Automate These Four Tasks with an Event Registration Tool and Save Time

Vaccinations for COVID-19 are giving people an opportunity to feel connected again. A sense of normalcy is on the horizon as we spend more time outside of our homes. Like meeting up with a good friend for a workout, events offer a way to fulfill human connection. And with the right event registration tool, you can save time and delight your attendees by making it easy to register for your next event.

The power of automation is that it is part of a system.

As Dan Heath shares in his book Upstream: “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” Set up a system once. Then benefit from your system over and over again as it works for you around the clock.

In this article, we’ll discuss four tasks you won’t have to worry about manually doing by using an event registration tool.

1. Collect info from event attendees with a registration form

An event registration form helps you gather details about an attendee. It can be as simple as a name and email address. Or you can ask for other information to get a better understanding of who will be attending.

Think for a moment about a past event where you collected registrations by paper. Does this sound familiar?

– Managing a growing stack of papers.

– Using an Excel spreadsheet to track who has registered and paid.

– Endlessly checking in with attendees who haven’t finished their registrations.

– Several trips to the local bank to deposit checks.

– Manually sending out emails to remind attendees about the event.

The experience above takes up a lot of your valuable time and can be a huge hassle. Fortunately, there is a better way than an archaic process with paper registrations.

You invest a small amount of time upfront in setting up an event registration form once. Then the form collects details for you until your event sells out. Even better, you can continue to benefit from the registration form by using it for other events in the future.

Receive event payments with credit cards

Once you have attendee details, then you need a way to receive a payment. Sure, you could receive payments by check. However, is it a really good use of time?

An attendee has to write out a check. Then they need to mail it to your organization or deliver it in person ahead of the event.

As an event organizer, you are responsible for one or more of the following tasks:

– Follow up with attendees who haven’t paid.

– Deposit checks at the bank.

– Mark attendees as paid to confirm their attendance.

Here is where accepting card payments can save you more time. An event registration tool can process a payment online, automatically mark registrations as paid, and automate several other tasks for you. That frees up time for you to spend on other areas of your event.

3. Send an event registration confirmation email

A confirmation email lets an attendee know that they are confirmed for an upcoming event. However, it also reminds the attendee about some crucial details:

✓ Date and time of the event

✓ Event venue or location

An event registration tool can also let you customize the email to include details that are helpful for your event. Here are a few ideas for different types of events:

– Car show → Let guests know where to park when they arrive.

– Seminar → Send students materials in advance so they can prepare.

– Virtual workshop → Send attendees a virtual meeting link, so they have it ahead of time.

– Church service → Remind church members about safety protocols.

– Golf outing fundraiser → Let players know where to check-in once they arrive.

4. Know who is attending with an event registration report

A registration report for an event gathers the details collected from attendees and presents them into a downloadable document. Having those details organized in one place saves you time. You can create a report quickly in under a couple of minutes vs. trying to sort through a ton of paper registrations which can be overwhelming. 

Plus, you can share a copy of the event registration report with team members that are helping to make your event a success.

Whether you are planning a marketing conference, teaching students a gardening class, or hosting an annual gala fundraising dinner, you can save time by using an event registration tool.

Four tasks that you can automate with an event registration tool are:

1. Collect info from event attendees with a registration form
2. Receive event payments with credit cards
3. Send an event registration confirmation email
4. Know who is attending with an event registration report

So rather than tracking down and following up with attendees that have started a registration, they can register from your event registration tool and be done in a few minutes. Then you can run a report to see who is attending so you are ready for check-in.

Remember that it’s part of human nature to take part in experiences. In the words of the author and human connection researcher, Brene Brown: “Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others.” Organize an exciting event for your attendees and help them feel connected again.

Do you want to learn more about setting up an event registration tool that your attendee will find easy to use?

Event Espresso has created an ultimate guide that covers the four essential parts of an event registration system. Check out Event Espresso’s event registration guide to jumpstart your next event today!