So you’ve used FooEvents to sell tickets and the start of your event is quickly approaching. With the start line in sight, you will need to make sure that you are ready to provide your attendees with a smooth and seamless experience on the day of the event. In this post, we’ll guide you through the various features and tools offered by FooEvents that will help ensure that your next event goes off without a hitch.
Table of contents
- Preparing for the event
- Selling tickets at the event
- Managing attendee check-ins
- Reporting
- Conclusion
Preparing for the event
A well-prepared team armed with the necessary information and resources, combined with well-informed attendees, can be the key to managing any unexpected challenges that may take place during the event.
Communicate with attendees by email
Communication with your attendees in the run-up to your event will ensure they know exactly what to expect and will address any concerns they may have. Here are a few examples of the types of emails you could send:
- Send welcome packs and confirm registration details
- Send automated reminders before the day of the event
- Send reminders to bring something to the event or booking
- Communicate important changes such as a venue change
- Setup automated drip emails to build excitement for the event
Mailchimp integration
FooEvents also integrates seamlessly with Mailchimp which makes it possible to automatically add attendees to a Mailchimp audience list when tickets are generated. You can also specify default tags or event-specific tags that can be used to segment your Mailchimp list.
If you have already sold tickets or passes and did not make use of our Mailchimp integration, you can simply export the attendee list as a CSV and import it into Mailchimp or any other CRM system and start communicating with your attendees.
Export attendee information
Use the Attendee CSV Export feature to download a list of all the tickets/bookings for your event. The data can be formatted as a spreadsheet or imported into a CRM system as described in the previous section. This feature is useful for organizing and sharing data with other team members and stakeholders.
On the day of the event, the power might fail, your phone’s battery could die or you might lose your laptop or tablet. Use the attendee CSV export to make a hard copy of your attendee list and provide each member of your management team with their own copy.
Design and print your event stationery
Use the FooEvents Stationery Builder to provide your guests with custom-printed name tags, wristbands, tickets, badges, attendee certificates, and personalized labels.
Selling tickets at the event
Sell and print tickets at your venue using FooEvents POS. FooEvents is the only WordPress ticketing system that offers a tailor-made event POS system that will ensure your online and in-person ticket sales are seamlessly integrated into one system.
FooEvents POS is a web-based point-of-sale plugin for WooCommerce that runs on your site and enables you to sell and print tickets in person and accept payment using Stripe and Square terminals. You can also use FooEvents POS to sell physical products such as drinks, food, and merchandise.
It can be configured to automatically check-in tickets when payment is made, or you can issue the ticket and check-ins can be performed at a later stage using the FooEvents Check-ins apps.
Managing attendee check-ins
One of the biggest frustrations experienced by attendees is waiting in long lines to register or get into the venue. For this reason, we’ve developed several tools to ensure check-ins are a breeze.
FooEvents Check-ins apps
The free FooEvents Check-ins apps have been used to scan over 6 million attendee tickets and have been optimized to dramatically speed up the admission process. When a ticket’s QR code or barcode is scanned, the ticket check-in status is updated on your site in real time, ensuring your team can accurately determine the number of people in attendance (via the apps and FooEvents Reports). If the internet goes down, the FooEvents apps will automatically switch to offline mode and ensure check-ins proceed without delay. Once the connection is restored, the apps will automatically synchronize the new check-ins as if nothing ever happened.
FooEvents Express Check-ins
The FooEvents Express Check-ins plugin adds a web interface to your WordPress admin dashboard and can be used to find attendees in a matter of seconds. You can even use a handheld barcode scanner for fast and effortless check-ins.
You can find out more about scanning tickets here.
Reporting
Once your event has been completed, use the FooEvents Reports to get a better understanding of both ticket sales and attendance at your event or venue.
You can also analyze online and in-person ticket sales using the WooCommerce AnalyticsWooCommerce Analytics order report. FooEvents POS integrates with WooCommerce Analytics making it possible to filter online and POS orders as well as further segment results using the built-in filters.
Lastly, once the event is complete, you can export the attendees in a CSV file to include the check-in and check-out times for each attendee. This can be used to build custom reports as required in certain countries.
Conclusion
Hosting a successful event can be a challenging and stressful task, but with the right tools, it can be made easier. FooEvents offers a comprehensive set of solutions that can help you prepare for your event, sell tickets both online and in-person, manage attendee check-ins and track ticket sales and attendance through reporting tools. By using FooEvents, you can provide your attendees with a smooth and seamless experience while ensuring that you have all the necessary information and resources at your disposal to handle any unexpected challenges that may arise during the event.
If you’re interested in learning more about FooEvents, check out our feature tour. And when you’re ready to jump in, head over to our pricing page to choose the bundle that works best for you.