Before setting up an event in Oniva, it’s worth clarifying a few important points. Good preparation will save you time later and ensure a smooth experience for your guests.
✅️ Guest data: Consider which information you really need and how you’ll use it afterwards (e.g. for follow-ups, future invitations or badge printing). Anything you don’t actively reuse can be left out.
💡 Tip: selection fields instead of free text
Wherever possible, use dropdowns or multiple-choice fields instead of free text. This ensures data is collected consistently and makes it easier to filter and sort later – without dealing with different spellings or abbreviations.
✅️ Privacy policy: Make sure your privacy policy is tailored to the event and clearly explains how you handle guest data.
💡 Tip: anonymise guest data
In the event settings you can anonymise all guest data once the event has finished. If you plan to use this option, mention it in your privacy policy – it shows transparency and builds trust.
✅️ Fix event time: Set the start and end times carefully. Changing them later is difficult, as many guests will already have saved the calendar file.
✅️ Check-in time: Decide whether guests should arrive before the official start (e.g. for a welcome drink or registration). Plan this timeslot in advance and communicate it clearly.
✅️ Sessions: Think about whether your guests only need to register for the event in general or also for specific sessions, workshops or tracks. Ideally, collect all relevant information during registration. From experience, it is very time-consuming to obtain feedback from all guests afterwards.
✅️ Badges: Consider whether you want to use name badges. If so, define the process early: should badges be printed in advance by the event team, prepared by the guests themselves, or printed on demand at check-in? Also make sure to collect all information you want to display on the badge during registration (e.g. name, company, job title).
💡Tip: Set registration deadline for badge production in advance
If you want to print the badges in advance, you may need to set a registration deadline to allow enough time for production.
✅️ Tickets: Will you be issuing tickets (e.g. for access control)? If so, when should guests receive them – immediately after registering or only shortly before the event?
💡Tip: Send e-tickets later
If you’re not yet sure what the ticket should contain (programme, directions, etc.), it may be best to issue it later. Find out how to do this here. If you choose this option, inform your guests accordingly, e.g. by adding a note to the booking confirmation.
✅️ Communication: Plan your invitations, reminders and follow-up emails early.
✅️ Capacity: Decide whether your event should have a limit on places or add-ons (e.g. parking spaces, workshops).
💡Tip: Adjust capacities
In Oniva, you can also adjust capacities during the event. However, you should avoid reducing the number of places at a later date if possible to prevent problems for guests who have already registered.
✅️ Team roles: Define who in your event team will be responsible for which tasks (e.g. check-in, badge printing, guest support).
✅️ Contingency plan: Think about how you would handle last-minute changes (e.g. change of venue, moving online).
With good preparation, you can set up events efficiently in Oniva and avoid making adjustments later on.
👉 Read our Oniva event blog for more tips and tricks for event managers.
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