It's been gnawing at me for months now.
I'm not sold on this idea of "just get them to register and collect info later" (sorry you guys - you know I love you but I'm not sold and I know I'm gonna get backlash for this).
Maybe this means I'm an old lady and I only know what I've done for so long. Or maybe the platform I've been using hasn't shown me what's possible yet (hence getting on alllll the demos these days!).
BUT:
>> Registration is a delicate balance between efficiency and necessity. <<
Have you ever sent out a survey after you've gathered your attendee list?
What's your response rate?
I'm willing to put money on the fact that you will never get a 100% response after the fact.
So, IMO registration is NOT just "get them to pay and worry later" and I'm worried this is the narrative we're pushing - especially to newbies or people who already don't understand or undervalue registration's part of the event ecosystem.
The whole point of having the software is so that you DON'T have to worry later. It should save us time, money, and headaches.
I can speak confidently about forgetting a field of needed information and the massive number of hours and headaches it takes to gather that info after the fact (most recently, a site was launched without mobile phone which makes this app's experience better and as a result, the attendee experience and my own hours and those of my planner's were massively affected).
It's our job as the builders of the process to think all the way through ALL eventualities to create a balanced outcome for everyone involved in the process... planners, builders, others who need and process the data AND the end user.
YES -> let's focus on boiling down the necessary to increase efficiency but not push this idea of only collecting name and money and "worry about the rest later." The administrative / coordinator / builder side of things suffers when we rush to create reg and "worry later." (#beentheretoomanytimes)
Let's practice more critical thinking throughout the process (and encourage our colleagues to do the same). We definitely need to educate everyone involved in the power and purpose of the system. And we need to make sure everyone's bases are covered.
It's not one size fits all. It's complex. It's an opportunity to be creative and to flex your knowledge. And it's an opportunity to educate your colleagues about best practices.
> > > >
PS - If anyone is planning on doing registration this way [in a different platform] coming up and wants to bring me into the fold so I can see it WORK first hand, please let me know.
Or if you know someone and can refer me to them, I'd be ever so grateful.
I'm open to being wrong... to learning and expanding my horizons... but me being a one woman show, I'm at the mercy of what lands in my lap... which is, most of the time, the rigid "old ways" if that's what we want to call it. Enlighten me by bringing me in and maybe one day I can update this post ;)
