Event registration refers to the process by which individuals sign up for an event, providing necessary data, selecting tickets and participation options, and handling payments if applicable – often the first and most critical touchpoint between the attendee and the organizer.
Also known as:: Online registration, attendee registration
Important for: GDPR, UX, conversion
What is event registration?
Event registration (also: online registration, attendee registration, congress registration) is the structured process through which interested parties become officially registered attendees. It typically includes a registration form, a choice of ticket or package, payment processing where applicable, and an automatic confirmation.
For organizers, registration is often the first data-gathering touchpoint: this is where attendee lists are created, preferences are recorded, and GDPR-compliant consent is obtained (exceptions for conferences include a preceding call-for-papers process or pre-registration for non-binding expressions of interest).
Components of a registration process
- Registration form / registration flow: Step-by-step or single-page collection of mandatory and optional fields (e.g., name, organization, email, job title, dietary requirements, or any event-specific fields).
- Attendee type selection: Selection from various attendee types (e.g., students, association members, etc.). The bookable tickets and their prices are based on this selection.
- Ticket and package selection: Selection from various ticket categories (e.g., full event, individual days, or online participation) and the associated workshops, additional services, or accompanying persons. Conference organizers typically use time-based discount thresholds (e.g., early bird) and may indicate the limited availability of prices when displaying them.
- Billing details: Collection of company address, VAT ID, and purchase order reference for automatic invoicing.
- Voucher codes: Input field for discount or promotional codes with real-time validation. These tools allow attendees to access exclusive services, special prices, or specific payment methods.
- GDPR consent: Mandatory consent for data processing, optional marketing consent, and a link to the privacy policy.
- Confirmation page & confirmation email: Summary of the booking, automatic email with ticket (PDF/QR code), and calendar invitation.
- Payment (if applicable): Secure payment processing with multiple payment methods and automatic invoice delivery.
- Invoicing: Generation and delivery of tax-compliant invoices. For conferences, applying different VAT rates to a total ticket price and the reverse-charge mechanism for shifting tax liability play a central role. This is where professional conference management systems like Converia differ from simple event management solutions. In Converia, for example, tax-compliant solutions are standard.
Common requirements for conference registration
- Multilingualism: Forms and confirmations in German and English (or other languages) – especially for international conferences.
- Quota management: Automatic blocking of tickets upon reaching capacity limits, activation of a waiting list.
- Conditional fields: Forms that offer different options and display fields based on the selected ticket or attendee type.
- Group registrations: Option for bulk booking for multiple people in a single transaction.
- Accessibility: WCAG-compliant form design for all user groups.
- Time-based discount management: Definition of discount and early-bird thresholds and corresponding prices for all offerings.
- Verification management: Conferences usually offer significantly discounted tickets for students or members of professional associations. To verify eligibility, a verification management system should be in place.
Key performance indicators for registration
- Attendee count: How many people have already registered for the conference?
- Ticket revenue: What revenue has been generated from ticket sales so far?
- Outstanding payments: How many ticket payments are still pending?
Registration in Converia
Converia offers configurable registration flows for conferences of any size: multilingual forms, conditional fields, classic conference ticket options such as time-based discounts (early bird), day-specific ticket options, integrated ticketing and payment processing, automatic GDPR-compliant confirmations – and seamless integration with check-in and attendee management.
Registration that delights your attendees
Converia makes registration the first positive experience of your conference – intuitive, fast, and error-free.
- Attendee Management – Ticketing & Registration
- Ticketing System – Ticketing & Registration
- Waitlist – Ticketing & Registration
- Cancellation & Rebooking – Ticketing & Registration
Professional registration solutions for conferences – easy to configure, secure, and GDPR-compliant.