Before the invitation.
Ask the right questions.
Planning an event registration project? Use this checklist to connect the guest experience, onsite setup and reporting before development starts.
1. Define the audience and rules.
Confirm the event date, venue, guest volume and attendee categories. Is registration open, invitation-only or subject to approval? Who handles exceptions, duplicates and walk-ins? Write the rules before turning them into form fields.
2. Map the guest journey.
List each touchpoint: invitation, event page, registration, confirmation, arrival and follow-up. Decide who supplies content and sends communications. Ask what a guest sees if registration is closed, a place is unavailable or a detail needs correcting.
3. Collect the information you need.
Connect every field to an operational purpose. Confirm required and optional fields, consent wording, who may access records, retention and the handover format. Have the responsible event or legal team approve data requirements rather than treating a form template as a privacy policy.
4. Design the arrival workflow.
Registration and check-in serve different moments. Decide how a guest is found, how attendance is recorded and who can make corrections. If QR codes are used, test the journey from receiving a confirmation to finding the correct record at the door.
5. Confirm devices and venue conditions.
Identify the check-in positions, devices, power, connectivity and setup window. Agree any required hardware sourcing and support hours. Discuss a tested contingency plan for the actual system; do not assume offline synchronization is available.
6. Agree reporting before the event.
Decide which registration and attendance questions the report needs to answer. Confirm fields, filters, access and export format. Sample data can help teams agree the handover before real guest information is collected.
7. Rehearse a full journey.
Test a successful registration and the relevant exceptions on the agreed devices. Include communication links, form validation, QR lookup, attendance changes and report exports. Assign ownership for issues and agree when the build is ready for live use.
What should I include in the first brief?
Start with the date, venue, guest count, invitation approach, required data, arrival workflow and support expectations. Include existing tools, access constraints and your approval contact. A5M4 can then assess a registration scope and any onsite technical support needed.