For a lot of event organisers, the most important element of an event is the event itself. For those people wanting a best-in-class event for their brand they know the delegate engagement experience is just as important and that doesn’t start at the event – it starts with the invitation and registration.

What is a delegate registration system?

A delegate registration system is an online platform designed to manage the registration, and often the participation of delegates for conferences, distributor and partner events, or other organised events. These systems streamline the administrative processes involved in handling large groups of participants, ensuring an organised and efficient experience for both the event organisers and the attendees.

Why use a delegate registration system?

A bespoke registration system helps to showcase your brand. Not only does it reassure delegates with a consistent brand experience, it also keeps all guest data highly secure, in one place, and GDPR compliant.  Making the guest experience more convenient and giving your event team a one-stop-shop for all their data requirements.

If designed correctly, a good delegate registration system will not only capture relevant attendee information, run formatted reports, but also allow you to communicate clearly and engage effectively your attendees both prior and post event.

What makes a good registration system?

Different events will require different types and styles of registration site, considering location, language and scale, however there are some key points to remember to improve the online experience.

Make it user-friendly

Registration should be easy to follow and as efficient as possible. Inform people in advance of what they will need to complete the process, so they come fully armed with the relevant information. Bite sized groups of questions are better than long pages with everything on it, so group questions together and make it clear how far the user is along the registration journey.

Ask the right questions

Only ask what you need to know to operate the event from both a compliance and experience perspective. The more information an attendee needs to complete that doesn’t seem relevant, the more likely it is that they won’t do it, so get the questions right the first-time round.

Capture the right data

Make sure the data you are capturing is output in a format that works for you. Capture dates in a useful format (e.g. dd/mm/yyyy), use tools like a post-code or a flight information look up, that provide accurate data in a format you need rather than manually typed. All these points will ensure you capture the right data first time.

Save and return

If you are asking an attendee for information they may not have at that time, make sure they can save what information they can provide, with the ability to return to complete it once they have everything they need. Send them an email telling them what they’re missing when they leave the website, and don’t be afraid to send out reminder emails to complete the registration.

Be informative and keep the conversation going

Don’t think of it as just a registration website. Provide attendees with key information about the event, draw them back in to interact throughout the pre-event process with informational emails, event updates, speaker and agenda information, promotional videos and make the website the place to go to for everything they need to attend.

Delegate Support

Offering a support email address or phone number for people to contact is extremely valuable. Set a time limit for responses to be answered and provided easy access delegate support. Remember, if an attendee is asking you a question, then there’s a good chance someone else will be thinking it too, so providing an FAQ page on the registration site that you keep updating can be helpful.

Data Reporting

Think ahead to what you will need once on-site. Include fields for capturing transfer details, flight and train information, event groupings, badge details, and meal options. A good event reporting tool will provide you with a single place to capture everything you need to operate your event efficiently, allowing your staff to pull live data as needed.

Testing Before Launch

Get the right people to test the full delegate registration process end-to-end.  Get colleagues who are not involved in the project to test the process with fresh eyes and use their feedback to adjust the website. Make sure it works for them, in all scenarios, and it will work for your actual attendees.

How can FMI help?

We are an innovative, agile and technology-led event management agency working for some of the world’s biggest brands and can help tailor a delegate registration system specifically to your needs.

Contact us below to design a delegate engagement solution that really works.