Setting up your check-in desk: how to prevent queues at the entrance

A good welcome starts with a clear check-in process. Your guests know where to go, staff can work efficiently, and questions are resolved without holding up the entire queue.

For that to happen, registration, the desk layout and staffing need to work well together. A quick scan helps, but finding and handing over the right badge also needs to run smoothly. How do you organise this for an event with 300 to 1,500 attendees?

Plan your welcome around the peak arrival period

The total number of attendees does not tell you enough about the capacity you need. Eight hundred visitors arriving over two hours require a different setup from eight hundred visitors, a large proportion of whom arrive just before the opening.

Consider the expected arrival pattern in advance. When do the doors open? How much time is there between the start of check-in and the first item on the programme? Will groups arrive together, for example by coach?

Then estimate how many visitors you expect during the busiest fifteen or twenty minutes. That is the starting point for your check-in desk setup.

A worked example: capacity on paper is not the same as capacity to spare

Suppose you expect 400 visitors in twenty minutes. In a practical test, the full check-in process, including handing over the badge, takes an average of twenty seconds.

One independently operating check-in point could therefore process sixty visitors in twenty minutes, on paper. Seven points would process 420 visitors between them. That may seem sufficient, but it leaves little room for questions, delays or a particularly busy spell within that period.

The twenty seconds in this example is an assumption, not a fixed benchmark. Test the full process for your event and allow sufficient extra capacity. Also check that the check-in points can operate independently. If several points are waiting for the same badge printer, a bottleneck can still develop there.

Read more about how a fast check-in affects the event experience

Make the route clear from the entrance

On arrival, visitors should be able to see quickly where registration is and which desk to use. Confusion at the entrance costs time, even when the scanning itself works well.

A practical setup includes:

• Enough check-in points: spread the expected arrivals across several points that can operate at the same time.
• A separate help desk: deal with missing tickets, name changes and other exceptions separately.
• Clear signage: make the route visible before visitors reach the queue.
• Space after check-in: give guests room to put on their badges and move on without obstructing the next visitor.

Adapt the setup to the available space. Make sure queues do not block doors, passageways or other reception desks.

Keep exceptions out of the main queue

An attendee without an e-ticket need not bring check-in to a halt. Agree in advance where this visitor will be helped and who will check their details.

At the help desk, a member of staff can look up the attendee in the registration system. Once the details have been checked, check-in can be completed. Substitute attendees and last-minute registrations can also be assessed here in line with the arrangements agreed with the organiser.

This keeps the regular check-in points available for visitors whose registration is complete.

You can read more about the scanning process in scanning QR codes at the entrance

Include badge collection in your planning

Check-in is only complete when the visitor can move on with the right badge. Include that step when calculating the capacity you need.

Are you using pre-printed badges? Arrange them so staff can find them quickly, and make sure everyone follows the same approach. Keep badges and lanyards within easy reach.

Are you printing badges on site? Test the entire process: looking up or scanning the attendee, processing the print job and handing over the badge. Match the number of printers and the workspace to the expected demand.

If you have several attendee groups, agree in advance which badge and access permissions apply to each group. These might include attendees, speakers, the press and staff. A separate route for speakers or VIP guests can help if their arrival involves additional steps.

Prepare staff for what happens in practice

A user-friendly scanning app makes the work easier. A short briefing ensures that staff also know what to do when something does not go as expected.

Before the doors open, cover at least the following:

• How scanning and badge collection work.
• What to do if a registration is missing or a notification appears on screen.
• Which questions should be directed to the help desk.
• Who is allowed to make changes.
• Who to contact during busy periods or if there is a technical problem.

With on-site support, an Activo project manager can guide the team and help with questions or changes. We agree in advance what support is needed and how responsibilities will be shared between Activo and your organisation.

Monitor progress as attendees arrive

During check-in, you want to know how many attendees have already checked in and how many are still expected. Up-to-date registration information helps you monitor progress and coordinate with the rest of the event team.

Combine that information with what is happening at the entrance. A growing queue may call for an extra check-in point, but it could also be caused by an unclear route or delays in handing out badges.

After the event, the registration overview shows who actually checked in. This helps with evaluating the event and preparing for the next edition.

Frequently asked questions about setting up a check-in desk