Event managers are under increasing pressure; pressure to create and manage successful events, but also under pressure to keep costs low and efficiency high. This means that they often walk a fine line between creating an event that is valuable to delegates and creating an event that is run on a shoestring budget. This can cause problems, as saving money is not always in harmony with the desire to manage and host a high-value event.

Many event managers are now realizing the control and efficiency benefits that technology can bring to the event management process. Automating key activities and leveraging the Internet can help save time and money, and can also create a more efficient event experience for event managers and delegates alike. One of the main areas where events and the internet come together is in delegate registration.

Previously, event managers had to manually select target delegates from a database, then create and send direct mail invitations (incurring additional printing and postage costs), and then manage registrations by phone, fax, and mail Postcard. There would be little to no tracking or reporting capabilities and they would incur additional costs through ongoing communication between themselves and registered delegates. Managing the delegate list would be time consuming – it is managed in huge and complex spreadsheets. However, we are now seeing this traditional model of delegate registration slowly being replaced by an Internet-based model.

The Internet-based delegate registration model takes advantage of the increased use of the Internet around the world. According to a May 2009 Radicati Group study, there are about 1.9 billion email users worldwide. That equates to just over one in five people in the world using email. By 2014, Radicati Group projects 2.5 billion email users worldwide. These statistics show that people are now getting used to using email as part of their daily lives.

Add this to the fact that in 2010, 30.1 million adults in the UK (60 per cent) accessed the internet every day or almost every day (source ONS Opinions Survey). People are now accepting of the Internet and all it has to offer, and they now expect businesses to meet their needs both online and offline. The use of email and social media means that more and more people are living their lives online; This means they want to be able to do basic transactions online as well, and that includes registering to attend events.

The online registration procedure should look like this:

• Website customized to your company’s specifications
• Sending personalized and branded electronic invitations to a specific selection of potential delegates through a sophisticated email marketing tool
• Provide a one-click transaction from the electronic invitation to the brand event landing page
• Allow your delegates to register online through your website
• Automatic sending of email confirmations of delegate reservations
• Produce custom delegate packages specifically tailored to each individual delegate
• Collate and store relevant information and produce delegate credentials prior to the event

This model benefits both the delegate and the event manager. For the delegate, they receive specific and personalized electronic invitations, can register and pay online, and then experience a complete closed loop by receiving event confirmation and email updates. For the event manager, they can take a step back in the registration process, while maintaining control. Full tracking and reporting capabilities will be included in the email marketing tool allowing the event manager to see who opened the invite, who clicked on the links and more. This will help improve data quality, tracking, and the success of future campaigns.

The event manager can also customize the online booking form for each event you host, making sure you receive the most important data for that event. This information can be used for additional marketing and to create custom same-day delegate packages. Custom delegate badges, complete with barcodes, can also be created at the click of a button.

Managing the delegate registration process can be simplified by outsourcing this area to an event software company. This type of service provides all of the above activities, freeing up the event manager to work on more strategic tasks. Event management software organizations can take control of the delegate registration process by using their sophisticated event software solutions, all for one affordable flat fee. This type of association is often preferable to event companies that are just starting to use technology when organizing their events. The other side of the coin would be to fully invest in an event software solution that would come with a delegate registration model. Although in this case, event managers would still have to oversee and control this part of the process themselves.