-ticket, and scanning. However, if each guest needs to be asked for their name and there are misunderstandings, the entry of a single guest can quickly take several minutes.
Also note that a digital solution is faster than a manual one. Around 5 seconds per guest can be assumed as a guideline for entering, showing the QR code or e-ticket and scanning. If, on the other hand, every guest has to be asked for their name and there is some confusion, it can quickly take several minutes for a single guest to be admitted.
The advantages are clear. By combining the registration and check-in solution, event data can be managed in one central location. This offers the following benefits:
Most event locations have a powerful Wi-Fi infrastructure or very good mobile coverage. Nevertheless, the failure of an internet connection at the door opening is probably the worst-case scenario for any event organiser. Therefore, if your event check-in solution does not have an offline function, it is advisable to have a plan B for this worst-case scenario. A plan B could be, for example, to make a physical printout of the guest list and be prepared for this case.
Check-out means that guests go through a check-out process when leaving the event, thus recording their departure from the event. For events with mandatory attendance, a check-out function may be justified. In practice, however, implementation is often not quite trivial, as, for example, even temporary exits from the event, for example for a phone call, must be recorded. This requirement can be solved somewhat more elegantly, for example, with a giveaway that is only distributed after a certain time of the event.
The event check-in is the first physical point of contact between guests and the event. It therefore plays a decisive role in shaping first impressions and influences the overall atmosphere of the event. A smooth admission process ensures a professional start and prevents long waiting times.
Waiting times can be reduced primarily through good preparation and clear process design. This includes having a sufficient number of check-in stations, trained staff, and the use of digital solutions for fast and efficient access control.
Before admission begins, key issues should be clarified, such as visitor flow, team responsibilities, emergency procedures and VIP arrangements. The arrival situation, signage and how to deal with early arrivals or latecomers should also be considered in advance to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Find out more about Onivas event check-in solution by Oniva.
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