As an event planner, you know event check-in does not just happen before an event. Getting staff ready for event check-in can be a hassle of its own.
Event check-in is a way of tracking your attendees’ arrivals and giving them up-to-date information about what they can expect. Because of this, an event check-in gives you a platform and opportunity to make a good first impression on all your guests — so you must make it count! But the question is: How?
We’re happy to share nine pro- to help you in getting Staff Ready for Event Check-in so everything runs as smoothly as possible.
1. Clarify the registration process
First things first, you need to make sure that everyone on your staff is on the same page. Everyone must have all their facts in check to make sure that they provide your attendees with all the information they need.
Picture this: An attendee doesn’t know where to go and what to do when they arrive. Naturally, their objective is to find someone who can assist them. If they go to a staff member who doesn’t know what’s happening in the event and where to lead the guest, what impression do they give? An unprofessional one.
To avoid making this mistake, you need to clarify the registration process with everyone and check whether everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Take note to give clear assignments to your team and provide them with the proper instructions should something come up. Doing so can help you streamline the process and manage the flow more efficiently.
On top of this, here are other effective strategies you can employ to get the best results.
Assemble a team of well-trained individuals
Avoid making simple mistakes by assembling a team of experienced individuals. Finding people who are knowledgeable about the operation of the check-in process can help make your life a whole lot easier.
Create a logical and straightforward flow
Another tip is to create a straightforward and logical flow that’s foolproof. If you achieve this, you can minimize confusion and miscommunications significantly.
Offer self check-in kiosks
In addition, if you can get your hands on advanced event apps like Expo Logic, you can curate your guests’ check-in experience or offer self-check-in options during your in-person event.
2. Refocus on the mission for getting staff ready for event check-in
Another pro tip is to bring the focus back to the mission. You can instruct your staff members all you want, but if they don’t get on board with what the event is all about, they will miss out on the goal you want to achieve. It’s important to impart to them the “why” behind the event and their significant roles in making that “why” come to life.
In doing this, you can get them excited about their responsibilities and inspire them to work to their full potential. Event registration is not an easy task. It requires patience, fortitude, optimism, good communication, and technical skills to ensure success. By bringing your focus back to the mission of the event and the people behind it, you add more meaning to their jobs.
Now, you’re probably wondering: how do we do that?
One thing you need to know about event check-in is that there are a lot of apps and procedures available in the market — some of which are more intuitive than others. Because of the wide range of options at your fingertips, it’s almost impossible to ensure that each of your staff members is well-versed in using them on-site. Even if they are well-trained, you can’t expect them to know how to operate all types of check-in apps and procedures. For this reason, be sure to train them accordingly so they know the ins and outs of the app that you’re using as well as their roles and responsibilities.
3. Support your staff
Your staff is both the face and backbone of your brand, so you must support them in any way you can, whether it be through moral support, emotional support, or career support. Fortunately, there are several ways you can go about this, and here are just a few approaches you can explore.
Show your appreciation
One way to support your staff is to show your gratitude and appreciation for the work that they do. Recognizing, praising, or showing small acts of affirmation can boost their confidence in their tasks and help them feel good about themselves, creating more positive energy in the workplace.
It doesn’t have to be big gestures either. It can be as simple as saying thank you, sending an email that acknowledges their efforts, or mentioning their projects in conversations where superiors are present. This type of affirmative behavior can make your employees feel validated, especially when they’re still new or uncertain.
Always check in on them
Another tip is to check in on them constantly. From time to time, make sure to ask them how they’re doing or if they need help with anything. Are there updates that they want to share or certain challenges that they’re experiencing? By checking in on them, you make them feel supported and showcase that you care about their well-being.
Maintain communication throughout the event
If after checking up on them, they feel the need to consult you for anything, make sure to keep your lines of communication open. This will help them reach out to you much more efficiently and relay their concerns.
4. Talk about branding
In relation to the previous point, a great way to support your staff is to set them up for success. And what better way to do so than to talk about branding?
As mentioned, your staff is the face of your brand, which means that what they do and say is a reflection of your business. To make sure that they don’t make any mistakes along the way, you need to lay down the facts and give them everything they need to know about your branding. From the image and tone to the mission and vision, they need to understand the core of what your brand stands for so they can represent you to the best of their abilities.
In addition, since your event check-in is the first encounter your guests will have with your brand, you need to make sure that your branding is polished from the get-go.
For corporate events, include your corporate colors in all elements, such as the signages, table skirts, staff clothing, booth designs, and name badges or IDs. If you have a long waiting period from check-in to the event proper as you wait for the majority of your attendees to arrive, make sure to translate your corporate personality to the food, entertainment, and pre-event activities as well. Doing so will create a completely cohesive consumer experience.
Your guests will have a more in-depth understanding of what your brand is and what it stands for even before the festivities.
5. Give specific instructions
Besides informing your staff about branding, be sure to give incredibly detailed and specific instructions to help them navigate their duties throughout the event. From the way they present themselves to the way they interact with your attendees, everything needs to be polished to avoid any hiccups.
If you need further instructions, here are some tips we’ve garnered from our experience that can help you out.
