An expert's guide to delegate registration
(PRWEB UK) 1 August 2014 -- Delegate registration is becoming more and more popular with events starting to return to attendance levels pre depression and event managers looking for the most cost effective solutions to their event problems. This helpful guide aims to provide a few tips on what to consider when choosing a delegate registration system.
Whatever type of event, wherever it is held and regardless of its scale, keeping track of attendance is critical in order to save time and money and get an understanding of how the guests perceived the event with that all-important post-event feedback.
If the vision of delegate registration is one of stressed colleagues shuffling papers and shared highlighters to mark those who came, those who didn't and those who made it to the right seminar or the right hotel, fear not; things have moved onward and upward and, most definitely, online. Thankfully there’s a wealth of wonderful tools to help manage, control and automate everything from the badges to the bedroom numbers.
Talk to any experienced event management agency and the first thing recommended is a registration process that will take the pressure off internal resources and maximise return on investment while having sufficient flexibility built in to take account of changing names and numbers leading up to and on the day.
What to look for in a registration system?
Look for a sophisticated registration system that will make it easy for delegates to sign up and sign in and encourages attendees to buy in to the value of breakout sessions, seminars and those other value added extras. The benefits from doing some research beforehand will be automated registration responses, information distribution and payment notifications, accurate badging and marketing materials for delegates, up-to-the-minute tracking of numbers and their food and accommodation requirements. This real-time tracking is crucial; if an income statement is looking weak, take the necessary steps to market more aggressively, offer reduced rates or remove event modules from the menu if take-up is low.
The benefits of a delegate registration system?
If it’s about the cost of utilising a comprehensive delegate registration system to manage bookings that is worrying, bear in mind the benefits of using one; the savings to be made, the reduced pressure on resources and the return on investment that can be increased with such a consistently accurate flow of information – all that makes this an easily justifiable expense.
Speaking with a reputable events management agency may help to make the decision of who to choose easier. Many will have their own systems and can assist with more than the registration side of things, or if not they're experience means they should be able to recommend the best system for any event.
Richard Harper,
Head of Marketing
Richard, Head of Marketing for In 2 Events, a corporate events and exhibition agency, are based on the South Coast. In 2 Events specialise in internal communications, corporate events, conferences, sales meetings and exhibition design and build. In 2 Events are also a certified partner of Certain, the leading events management and registration platform.
Richard has over 6 years’ experience working in both a B2C and B2B environment and specialises in digital channels including PPC, SEO, E-Mail and Content Marketing. His passions include developing innovative marketing strategies that drive growth and challenge conventional marketing methods. A believer in utilising technology available to enhance the customer journey, Richard is a regular contributor to industry blogs and marketing seminars.
Richard Harper, www.in2events.co.uk, http://www.in2events.co.uk, +44 8453102222, [email protected]
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