Trade shows are one of the most popular and most-awaited events for companies. If your company is the one hosting the tradeshow this year, one of the things you should secure is the number of attendees. Since tradeshows are usually done either in an open field or a warehouse, it’s perceived that the number of attendees, including the booths from various businesses, is high. One of the factors affecting the number of attendees is the registration process. A smooth registration process is one of the things that can significantly encourage people to sign up. But how can you ensure that the registration process is successful? Whether you’re hiring corporate event planners or not, here are some best practices for trade show event registration.

1. Seamless Online Registration Experience

The registration process should be simple. If you offer potential participants a lengthy, complicated registration form, there’s a high chance that they’ll just close it. Of course, the most convenient form is the online registration. They should be able to access it on various devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and desktops. In addition, the form should be easy to navigate. If the participants can’t understand what needs to be done to proceed with the registration, you may lose a lot of attendees.

2. Call-to-Action (CTA) Campaigns

When it comes to making campaigns about the registration process for your trade show, you should include call-to-action messages, such as “Limited Registration Only”, “Reserve Your Tickets”, “Register Now”, and “Join the Event”. If you can make campaigns where these messages are visible, it can be easier to gather potential attendees. As for the placement of the campaign, ensure that it can easily be found, so that the participants won’t have to scroll for too long to find it.

3. Customisable Registration Process

Nowadays, you can find available forms online that allow personalisation. This is a great addition to the registration process since it enhances engagement. For instance, when someone wants to register, they can have the option to register as an exhibitor, VIP, or regular guest. If you have an additional option, such as time, ticket price, and seating, you can also include it, so that the guests can choose the best option for them.

4. Offer Early Bird and Group Discounts

When it comes to tickets, you can offer early-bird and group discounts. This allows you to sell tickets as early as possible. From the group discounts, you can guarantee selling tickets in bulk, especially if you’ve invited other companies to attend. However, when offering discounts, prevent them from availing of discounts on top of the other. For instance, if they avail themselves of the group discount, they can no longer avail themselves of the early bird discounts.
Trade Shows

5. Integrate Registration with Your Event App or CRM

If your company or the trade show itself has an app available online, you can integrate the registration process. This can help ensure a more seamless registration process and can be updated instantly. Another option is to connect the registration with a CRM system, so that your team can send personalised notifications, track leads, and inform the participants about further announcements.

6. Automate Confirmation and Reminder Emails

After the registration has been completed, the participants should be able to receive an immediate confirmation, whether the ticket is paid or not. In addition, the confirmation email or app notification should include all the details needed by the attendees. Some of these include the event title, theme, date, time, venue, and attire. For exhibitors, you should include the number of their booth, a map of the event, and the schedule of ingress and egress.

7. Prioritise Data Security

Since the registration process is done online, one of the things you should secure is that all the attendees’ information is safe. You can use encryption tools, payment gateways, and multiple payment options, so that the payment process won’t be a hassle. Keep in mind that security isn’t an option. It’s a must that ensures that the information the attendees provide is all safe in your system.

8. Streamline On-Site Check-In

On the day of the event, the participants should be able to check in without any hassle. You may provide a QR code or mobile passes that allow them to scan and easily enter the venue without waiting for too long. You can provide the check-in details along with the confirmation email or notification.
Trade Shows

9. Gather Feedback After Registration

While planning the registration process, it’s also a good idea you gather feedback, so that you can make the necessary improvements, even while the registration process is happening. In addition, after checking in, you can also ask for feedback about their experience with the whole process. This allows you to foster long-term relationships and ensure that the necessary changes are made for future reference.

10. Analyse Registration Data

Analysing the registration data is also a significant step that can help you plan future events, even if they’re not related to the tradeshow. You can identify the peak registration periods, the times when a few are registering, and the reasons why some won’t finalise the registration.

Final Thoughts

With the wide range of options when designing the online event registration process, you just need to take some time to curate the best elements. Once you do, you can come up with an online registration process that’s user-friendly, accessible, secure, and engaging.       ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aliana Baraquio is a content writer for Pink Caviar Events Sydney, a full-service event management and decorative hire company located in Sydney. When she’s not typing out blog posts, you can find her watching anime series or baking cupcakes.