9 helpful tips for managing event check-in

The way you welcome your guests matters. 

Check-in is your first chance to wow attendees. But without a strategy, it can turn into a frustrating line of people waiting to get inside.

Below, we share nine expert event check-in tips for speeding up — and simplifying — the registration process without sacrificing elegance. 

Here’s how to strike the perfect balance between efficiency, sophistication, and personal connection while transforming your registration process into an art form. 

Tip 1: Embrace digital guest lists

There’s something almost painfully outdated about watching event staff flip through papers on a clipboard or scan printed lists while guests are forced to wait. 

Needless to say, digital check-in has done wonders for luxury events.

Synchronize data in real time

With zkipster’s synchronized event management software, your entire team can instantly access the same real-time information, whether stationed at the main entrance or circulating throughout the venue. 

Protect your guests’ privacy

Event planners can decide in advance what information will be needed at the door, then customize the zkipster guest list view accordingly. Change the column order to show only the relevant info fields while hiding sensitive guest data that check-in staff don’t need to see.

Tip 2: Master the art of VIP recognition

How do you know when your check-in process has made a lasting impression?

When you witness a guest’s expression shift from patience to delight, all because your staff recognized them without having to say a word. Accomplishing this is easier than you might expect.

Use discreet notifications

Luxury event organizers know that recognizing their most important guests makes them feel more valued. The challenge, of course, is figuring out how to give VIPs special attention without making other guests feel secondary.

Thankfully, zkipster’s VIP alert functionality sends discreet notifications to your event team when high-priority guests arrive. 

Instead of staff members consulting lists or whispering to colleagues, a gentle vibration or subtle screen notification ensures the right people are immediately aware when someone significant enters. 

Brief your staff

The best VIP handling happens when other guests don’t notice anything different happening. Remember that this may take some staff briefing to pull off. 

Tip 3: Reduce wait times with pre-registration

Nobody enjoys waiting in line, especially at a high-end event. You definitely don’t want long lines to be your guests’ first experience. 

When guests are able to pre-register, they can walk into the event feeling like VIPs instead of standing around waiting for their names to be checked off. In other words, pre-registration creates a smooth check-in experience. 

Use digital invites and QR codes

zkipster’s tools make digital pre-registration incredibly simple with elegant QR codes and digital invitations that match your event’s style. 

Imagine your guests receiving a beautifully designed digital invitation that not only excites them but also streamlines their arrival.

Treat pre-registration as a premium service

When you’re encouraging guests to pre-register, remember to position it as a premium service rather than paperwork. Instead of “Please complete your registration form,” try “To ensure your seamless check-in experience…” It feels like you’re doing something special for them, rather than asking them to do something for you.

Tip 4: Keep your check-in options open with different devices

The days of being chained to a check-in desk are over. Today’s most memorable welcomes can happen anywhere: by the valet, near the welcome drinks, or wherever your guests naturally enter your space.

Synchronize your devices

zkipster’s multi-device synchronization means your welcome team can move around as freely as your guests do. 

When your VIP steps out of their car, instead of directing them to an event registration table, your host can greet them personally, tablet discreetly in hand, and complete check-in during a casual stroll into the venue.

Mobile devices give you incredible flexibility to create welcome experiences tailored to your specific venue. Just make sure your WiFi coverage extends throughout! 

Weather-proof your mobile strategy

For outdoor venues, develop a protocol for protecting devices from rain and other environmental factors. 

Set up covered areas where check-in can continue during unexpected weather, and ensure staff know how to quickly transition between indoor and outdoor welcome positions without disrupting the guest experience.

Keep umbrellas readily available for staff to escort guests from their vehicles, and establish a system for team members to meet VIPs at their cars during inclement weather.

Tip 5: Link up your data to make life easier

What truly impresses guests is when each event feels connected to the last. This helps them avoid having to reintroduce themselves or explain their preferences every time. 

Integrate your data

With zkipster’s open API add-on allows your guests’ registration information to naturally connects to seating arrangements, meal preferences, and follow-up communications. 

You can integrate zkipster with your CRM system to save time and improve data transfer through automation.

Know which data to prioritize — and which to update

Not all guest information holds equal value. Try to capture data points that directly enhance experiences: dietary needs, professional interests, and relationship connections often matter more than demographics.

Bear in mind that a guest's interest from three years ago may no longer be relevant, so establish guidelines for when to verify (rather than assume) continued preferences.

