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For almost all conferences or events, you'll need people to register. Even if it's a free event, you still need a way to capture information about your attendees. Depending on what your needs are, you can also create different registration groups and types, with varying price points, discounts, inclusions etc.
NOTE: It's important to ask registrants for relevant information. This isn't just for your benefit, but also to follow data collection regulations. Plan ahead what information might be needed before creating your online registration forms, also called interactive (registration) sites.
After your event, you can also use registration categories and types to help you review your registration process. For example, you can run reports on:
Registrations by group and/or type
Registrations by date
Registrations by region or country
A combination of the above
Registration module - Preferences
Before creating registration items, review your settings in Setup Panel -> Registration module.
Under Preferences, you'll see the following:
Net Target Revenue - enter your registration revenue goal here. This amount is used to calculate target percentages on your event Dashboard.
Expected Attendees - The number you enter here is used to calculate alerts (see below).
Optional Alert - Set a percentage Milestone Increment (such as 25%) and when each increment of 25% is reached, an alert will be created.
Alert Level - you can choose:
Information
Low
Medium
High
Critical
Meeting Matching - Create your Meeting Matching settings, if required. (Read more about using Meeting Matching in this article.):
Enable Meeting Matching - switches on Meeting Matching.
Enable Attendee to Attendee Meetings - allows attendees to meet with each other, usually at numbered tables; you can also set
Number of Tables Available
Table Name
Description for Organizer-Created Meeting - a short phrase to describe any meetings created by the organizer.
Record Attendee Pre-Scheduled Meeting Preferences - select to let attendees select preferences for exhibitor meetings.
Record Exhibitor Pre-Scheduled Meeting Preferences - select to let exhibitors select preferences for attendee meetings.
Block meetings that conflict with Functions [or Sessions] - you can select either or both of these, to block any requested attendee meetings if the attendee is registered for a function [or session] at a conflicting time.
Allow "estimated number" minutes after flight arrival for first meeting - don't book a meeting until the attendee has had time to transfer from the airport.
Allow "estimated number" minutes before flight departure for last meeting - don't book meetings for when the attendee needs to leave to catch their flight.
Enable Virtual Meetings - lets attendees use Meeting Matching for virtual and hybrid events.
Enable Walk Time Restriction - lets you set the Maximum Walk Time and the Time to Walk 10 Meters to assist when scheduling meetings
Automatically Update Requested Meeting Status - define a timeframe for requested meetings to expire if the recipient hasn't responded to the meeting request. You also need to set a default status after that time period expires (either Canceled or Confirmed).
Notification Email - set the brand and email details for meeting request notifications.
Meeting Request Response Site - create the basic settings for a mini-website where people can respond to a meeting request, send a message, and either accept or decline the meeting.
Registration module - Payment and Cancellation Policy
You don't have to create policies here, but it's a good idea. You can create default policies for entire Registration module.
Then, within each Registration type, you can either use the Default Policy/Policies (including Schedules) you created, or define a Custom Policy (and Schedule) for that Registration Type.
If you don't select anything on the overall (Registration module) Payment and Cancellation Policy tab, you won't see these options on individual Registration Types.
Registration module - Registration Group Setup
Don't confuse Registration Groups - putting a number of Registration Types into a category - with Group Registrations (setting up online registrations and discounts for a group of attendees).
Registration Groups make it easy to collect certain registration types into a category or group (for example, so you can search or filter for communication or reporting purposes. You can also create specific inventory amounts, alerts and other settings for each Registration Group.
For example, you could create Registration Groups for:
One-Day Registrations (with Registration Types such as Student Discount and Full Price)
Pre-Conference Registrations (you might have different Registration Types for each industry)
and/orRegional Registrations (with different Registration Types for each state)
Even if you don't need to put your registrations into categories, you still need at least one Registration Group, because each Registration Type has to belong to a Registration Group.
Registration Group Inventory (and Inventory Alert)
The default Inventory for a Registration Group is "Unlimited". But you can limit the number of registrations for the whole Registration Group by ticking the "Limited to" box under Inventory, for that Registration Group.
Once you do this and set an amount, the option to create an inventory alert becomes available.
You can set up an Alert to appear when the remaining inventory for that Registration Group falls below a certain percentage, specifying what percentage and what level of alert.
Category Color
This lets you set a color for how this Registration Group's virtual name badges appear (in the OnAIR portal). The color bar appears along the bottom of each listing, showing the name of the Registration Group (similar to what you might set up for a live event).
Meeting Schedules
You'll only see this if you've enabled Meeting Matching in Registration Preferences.
Meeting Schedules are the daily templates for meeting times, used by the Meeting Matching feature. When the Meeting Matching Express Action is run, this list of empty timeslots is used to create appointments.