Define your goals and objectives
This goes back to the “why.” To ensure that you and your staff are on the same page, make sure that they comprehend your goals and objectives. In doing so, they can act accordingly to ensure that these goals and objectives are met.
Explain the flow of your program
In the same light, make sure to explain the flow of the program to them. While they’re tasked primarily with check-in, they’ll no doubt be asked about the program by some of your guests. It’s best to give them this information upfront should they encounter any queries.
Give examples and timeframes
To guarantee that there’s no misunderstanding or miscommunication, you should give concrete examples and timeframes. These are especially beneficial for staff members who are new to the role or are carrying out a new task.
Examples and timeframes can add more clarity to the instructions and paint a clearer picture of what you mean or what you want to happen.
Set boundaries
Finally, set boundaries. Although it’s good to give staff freedom to make their own decisions, you also need to set boundaries to keep everything running smoothly.
6. Create a staff plan
Making sure that your check-in and event as a whole run smoothly starts with a good staff plan. To develop this, you need to understand exactly what’s required of your agency across different areas from the registration to the program flow to backstage. Only then can you calculate the exact size of the workforce you need.
If you’re planning for a rather large corporate event, here are some aspects you need to consider:
- How many workers do you need to run each portion of the operation efficiently and comfortably?
- Do you have multi-skilled staff members who can assist in more than one part of the operation?
In case you already have staff on standby, here are some steps to keep in mind so you can create a foolproof plan.
- Review your staff members and identify potential gaps and shortcomings. This is extremely important if you have new members or new and unfamiliar tasks.
- If you have an event that’s running for more than a day, try to spread out your staff members to avoid burnout. Likewise, have back-ups or contingencies in mind should a member be unavailable on certain days.
- Having a long event can be exhausting, so don’t forget to schedule breaks for each member of your team.
- When assigning someone to the check-in booth, consider the skills required to operate that portion of the event and assign individuals who have these skills.
Once you’ve done the initial planning, all you need to do now is execute your plan.
7. Set up a help desk
No matter how trained and experienced your staff are, there is still a possibility that they may encounter a challenge that they need help with. In such cases, it’s best to set up a help desk where your staff as well as your guests can inquire about particular elements of the event.
It may seem like an added task to your checklist, but setting up a help desk can offer you and your event more benefits.
Minimize friction in your check-in team
Every extra task and new process you add to your check-in is an additional job for your check-in team. By offering a help desk, you can reduce add-ons and allow your core team to focus on their primary tasks. Doing so will help minimize friction and increase efficiency.
Reduce traffic at the registration booth
If you’re working with a check-in system that not everyone knows how to use, you’ll inevitably end up with guests asking questions about it or trying to figure out how it works. As a result, these guests will create traffic and hold the line for other guests to register. You can avoid this bump in the road by setting up a help desk that can help confused guests and keep everything moving as smoothly as possible.
Improve customer service to your attendees
Much like event planners, guests also want to have a smooth-sailing event experience. They don’t want to face setbacks or confusion. By having a help desk that can guide them through their experience, you ensure they remain on the right track and get the most value from the event.
8. Have a back up plan
We all want our events to flow according to plan. If you’ve been in this industry as long as we have, you know that plan A doesn’t always happen correctly. Sometimes, we need to have a plan B to keep the event moving forward.
Depending on the problem you’re facing, your Plan B can look a little different than others. In the past, here are some alternatives event planners fall back on to make sure that their event continues even if they’re faced with a major obstacle.
Setting up tents or moving indoors
If the original plan is to have an outdoor event filled with entertainment and activities but an unforeseen weather condition occurs, you may need to set up tents to keep your guests safe and comfortable or move indoors completely. To avoid starting from scratch when a crisis like this hits, consider setting up your tent or indoor space at the same time you’re setting up your outdoor venue. This will save you time and effort. Plus, it will make the transition more seamless.
Creating a hybrid event
After the pandemic hit, hybrid events became a popular option. They’re a combination of virtual and in-person events to give all guests the best of both worlds. That being said, if people can’t attend in person (as a result of travel restrictions, natural disasters, or something else entirely), they won’t miss out on all the festivities because they can attend virtually.
With the level of innovation, our technologies have, we can transport almost everything online, whether it be interactive games, live discussions, or press conferences.
9. Practice clear communication
At the end of every event, make it a point to gather all your staff and talk about what happened during the event. Get insight, realizations, feedback, and opinions so you can see how the affair took place from different perspectives. In doing so, you can pinpoint your strongest areas and areas that need more improvement.
Especially when it comes to check-in, always ask the question: how can I make the process more efficient? You and your staff members can brainstorm possible methods and strategies to improve operations and make this step run more smoothly.
Other reasons why asking questions and engaging in clear communication are essential during events include the following:
- They create a better functioning and more efficient team
- They can mitigate challenges at the onset to avoid further complications
- They can minimize devastating effects and manage expectations
Moreover, here are some tips to ensure that you practice clear communication:
- Always enable a two-way conversation
- Use a single platform to centralize all communication efforts
- Share vital information before the event starts
- Never hesitate to raise concerns
We at Expo Logic aim to provide a more efficient way to plan your event, from providing you the platform to oversee all aspects of your show to giving you the necessary features to track your guests and communicate with your team.