Tip 6: Perfect the art of problem solving

Problems can arise at even the most successful events, but the attendee experience shouldn’t suffer. The secret is to anticipate common check-in hiccups before they happen.

Get clients and stakeholders on the same page

Talk with your client or stakeholders before the event to determine how to handle unexpected challenges, such as the arrival of an unconfirmed guest or plus-one. You’ll need to know whether to clear these arrivals with the hosts personally or designate someone to manage it on their behalf.

Prep your team

Before the event, conduct a check-in rehearsal where staff physically walk through the entire arrival sequence. Invest time in role-playing difficult check-in scenarios, practice subtle VIP recognition techniques, and ensure everyone understands how to delicately problem solve without breaking their hospitable demeanor.

Lastly, assign team leads who have the authority to roll out “plan B” if something comes up. Team leads should be positioned throughout the check-in area, where they can immediately respond to issues without needing additional approval.

Tip 7: Capture valuable insights

Smart hosts know the event check-in process is a goldmine for insights that can make every future event even better.

Gather useful data

zkipster’s custom fields let you capture those little details that can tell you a lot about guest preferences. This information can be viewed in the post-event Guest List export, so you can use it for your next event. 

Analyze your check-in process after the event

After your event, thoroughly review any problems that occurred during check-in. Identify recurring challenges and address them proactively. If similar issues arise at consecutive events, it’s time to develop a permanent solution rather than repeated workarounds.

Use your insights to create a living document of solutions that become part of your toolkit for future events. Schedule a “check-in review” team meeting within 48 hours of event completion so you can discuss the details while they’re fresh.

Tip 8: Prioritize event technology (and have a backup)

Think about creating the best possible tech environment well in advance. For digital check-in, you need strong, stable WiFi, ideally a dedicated network. You simply cannot rely on public WiFi. 

Have offline mode and a 5G hotspot ready

Primary high-speed WiFi should be supplemented with a backup internet solution, such as a dedicated 5G hotspot, that can seamlessly take over if needed.

For worst-case scenarios, zkipster offers an offline mode for the check-in system in the event of an unexpected connectivity interruption. Mobile check-in activity is saved locally, and devices can then be reconnected and synced one by one once the connection is restored. 

Rent the latest device models

Prep your tech and ensure everyone on your team has access to the event software. Your team will need a tablet or mobile device to use zkipster’s check-in feature. 

For optimal performance, consider renting the latest, most powerful device models that your team can use with the most up-to-date version of the zkipster app. zkipster’s partners One World Rental and Trade Show Internet rent out the latest devices pre-loaded with the zkipster app.

Ensure devices are charged before the event gets underway, and try to discreetly position charging stations for quick power boosts during slower moments.

Position check-in areas at entry points away from sources of electronic interference, and consider how natural light might affect screen visibility throughout the day. 

Tip 9: Keep the flow moving once people are through the door

What happens in the first few moments after check-in will define whether guests truly feel welcomed or merely processed. 

Creating that frictionless journey from the entrance to full immersion in your event requires thoughtful orchestration of each transition point.

Choreograph your welcome sequence

Consider the guest's journey: what they see, hear, and experience in those initial moments sets the tone for their entire event experience. 

Map the exact path guests will take in their first 90 seconds post-check-in. Identify potential bottlenecks and design solutions, such as multiple welcome drink stations instead of a single service point, or staggered coat check positions.

Speed it up, but keep the personal touch

Using QR codes is a great way to expedite entry while maintaining a smooth check-in process. zkipster’s continuous check-in feature turns the mobile app into a self-check-in kiosk. 

Remember that it’s about making on-site check-in convenient, not impersonal. zkipster’s badge printing and personalized welcome messaging features are small touches that subtly acknowledge a person’s VIP status.

Finally, provide clear signage and intuitive walkways so guests know exactly where to check in. Assign a staff member who can still provide a warm, in-person welcome and address any guest questions or concerns.

One final tip for a smooth, elegant check-in

Remember that the visual impact of your check-in area is a powerful but often underused communication tool. Try to use the same design elements for your check-in experience as your pre-event communications. 

Select a signature color palette and typography to appear on everything from digital invitations to on-site signage. You can even customize zkipster’s digital check-in app to use the same visual branding.

Consider turning your most striking branded element into your check-in area’s backdrop. Not only will this create a wonderful first impression, but it also becomes a natural photo opportunity for your guests to share on social media.