The Best Contactless Event Registration Applications for 2021
With the multitude of event apps out there, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your specific festival, conference, or tradeshow. Since every event differs when it comes to scale, location, and virtual connectedness, it’s important to weigh your options before committing to any specific application. Event apps are great for increasing attendee engagement, but they can also help event planners with tasks like registration, ticketing, check-in, post-event analytics, and more.
We know that registration is such an important part of any event. After all, it’s the way that you know how big of an event to plan for, learn important details about your attendees, and keep track of things like payment status, ticket level, and more. That’s why it’s important to choose an event app that integrates registration help right into the software. While some offer solely online registration options, others offer contactless registration at in-person events.
The Benefits of Contactless Registration
Keeping your registration process streamlined is important because it can make check-in faster, reduce bottlenecking, and ensure that your list of attendees stays organized and accurate. It boasts various other benefits, as well. Here are a few.
Increased Sanitation
It’s no surprise that due to the pandemic, eventgoers are more cognizant of cleanliness than ever before. Plus, some state and federal guidelines continue to recommend small gatherings incorporate safety measures like physical distancing and masking. Since registration has traditionally been a point of high contact because of passing forms and badges back and forth, a contactless option is great for the period in which we live. With some of the event software options available, event attendees can simply scan a QR code, a piece of wearable tech, or use facial recognition software to pull up their specific profile. Then, they can print their own badge or necessary paperwork right on the spot using a kiosk and a printer. This feels safer (not to mention, faster,) for people, especially as we continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic.
The Way of the Future
Want your event to stand out to your attendees? Employ innovative technology that makes a difference with regard to how they experience the event. Here’s what we mean: if an attendee is impressed by the fact that your registration process is smooth and easy to manage, they’re more likely to be impressed by the event itself. We’ve all stood in a long line at an event that seems poorly organized—it can affect the mood of the entire event. Negate that with efficient registration and check-in processes. At this point, we’re all pretty used to contactless technology because of our iPhones. We use facial recognition technology to unlock phones, or finger recognition to make purchases. This type of technology is becoming more and more expected, especially at events.
Streamlines the Process for Event Planners
If you’re an event planner, you’re familiar with the headache that can happen because of registration. Without software that helps keep automatic track of registrants, payments, scheduling, and more, it can be challenging (to say the least) to keep up with it all. Not to mention, pre-printing hundreds of labels and working to match them up with the correct attendee is difficult and time-consuming in and of itself. And in this day and age, where many events are hybrid, it can feel near impossible. Contactless event registration can take this out of your hands and put it into your registrants’. It’s a win-win: faster for them, easier for you.
Event App Integration
Many of the apps that we like the most automatically integrate with the rest of your event’s plan. This means that in addition to helping with registration, you can use the apps to plan, collaborate, chart seating or stages, and analyze your event. Say goodbye to your many lists—this technology puts it all in one easy-to-navigate place.
Customizable Solutions
In addition to the seamless integration many of these apps offer, they also allow you to customize them to your event’s own needs. For example, event planners can customize registration web forms that allow you to select the information you want to know about your attendees. This could range from t-shirt size to personal interests. You could use this to create customized swag bags or ensure that your exhibitors and sponsors are appropriate for your audience.
Virtual Registration and Check-In
Working with primarily hybrid events right now? You’re not alone. While we think hybrid events are the way of the future, we acknowledge that it can be hard to keep track of participants when some are at the event in person and some are viewing virtually. Contactless event registration apps can help with this. Many provide the option to check-in virtually or in-person, which streamlines the process of what can be a difficult-to-track situation.
The Best Contactless Registration Applications for 2021
Without further ado, here are our favorite contactless event registration applications for 2021. Note that if you’re renting technology with us for your event, we can pre-load any of these applications onto the devices you plan to use.
OnArrival
OnArrival is one of the first apps that allows users to print physical name badges right at the event itself. Their claim to fame is that their software has the option for a “kiosk mode,” which allows users to enter in or scan their information in order to complete a “self-serve” style check-in. Using wireless printing and previously entered registration information, your guests can easily use a tablet to print their badges.
OnArrival also allows you to use kiosks around the event or have event personnel scan registrants into specific seminars or sessions, allowing you to view real-time data regarding your attendees’ preferences and engagement levels. This technology is ideal for rental hardware like kiosks, laptops, iPads, and iPhones. Plus, here’s how using those can streamline your event or festival.
Eventbrite
We discussed the benefits of using Eventbrite as an event planner in detail here, but it’s back again as an addition to this list about contactless registration for good reason. In addition to providing an easy way to market your event and professional event pages and email campaigns, you can manage registration and ticketing seamlessly with Eventbrite.
We particularly like that their registration forms allow you customize questions in order to learn about your attendees. It’s easy to embed on your event website and makes the ticketing and registration process automated, especially if you’re using their other event software options.
Whova
While Whova doesn’t offer a badge-printing kiosk, it does offer intuitive registration web pages that are simple to create and embed on your website. Their software allows you to track registrants and sales and create real-time updates that will show up on your attendees’ schedule within the software.
What we like about Whova is that they provide a way to increase engagement while at the event itself: the software allows you to create a social media space of sorts between your attendees, and it also offers integrated live-polling options.
Hopin
Similar to OnArrival, Hopin also allows attendees to print their own badges right at event check-in. Using a self-serve kiosk and QR scanning or facial recognition technology, Hopin streamlines the entire registration process for you.
Other benefits of Hopin include cashless payments, branded session information, and the ability for attendees to create their own personal schedules throughout the event. Plus, this software comes with post-event analytics that allow event planners to track sales and view reports. This one is popular, and for good reason.
Attendify by Hopin
Also under the Hopin umbrella is Attendify, which is their software that’s more focused on event registration. This registration software is also very customizable: you can provide VIP options, early-bird options, or customize the web form to your specific event’s needs. Attendify also integrates with their check-in app, Arrival, so that the whole process is handled in one interface. Attendify also provides reports, analytics, and a social network for attendees.
EventMobi
EventMobi offers contactless kiosks during check-in, in addition to powerful event websites that event planners can fully customize, from site design to registration form fields. Their backend dashboard is helpful for planners, as it allows you to view the registration data that you need, including registrants per session, registrant status, payment status, and more. Plus, EventMobi simplifies the payment process because it works with 13 different payment gateways and allows you to set registration close dates and times.
While events continue to evolve due to the pandemic, we think that contactless registration will stick around. It simply offers too many benefits—from effective and simple payment tracking to simplified means to gather information about attendees. These apps are onto something: your attendees (and you!) will enjoy a streamlined, professional event experience from start to finish.
About eTech Rentals
eTech Rentals is a national technology solutions provider located in Southern California specializing in rental technology integration. eTech is committed to long-standing client relationships and consistent, reliable local service, trusted by expert event planners, film and entertainment production companies, and businesses in California and nationwide.
Learn more about eTech Rentals at: https://etechrentals.com/