Asking about dietary and accessibility needs at registration

Show attendees that you are thinking about their visit from the moment they register. A clear question about food or access lets them share a request without giving a detailed personal account. Your team has time to discuss what is needed and possible with the caterer and venue.

Using the same tone and visual style as your invitation makes registration feel part of your event. At Activo, we help you include appropriate questions and organise the follow-up. An answer only becomes useful when someone acts on it.

Start with what the caterer and venue can offer

The choices on your form should reflect the event. A morning programme without a meal needs different questions from a client event with lunch and dinner. Together, we identify the information needed for the activities each person will attend.

Agree meal options with the caterer in advance. Vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher are not interchangeable, nor are they available everywhere as standard. Offer what has been agreed and explain which other requests need a personal conversation. The form can then set expectations your team is ready to follow up.

Distinguish preferences from allergies

A food preference is different from an allergy or intolerance. Avoid grouping them under a vague label such as ‘special requests’. A few focused questions help identify which answers need further discussion.

Ask the caterer to assess what is possible and provide reliable information about allergens and preparation. Also discuss the risk of cross-contact, where allergens unintentionally enter a dish. A completed form does not replace that conversation.

You can make these questions optional and offer choices such as:

• Which meal would you prefer? Show only the agreed options here.
• Do you have an allergy or intolerance the caterer needs to consider? Ask for the information needed to discuss the request.
• I have no requirements to share. Make this a deliberate choice, separate from a blank answer.
• I would prefer to discuss this personally. Explain who will make contact and how.

Explain venue accessibility before asking about needs

Attendees can explain their needs more easily when they know what is available. Share checked information about the entrance route, lifts, toilets and seating, for example. A general description such as ‘accessible’ often tells people too little.

An inviting question is: ‘What would help you take part comfortably in the event?’ You might mention an accessible route, suitable seating or support with following presentations. Ask about practical needs rather than a diagnosis. Giving an example is not a commitment to provide it: discuss arrangements that still need to be made with the guest personally.

Turn an answer into a clear arrangement

A guest who submits a request wants to know what happens next. The confirmation can acknowledge receipt and explain who will handle any questions. Confirm the actual arrangement once it has been agreed with the relevant provider.

Suppose a guest needs a seat close to the entrance. Your contact discusses a suitable arrival route and seat with the venue, then explains the arrangement to the guest. The host receives the practical welcome instructions. This gives the guest less to work out on arrival. If something is not possible, discuss it early and explore an alternative together.

Keep changes connected to delivery

A useful overview shows which lunch, dinner or activity a request concerns. The caterer receives the agreed quantities and necessary instructions; the venue receives the information needed for its arrangements. We help you organise that handover from registration.

Agree deadlines that work for both providers and communicate them clearly. Depending on the setup, attendees may be able to update their registration through a personal link. An earlier export will not change with it. Later changes still need personal follow-up, so someone can check what remains possible and inform the right people.

Share only what each person needs for their task

Guests share this information in confidence. A host often needs only the route or welcome arrangement, rather than the full explanation. A caterer needs a name only where it helps deliver the agreed meal to the right guest.

Answers may contain information about someone’s health. Have the conditions for collecting and sharing this information assessed in advance. Making the question optional is not enough. Explain clearly alongside the form how you will use the answers and who you will share them with.

Keep dietary needs and personal explanations off badges. Agree who has access, how information is shared and when it is deleted. A personal conversation can reduce the information entered on the form; notes and follow-up from that conversation need the same care.

Frequently asked questions about dietary and accessibility needs