What information do you collect during event registration, and what information do you not collect?

When registering for an event, the information you request consists of the fields that a participant fills out to sign up, and each field is only relevant if it affects the participant’s attendance, the organization, or communication regarding the event.

There’s always someone who wants to add another question. The department wants to know who’s coming, marketing wants to know their area of interest, and before you know it, you’ve got an 18-field form that causes guests to drop out halfway through. Every field costs you registrations. Activo has been providing event registration services since 1997, supporting more than 5,000 events.

The question behind each field

There’s one test for every field: does the answer change anything you do? A dietary preference changes your catering. A session choice changes your room layout. A job title that nobody uses doesn’t change anything and just makes it harder to fill out the form. In the event registration system, you determine which question to ask for each target group.

That’s the solution to the discussion with the department: not every question needs to be asked of everyone. Speakers are asked different questions than guests.

What you will almost always need

Your name and email address, because that’s where the e-ticket will be sent. The organization’s name, because it will appear on your badge. Attendance by time slot, if your program requires it. Dietary preferences, if catering is provided. Session selection, if there are concurrent sessions. That’s usually all there is to it.

At the study day for Junis Kinderopvang, which drew more than 1,200 employees, that was all it took for participants to put together their own schedule.

What you should leave out

Everything you don't end up using. Phone numbers that no one calls, addresses you don't need for anything, open-ended questions that no one ends up reading. The fewer questions you ask, the more people will complete the form.

There is also a matter of principle. You collect and process personal data; you do so only when necessary. Activo’s platform is designed with the GDPR in mind, in line with the privacy and security requirements of organizations such as Rijkswaterstaat and Amsterdam UMC. See also our privacy policy.

From the form to the event day

The information you request will appear on the badge, in the export file, and in communications. The participant receives their e-ticket with a QR code, has it scanned at the entrance, and receives their badge; see access control at event venues and e-tickets, badges, and lanyards.

So any field you add or remove affects the process all the way to the reception desk. That makes the form not just an administrative step, but a design choice.

Frequently asked questions about data in event registration