Attendance tracking and event check-ins may not be the most exotic part of organizing events. We would all rather be sampling the catering or researching the entertainment. But it is important.
Are you organizing a professional development conference? Tracking attendance is essential for awarding credits to educators.
Event registration is also an attendee’s first point of interaction with your event. And as we all know, first impressions count.
This is the ‘eating your greens’ of the event planning world. Once you read this article – and tackle these problems – you’ll experience the dividends.
These are problems we have encountered and tackled with our event management software. So join us, as we highlight the key issues and solutions with tracking session attendance and event check-ins.
Connectivity issues
Sometimes, life conspires against you. Connectivity issues are one of life’s most common and effective gambits. A poor connection can bother you and your attendees even more.
Imagine bottlenecks, and attendees simply leaving. Even the most seasoned event planner can’t control an internet connection that’s doomed to fail.
- 61% of event organizers faced challenges with mobile connectivity during events, which can affect attendees’ ability to access event apps, and digital event check-in systems, or engage in real-time interactions.
Solution:
To ward off a failing connection, go retro: have hard copies for event registration. Our event check-in app lets you print schedules in one click. Have printed personal event schedules ready for attendees when they show up or print extra copies to hand out as needed.
A better solution? Opt for an event mobile app that functions offline. No connection? No problem.
Poor user experience
Attendees often encounter difficulties with the event check-in process. Ever been a victim of confusing instructions or unclear signage?
Complex user interfaces of event check-in systems or apps can be frustrating, especially for non-techy participants (or planners!). A poor user experience can lead to delays, confusion, and dissatisfaction among attendees.
- 68% of event organizers consider the user experience of event check-ins to be a significant concern.
Solution:
Sched swears by user-friendly event check-ins and attendance tracking. It’s tech for non-techy people. We’re not asking you to trust us on this. Our customers will tell you as much:
Jewyl Alderson, San Diego County Office of Education: “Sched’s interface was simple to use and implement. The team did not require additional training and the support documentation was easy to find and access. This saved the team time for other event management tasks.”
Evelina Preciado, Integra Schools: “While there’s often a learning curve when implementing event management software, Sched was intuitive to learn. Evelina quickly understood how to use the platform and could easily explain it to colleagues.”
Better yet, start a free trial and see for yourself!
Another solution is to enhance your pre-event communication. It sets clear expectations, addresses FAQs and concerns, facilitates efficient resource allocation, enhances personalization, and builds anticipation.
By engaging with attendees before the event, organizers can minimize frustrations, increase attendee satisfaction, and contribute to the overall success of the event.
How?
- Engage Attendees, Speakers, and Sponsors with emails and messages
- Send automated welcome invites
- Prepare daily schedule reminder emails
Time-consuming and inefficient processes
Event check-ins often lead to long queues and delays, causing frustration for both organizers and participants. The need for verification and validation further extends the process.
Additionally, managing attendee information and handling late registrations or walk-ins can be an administrative burden.
- 71% of event professionals believe that long waiting times are a major pain point for attendees during the event check-in process.
Solution:
Firstly, you can use an event check-in app that allows attendees to check themselves into sessions. This feature is available on Sched’s Plus & Premium plans.
If you enable this, attendees can easily check themselves into sessions by tapping a button on their devices. They will first need to register for the sessions and add them to their personal schedule to check-in.
You could also manage event check-ins for an entire event by creating a dedicated check-in session. Turn dead time into something fun by adding snacks, light entertainment, or facilitating networking opportunities.
- Further Reading: Level up your events with Scheds enhanced premium plan
Lack of seamless integration and compatibility
When registration systems aren’t compatible, it’s like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole – it just doesn’t work. If the user interface is complicated, and it’s hard to access and retrieve attendance information, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. You’re setting yourself up for even more frustration.
- 47% of event organizers struggle with integrating various systems for attendance tracking and event check-ins, leading to data syncing problems and inefficiencies.
