A useful participant list answers three different questions: who has a place, who is waiting and who actually attended? Mixing these up can cause errors in reminders, entrance lists and follow-up messages.
Our fictional event has 30 places. Before publishing it, the organiser tests five participant scenarios. Adapt the same checks for a seminar, membership event or training session.
Decide who can register
IdRelay supports registration open to anyone with the link or restricted to invitees. Choose according to your audience, rather than the easiest link to distribute. Also set the registration period, capacity and whether to offer a waiting list.
For an open event, a shared link or QR code can lead to registration. A personal link belongs to a particular participant and should not serve as a general invitation link. Test the actual route from the email or poster to the form.
Ask only for information you need
Give each field a clear purpose. A name and contact detail may be needed for the booking. Company and job title may be optional or unnecessary. Explain the purpose of a mobile number if you request one.
IdRelay lets you hide fields such as mobile number, company and job title, or make them optional or required. Test the form on a phone: can someone understand errors, enter their details and complete registration?
If asking about catering or other requirements, explain what information is needed and who will see it. Avoid inviting people to disclose sensitive details that the organiser does not need.
Separate booking status from attendance
| Information | What it means for your work |
|---|---|
| Invited but not registered | The person does not yet have a booked place. |
| Registered | There is an active booking, but attendance is not established. |
| Waitlisted | The person is waiting for a chance to book and holds no booked place. |
| Cancelled | The booking should no longer count as active. |
| Checked in | Attendance has been recorded. |
Invitation records, booking status and attendance are different pieces of information, not necessarily one status column. Use them according to the question you need to answer.
Test five participant scenarios
Use synthetic details and check both the participant’s message and the administrative list.
| Test person | Action | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Alex | Books an available place | Booking and confirmation agree. |
| Bo | Tries to register when full | Receives the correct message and can choose the waiting list if offered. |
| Charlie | Changes a detail through their link | The participant record shows the current information. |
| Dani | Cancels a booked place | Leaves the active selection and the place is handled correctly. |
| Eli | Arrives and checks in | Attendance is recorded without another booking. |
In the documented waiting-list process, a notification that a place is available is not a reservation. The person still needs to book, and availability is checked at booking. Do not write “you have a place” in a message that merely announces an opening.
Also check what happens after registration closes. Rebooking and new registrations must follow the event’s current time and capacity rules.
Prepare the entrance
IdRelay supports searching for participants, manual check-in and scanning their personal QR codes using a camera or connected reader. Enable your chosen method and test the equipment before opening the entrance.
Distinguish a QR code for open registration, a participant’s personal check-in QR code and a printed name badge. IdRelay’s name badges do not contain personal QR codes. Self-registration for new visitors applies to open events.
Assign entrance duties and decide how to handle someone who cannot be found. A printable attendance list can provide a fallback. If you use paper, assign someone to enter the attendance information afterwards and check it; do not assume automatic synchronisation.
Select the right people afterwards
Review cancellations and recorded attendance before sending thanks and feedback requests. Questions about the event experience suit people who attended. Someone who remained on the waiting list had a different experience.
Explore IdRelay Events, build a communication plan and prepare survey questions. For responsibilities around data, see IdRelay’s recipient-data guidance.