Planning for onsite registration of attendees is an important part that needs to be thought through in advance.
1. Think about how you want the attendees line is laid out. Do you want tables to be organized Alphabetically and the queue forms in front of the table or have a single line and people go to the first table available.
2. You can have seperate line for volunteers, speakers and sponsors. This will allow them to get to their responsibilities quickly.
If you have speakers check-in then you know they are there. Alternately, you direct to the speaker room and self-check in themselves.
3. The ideal ratio is about 60 people per line/table.
4. Print out the registration list upfront and have the possibility of anybody checking-in into any table. This does add other complexities like possible duplicate registrations etc.
5. If you are allowing for walk-ins, have a registration sign-in sheet so those details can be captured.
6. If it makes sense think about electronic registrations.
7. Have a greeter to help people go to the right line and a person to help people to direct them to the right place after check-in.
Items to deliver during registration.
a. Attendee bag ( if you are giving out one). The attendee bag could everything the attendee needs to know to navigate himself through the rest of the day. This would also include any sponsor flyers/brochures etc.
b. Event Guide/Map/Schedule could be in the attendee bag or handed up seperately.
c. Name tags are a nice for networking during the day.
* Stick-on tags on the table where people can write their name/company/role/twitter tag. Have markers pens available there.
Pros - Stick-ons are easy to prepare and less work for the organizer.
Cons - Readability
* Pre-printed name tags would also work.
Pros - Professional, Readable
Cons - Cost, replacability, errors , crowd clogging
d. Lunch tickets as applicable.
e. Raffle tickets
f. After-event party info( in the event bag ? ).
g. Any other networking event.
h. Wrist bands could help you get count of people at any point in time without having to reconcile registration list. This also could become the ticket to enter the after event party.
8. Things you can tell/ask the attendees.
-Welcome with a smile on your face.
- Verify their Vegetarian preference