How to Avoid the Pre-Event Rush

We’ve all experienced the pre-event frenzy—crowds milling around the entrance, people blocking the way with their bags, and the rush to be the first in line. This chaos can quickly dampen any excitement and anticipation that should have been brewing in its place. But what if there was a way to sidestep this chaos instead?  

To get your event to start on a high note, we suggest implementing some strategies that help redirect the pre-event frenzy into a streamlined and enjoyable process for the pre-event frenzy into a streamlined and enjoyable process for both attendees and organizers alike.  

Control Your Crowd's Movement

Large crowds can be a good problem to have. They generate buzz and excitement around your event and make sponsors happy, but they can also cause mayhem and safety concerns if not handled beforehand. Our last blog post talked about the importance of clear signs and their placement, but you should also consider the questions below when setting up your event entrance:  

• Remove obstacles: Is there anything at the entrance that can impede the flow of traffic? Loud music, exciting exhibits, and spots where you pick up your swag can quickly turn into a confusing distraction if they are in the wrong place.  
• Sufficient kiosks: Is your kiosk-to-attendee ratio balanced? On demand check-in and badge printing’s whole purpose, to streamline the check-in process, is in vain if you don’t have enough kiosks to make it happen. Cadmium customers typically use a ratio of one kiosk per 300 attendees.  
• Clear signage: Are there easy-to-follow directions to key areas such as bathrooms, reception desks, and exits? Sharing exhibit floor plans and directions ahead of the event can help attendees find it faster.  

Fully Prep Your Attendees

Creating a custom mobile app for your event is not only a great engagement tool they can use when attending sessions and connecting with each other, but they are also a great way to keep your attendees in the loop and help them plan their entrance to your event accordingly. With Cadmium’s experience creating Mobile Apps for events, we suggest including:   

• Push notifications: Keep your attendees in the loop of any last-minute changes before they arrive, highlight special events so they can plan for it, or even highlight special events.  
• Schedules: Help your attendees plan their whole day, know when to get there, where they should go, and who they want to see by showcasing your event’s schedule with details such as speaker, location, and duration.  
• Floor Plans: Point your attendees in the right direction so they know where to go after entering the event. With a floor plan in their pocket, they’ll spend less time looking around for maps and more time finding the best seat.  
• Surveys: To understand how your event experience can be elevated and improved, send your attendees surveys through your event’s mobile app. You can include specific questions about their check-in and badging experience, how well crowds were handled, and other ways to improve your next event.  

Get Your Staff on Board

Whether it’s your own staff, a third party or volunteers, ensuring everyone is informed, trained and following the same check-in procedures will help keep lines fast and moving. You can do this through training modules that cover the basics of your check-in process, how to set up and install your kiosks and printers, and how to troubleshoot when any error messages appear. We suggest your onsite training includes:  

• A List of Technical Requirements: Detailing the network and hardware requirements will help your team know if anything needs to be added before the event and ensure they order all the correct equipment.  
• Tutorial Clips: Give your onsite staff clips of specific set-up procedures so they can reference it, without watching a long video trying to search for the items they are looking for.  
• Training Assessment: Ensure your team has a solid understanding of the training material and is confident in setting up and carrying out your check-in and badging procedures with an end-of-training assessment. Adding a shareable certificate at the end of your training will help sweeten the deal.  

End On a High Note

It’s not just about making good first impressions, but it’s also about creating lasting ones that echo throughout the duration of your event and beyond. Here’s to events that start as well as they end!  

Cadmium’s Check-in and Badging solutions works seamlessly with our suite of event management products. Click here to learn how you can craft an entrance your attendees can remember for all the right reasons.