Whether you’re managing a business conference, music festival, or sports event, ensuring a large event goes off without a hitch is a monumental task. So much goes into planning even smaller events; preparing for a huge event can feel overwhelming.
Luckily, this list of tips you can follow will ensure that your large event goes smoothly, from the first day of planning to the moment the door closes after your last guest leaves. Here are five ways to effectively manage your large-scale event.
1. Choose the Best Venue
Before you begin selling tickets for your event, you should estimate the maximum number of guests who can attend. This number will help you choose the best venue for your needs.
Every venue has a capacity—the maximum number of guests that can fit. Inside the venue, each room should have a maximum capacity that meets fire safety regulations. As you search out venues, you’ll need to find one that matches your specific event’s requirements.
However, picking the largest venue available is not always a good idea. A venue that’s too big can make sponsors, speakers, and guests feel like your event turnout was not a success. Fewer people will want to return in the future, leading to falling ticket sales. That’s why it’s essential to find the Goldilocks of venues: one that’s not too small but not too big, either.
2. Use a Reliable Online Ticketing Platform
The vast majority of events use an online ticketing platform these days. An online platform is necessary to help you keep track of the exact number of tickets sold, including VIP upgrades. This will help you determine your venue.
However, not all platforms are created equal. You want to find one that has all your data in one place or seamlessly connects all your platforms. This includes connecting your ticket sales with your CRM system, customer profiles, and email platform. The event registration management software you choose should be highly reliable to help you avoid any snags, especially during the event.
Not to complicate an already big undertaking, but the best online ticketing platform and the best on-site registration are usually from different companies. This isn’t a problem, as long as they can both speak to the same CRM.
3. Send an Email about the Check-In Process Before Your Event
From tech wizards to digital dinosaurs, people of every kind will attend your event. Many of them may be repeat guests who are familiar with your check-in process, but many will be newbies to your brand or venue. Some may be able to figure out the technological details easily, but others may need more guidance.
Sending a preparatory email before your event is an excellent move to avoid guest frustration and confusion. Inform guests all about the check-in process, including the following information:
- Everything they’ll need to check-in
- Where to go
- Their time slot, if you’ve assigned guests a time to check in
- Any separate entrances or extra steps for VIP guests
- How to upgrade to VIP status at check-in
- Where to go after check-in
Additionally, consider posting highly visible signs around the venue to direct guests to the check-in area.
4. Create an Efficient, Coordinated Check-In Process
As the first in-person experience your guests will have with your brand, it’s vital that the check-in process is as smooth as possible. Long lines and a clogged waiting area full of people anxious to check in can have a serious negative impact on your brand reputation.
Additionally, in the wake of COVID-19’s impact, more guests than ever are mindful of social distancing and the potential for spreading disease in a crowded room. When guests are forced to crowd together because of a slow and inefficient check-in process, many will worry about every session at your event becoming packed. Some may even decide their attendance isn’t worth the risk.
A simple way to avoid these problems is to use on-demand name badge printing. Pre-printing all badges before the event, as many event managers do, does nothing to save time. In fact, it only slows things down as employees have to search through each badge to find the correct one for every guest. And if a badge has a typo or an attendee wants to upgrade to VIP status? Add at least five more minutes for every guest needing a new badge.
On-demand badge printing, on the other hand, prints each guest’s badge within seconds of the guest checking in. Each guest has the chance to view their badge and change or correct any information before printing.
Additionally, only a few employees are needed to help with tech issues, instead of several employees spending their time digging through boxes of badges. Add the sustainability factor of only printing badges for checked-in guests instead of all registered guests, and there’s no reason not to switch to printing on-demand.
5. Use Software with Real-Time Updates
Viewing your list of registrants before the event usually feels manageable, while seeing the huge crowds in person can leave you feeling a little weak in the knees (and not in a good way).
Ensuring that everyone has a good time at your event involves dozens of components. You can take care of nearly all of them when you use on-site event management software that provides real-time updates, specifically regarding tracking attendance in each session.
Tracking attendance is not only an excellent safety precaution—you not only know how many are in the room, but exactly who is in the room—but it’s also a highly effective way to help you adjust event specifics in real-time, including:
- Seating: Add to a crowded session or remove from a less-full session to help it feel more intimate and less empty.
- Food and beverage orders: Ensure that you always have enough for your guests without overspending and creating waste.
- On-site advertising: If one speaker or topic is doing better than expected, boost your advertising to give it more exposure to your guests.
- Updates for guests: Let them know immediately—whether in their hotel room or at the event—when a session is filling to capacity, a panelist canceled their segment, or any other unexpected event occurs.
With real-time tracking and updates for both yourself and your guests, you can help ensure that your huge event runs as smoothly as an intimate one.
Large Event? No Problem
Managing a large-scale event might feel daunting at first glance, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By following these strategies and using scalable event management software, you can turn a monumental task into a highly rewarding experience.