You may need to create more than one meeting schedule.
Which Meeting Schedule to use for a person is specified in their Registration Type setup, or Stand Type setup (for Exhibitors).
Registration Types
Different registration types help you personalize the event experience for your attendees (and exhibitors and sponsors). They also help you effectively manage your event.
You can define many different settings for each registration type. Within the registration module setup for each type, you can set the cost, limit inventory, set alerts, add a package, add to a catering count, and create meeting matching settings.
You can also specify payment statuses, invoice groups, tax amounts, and cancellation fees per type. These are all key steps to using other features.
Once you've set up different registration types, you can also create different paths and options for them on your interactive (registration) sites, and use them to categorize attendees for reporting and communication purposes, and even set up different name badges and check-in processes.
You can create as many different Registration Types as you need, for example:
Early, regular and late registration
Staff registration
Exhibitor and speaker registration
VIP registration
Single day and multi-day registration
Pre-conference workshop registration
Exhibit-hall only registration
Registration type - Details tab
When you create a Registration Type, your options will include:
Name (mandatory)
Registration Group - choose a Registration Group for this Registration Type (mandatory)
Amount - how much this registration type will cost (leave blank if there is no charge).
Event Currency - if you've enabled multi-currency in your event, you can choose currencies for this Registration Type. You can also override and amend the currency amount.
Inventory - you can leave as unlimited, or set an inventory limit.
Optional Alerts - see the "Alerts" section below.
Accompanying Person - Select this option to create a spouse/guest or support carer registration type. When you add this to an interactive (registration) site, an attendee can select this along with their main registration and include details for a name badge. The Accompanying Person registration will appear on the main attendee's contact record.
Don't add an Accompanying Person registration type on an interactive (registration) site with the Group Component - it will try to create a group.
Include Package - selecting this option provides a drop-down list of available packages. When you add a package to a specific Registration Type, all package inclusions are added for anyone with that registration type. (This will happen whether someone chooses the Registration Type when registering online, or if you manually assign it to them.)
Virtual Attendee - if you check this box for a registration type, anyone with the registration type has access to any live-streamed content. (You also need to enable live streaming, and allow Virtual Attendees access to the Sessions/Functions as you're setting them up.) Read more information about Virtual Attendees and Live Streaming.
Include in Catering Count - this option works with the Dietary Requirements portal and reports. You can choose whether or not to include a specific registration type for daily catering counts. For example, you may have "Morning Only" registration type, or a volunteer registration type for whom meals won't be supplied, and you'd say "No" for this option. If you say "Yes", you can select whether it's just for one day, or for a range of dates.
Meeting Matching - if you've enabled Meeting Matching, you'll have the option to "Enable Meeting Diary" for this specific Registration Type. You can also further define the meeting matching options. To learn more, read the information about Meeting Matching setup.
Alerts
If you set an inventory for a Registration Type, you may want to be alerted when the inventory drops below a certain percentage. You can set the following:
Optional Alert - Check the box to send an alert once the inventory level drops below the pre-set limit.
Limit - sets the percentage of remaining inventory items to trigger an alert.
Alert Level - sets the alert level that you wish to send. A critical or high alert will also trigger alert indicators on the navigation bar and the event selection screen.
You can also create a Check-in alert for a Registration Type.
Check-in Alert - will send an alert if anyone with this Registration Type checks into your event. (You then set the Alert Level, and, if you want to, specify the wording for the alert message.)
Registration type - Payment/Cancellation schedules
For each Registration Type, you have the option to leave these tabs blank, add the default options for Registration module (once you've set these up) OR use custom options just for this Registration Type. Read this article for more information.
Registration Type - Advanced Tab
Advanced options include the following:
Unique Code - useful when internal codes are applied to a Registration Type.
Valid Payment Status - the default payment statuses are Purchase, Inclusive, Complimentary, and Canceled. You can also enable additional payment statuses, such as:
No Charge
Own Expense
Invited
Not Attending
Not Required
Deposit
Charge to Another Contact
Split Charge
Waitlist Purchase
Waitlist No Payment Required
Invoice Group - lets you assign a group code to identify this registration type for invoice purposes.
Credit Hours/Points - you can automatically give anyone with this Registration Type a certain number of Credit Hours/Points.
Income Account - you can assign any revenue from this registration type to a specific income account, for budgeting and accounting purposes.
Taxes - you can assign one or more taxes to this registration type. (You need to set them up first, under your event's Financial Settings.)
Cancellation Fee and Tax - you can set a default cancellation fee amount for this registration type, adding any relevant tax(es). Again, you need to have previously set up the taxes in Financial Settings.