Solution:
If you’re using an external platform for managing event registration, use an event planning software that lets you integrate your existing registration system.
Already weighed down with spreadsheets? Double-check that your event management system has spreadsheet upload capabilities. Bonus point if they offer data migration and import assistance, so you don’t bump into errors later.
Data privacy and security concerns
You wouldn’t leave the door to your home wide open when you drive to the store; and you wouldn’t send sensitive information on a postcard, right?
Collecting personal data raises concerns regarding privacy compliance and the risk of data breaches. Organizers must ensure they handle attendee information securely and follow privacy regulations. Transparency in data retention and usage is also important to address potential misuse.
The dangers include data breaches, unauthorized access, poor data handling access, lack of user consent and control, and third-party data sharing. The real-life implications for event planners and your guests range from invasion of privacy to outright theft.
- 62% of respondents expressed concerns about misusing or mishandling their personal information at events.
Solution:
Every event registration app will tell you that it offers great data privacy and security. However, some are better than others.
Here are the key components of a good security strategy when it comes to event check-in apps:
- Implement strong data encryption
- Implement robust access controls
- Adopt privacy-by-design principles
- Establish data retention policies
- Conduct regular security audits and testing
- Provide transparent privacy policies
- Train and educate staff
- Implement a data breach response plan
- Comply with privacy regulations
Limited reporting & analytics for event check-ins
Sometimes we repeat things so often that we forget why we even do them. Tracking session attendance and event check-ins aren’t just a legacy of taking attendance in class. It’s for analysis and reporting purposes.
However, tracking session attendance and event check-ins using outdated or inefficient methods often results in limited or incomplete data. Poor reporting and analytics capabilities hinder the organizers’ ability to evaluate event success and make informed decisions for future improvements.
- 72% of event professionals consider attendee engagement analytics and reporting as important or very important for measuring the success of their events.
Solution:
Track who showed up for event sessions by checking attendees into sessions using an event check-in app. Or allow attendees to check themselves into sessions using attendee self-check-in.
Download event reports showing exactly who showed up, for which sessions, and when they actually arrived.
Also, customize your registration forms. Design fields that feed you tasty data for your post-event analytics.
Lack of real-time updates
Participants may need real-time updates or notifications regarding schedule changes, room assignments, or session availability.
Traditional tracking methods often fail to provide immediate updates, leaving attendees unaware of important information. This can result in missed sessions or confusion during the event.
Inaccurate attendee counts, check-in delays, and miscommunication impact networking opportunities, and make crisis or emergency management hard work.
Solution:
There are loads of cool solutions to tackle real-time updates with your event check-in app. From offline optimization, automation, and more:
- Reliable & fast internet connectivity: Ensure that the event venue has a stable and high-speed internet connection. This will allow the app to communicate seamlessly with the server in real-time, enabling instant updates and synchronization of check-in data.
- Offline mode: Choose a mobile check-in app with an offline mode feature that allows event check-ins to continue if your internet connection drops. Offline data can be stored locally on the device and synchronized with the server once the connection is restored.
- Push notifications: Implement push notifications to provide real-time updates. Push notifications can inform attendees about changes in the event schedule, session updates, or any important announcements.
- Support & troubleshooting: Have dedicated support staff available on-site to assist with any technical issues related to real-time updates. They can troubleshoot connectivity problems, assist with app usage, and ensure a smooth check-in experience for attendees. Choose a check-in app provider with first-rate support too. Don’t wait until there’s an emergency to find out though. Check the product’s reviews and sign up for a free trial to test their support team ahead of your event.
Final thoughts
Well done, you’ve confronted the most frustrating problems with tracking session attendance and event check-ins.
Better yet, you now know some solutions. Are you ready to put them into practice?
Sched has event check-in apps for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. Whether you want your attendees to take control of their own check-in or you want to do it for them, we offer options to suit you. Take advantage of our free trial sign-up!
For those who do want to learn more about event check-in apps, check out our Ultimate Event Registration System Guide.