Event registration. Is it a waste of your time?

When it comes to event management, the one thing every organiser can be sure of is that they’ll have too much to do and not enough time to do it in.
 

Helping to remove some of the burdens from your busy shoulders, automating your event management promises to free you from time-consuming manual processes. So, it’s no wonder that marketing automation is being used to create more and more successful events. From conferences to roadshows, to award ceremonies, exhibitions and beyond, it can help you to maximise engagement. It can even help you to communicate with attendees post-event. And, as a bonus, can increase productivity by 27% AND boost event attendance by 20%.

It’s a no-brainer, right?

Of course, automated event registration is nothing new to seasoned event profs. There certainly can’t be many of us left who don’t use cloud-based registration tools to automate the mundane task of registering guests and send them the info they need to ensure a smooth and successful experience. But, even the best online registration software requires a degree of management. And, when you have a million and one things to do, even that can seem like too much work. Particularly when you have the hassle of dealing with enquiries and have to spend time helping non-tech-savvy delegates to complete the sign-up process. Not to mention tricky areas like card and invoice payments.

So, are you putting too much pressure on yourself? Wouldn’t it be better to simply trust someone else to look after the routine stuff for you? And, could outsourcing your event registration do more than free up some time. Could it add value?

It’s a bit like gardening (bear with us here…) If you want to do your own there’s no shortage of advice and products available to help you to do it. And if you have the time, enthusiasm, and green fingers you’ll do a fine job. However, if you get an experienced gardener in to help, not only will they do all the legwork, but they will also have the best quality tools, and the wisdom that comes with looking after their clients’ little spots of heaven day in-day out. This means they can respond to and solve any unexpected problems that might arise, and even give you advice on how to make your garden look nicer. So, you can relax and enjoy the results while maintaining the overall say in what the garden looks like.

It’s the same with online event registration. Cloud-based registration platforms are a compelling and cost-effective solution. You can use them on a pay-per delegate basis, and manage your budget with regular recurring payments. But to really make them work for you, consider putting them in the hands of an expert; so you benefit from the best quality software and an experienced pair of hands to take all those annoying niggles away.

What should you look for in an outsourced event registration partner/solution?

As well as all the standard support and features you should expect, here are some key advantages to look out for:

• How customer-friendly is the software to use? For example, does it use a pre-populated registration form to make the easy for attendees to sign-up? Even when passing the management into the hands of someone else the last thing you want to do is frustrate attendees and make them quit the registration process.
• Will your event management partner provide you with a bespoke conference web page, with full event details, branded in your own colours and style? And does this use responsive design to allow attendees to register across platforms?
• Does it provide instant confirmation to give attendees the peace of mind that everything is as it should be? An ‘add to calendar’ widget is also a nice touch!
• Will it handle fee payments for you? And does it offer flexible pricing options, so you can offer incentives to register (e.g. discounts if people sign up before a specific date)? Can guests register and pay in a range of currencies?
• Can it manage multiple sessions and seminars held during larger events, with guests able to log in to a secure member’s area and control their own itineraries (including any amendments)? Likewise, how easy is it for organisers to set session capacity and allow waiting lists? This type of functionality can take the organisation of larger events to a whole new level.
• Does it offer integrated travel and accommodation booking where needed?
• Will the system interface well with social media, so you can make it part of your integrated strategy
• Does it offer a secure dashboard for robust event reporting? Every event organiser likes to know exactly how many people will be attending their events. However, some online registration processes don’t operate in real time, so this information is never quite up to date.

At Apex, we can look after the whole process for you. With a leading-edge event registration platform that does all the above, and more, we also offer a dedicated helpline number and 24/7 support, with our team on hand to assist your attendees if they have any difficulties.

We’ll also email your delegates with joining instructions, welcome letters, and any other collateral you want to send out during the registration period. And, once the system has captured all your delegate’s details, we can also generate badges and other material, directly from the database.

We can’t prune your shrubs, but if gardening is your thing, when it comes to creating stress-free spectacular events we can help you give the Chelsea Flower Show a run for its money!

If you’d like to find out more about how our online registration system can help remove the stress, boost attendance, and make your events a success, contact us today to find out more, or give us a call today on + 44 (0)1625 429370 to discuss your requirements in more depth.