On-site support during your event

The doors are about to open. A speaker has been replaced, a guest has no e-ticket, and your client wants to know how many attendees have already arrived. As a project manager at an event agency, you want those questions dealt with while you continue to oversee the programme and look after your client.

On-site support helps you organise this. An Activo project manager supports your reception team with check-in, handing out badges and changes to registrations. We agree with you in advance which tasks we will take on and when we will be there.

When on-site support adds value

The support you need depends on what needs to happen during check-in. You may have a short, busy arrival period, several attendee groups with different access permissions, or badges being printed on site. The experience of your reception team also matters.

An experienced team of your own can often handle check-in, with instructions and agreed support. For a more complex reception process, an on-site project manager can assess questions directly, guide staff and coordinate changes.

As you prepare, ask yourself: who can resolve a registration problem if you are needed by your client or in the event room at that moment? If nobody has been assigned that role, it is worth planning the support in more detail.

Agree in advance who is responsible for what

Good support starts with a clear division of responsibilities. As the event agency, you remain in charge of the event and the arrangements with your client. The Activo project manager focuses on the agreed aspects of registration and reception.

Discuss at least the following in advance:

• On-site support: who will be there, from what time and until when?
• Tasks at the desk: who will scan tickets, hand out badges and handle exceptions?
• Decision-making authority: who can admit a substitute attendee, add a registration or change access permissions?
• Equipment and connectivity: who will provide the phones, any badge printers, power and internet access?
• The main contact: who will make decisions on behalf of the organiser if a question falls outside the agreed arrangements?

This ensures the team knows which questions it can handle and when it needs to consult someone. Read more about the division of responsibilities between an event agency and a technical partner in outsourcing QR-code access control as an event agency.

Check the full process before the doors open

Allow time before check-in begins to run a check at the actual venue. Does the internet connection work at the check-in points? Do staff have the correct system access? Does scanning bring up the expected attendee with the right access permissions?

Include handing out badges in this check. If badges are pre-printed, the team needs to be able to find them quickly. If you are printing on site, also test the print job, the details on the badge and the handover.

Then run through a few situations with the reception team: a standard check-in, a forgotten ticket and a registration that raises questions. Also agree who to contact if something fails and what fallback option is available for your event. This gives everyone a practical way of working when it gets busy.

Handle changes without holding up the entire queue

Not every question needs to be resolved at the regular check-in points. A separate help desk gives staff space to check details while other guests move through.

Suppose a substitute arrives for a registered speaker. The reception team directs them to the designated member of staff. That person checks whether the substitution is allowed and updates the registration in line with the agreed arrangements. If on-site badge printing has been set up, a new badge can then be printed.

The same principle applies to a missing e-ticket or a last-minute registration: first check what is needed and permitted, then deal with the registration and badge. The Activo project manager can help with this and consult your main contact if a decision from the organiser is needed.

Explore the options for e-tickets, badges, and lanyards.

Respond to what you see as attendees arrive

A growing queue can have several causes. Many guests may be arriving at once, finding badges may be taking too long, or questions may be holding up the check-in points. On-site support helps identify where delays are occurring and respond to them directly.

An extra check-in point can help, provided a suitable device, system access, a working connection and a member of staff are available. If a second entrance is added, also coordinate the route guests will take, badge collection and access control.

Give your client a useful overview

During reception, you want to be able to report how many participants have checked in and who is still expected. With Activo's online registration, processed scans can be monitored live. This helps you discuss progress with your client and the event team.

Make sure it is clear what the overview tells you. You can see which participants have checked in at the entrance. If you want to know how many people are still inside at a particular moment, departures and any subsequent returns must also be registered consistently. Agree on this procedure in advance.

After the event, use the check-in overview for the evaluation. Also discuss where questions or delays occurred, so you can make targeted improvements to reception for the next edition.

Frequently asked questions about on-site support