What is participant management?

Participant Management: A Definition

As developers and service providers in the area of participant management, we always have to focus on what we are actually working on. What do we understand by participant management? What steps does this involve? What do our customers understand by this and what do they expect from us?

We want our tool to support, help and really facilitate a complex work process. That is why we are actively discussing with event planners and participant managers about what AirLST needs to represent in order to manage guest lists constructively and efficiently. A basic requirement for this is a common definition of participant management. Let's start with the following basic definition:

Participant management is defined as the process that covers all tasks involving participants and guests at an event.‍

Depending on the format of the event, this is also referred to as guest management. Other terms for this process include: Guest list management, Visitor management, Participant management or Invitation management. ‍

Interfaces between events- and participant management ‍

Even this variety of naming options shows that we need to narrow down the basic definition for a common starting point even more. Because who is actually managed here?
AirLST speaks of participants in an event, because this term includes guests, visitors, speakers, artists, etc.
It is also already apparent that participant management means much more than sending out invitations and ticking off all guests on a list on the day of the event. This is because which processes participant management comprises and where there are links to other areas remains an open question for now.

Events live by and for their participants. They are the central focus on which the program, design, catering and location are coordinated:

• Who is invited?
• How big does the room have to be?
• Which speakers, live acts or speakers will be hired?
• Where will participants be accommodated?
• Is it necessary to organise quotas for accommodation?
• How is the journey organized?
• Do dietary rules or dietary habits have to be considered?
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These questions reflect the interdependencies of participant management and other areas of event planning and show: Participant management is a complex process and has interfaces with the entire planning team.

Before, during and after an event, there are various To dos relating to the participants and guests of an event. In addition to all tasks required to implement the event, smooth coordination and administration of all participants is therefore essential for a successful event.

The more complex the program structure of an event, the greater the challenge for managing participants. The captured registration data provide the basis for further organizational decisions.
This is how the number of participants affects other areas of event planning. The Fire Protection Ordinance, for example, makes no distinction between invited guests, event teams and the people standing in front of the audience. This in turn has an impact on the choice of the appropriate venue.
Or have a great many vegetarians registered, for example? This then has an influence on the choice of caterer.
Are business customers in particular invited? It should then be queried whether the billing address is different so that the employer's financial accounting department receives a correct invoice.
With the help of Participant data collected Questions about visitor management, safety concepts and personnel planning for visitor care are also planned at an early stage.

We find that participants' registrations generate a flow of information that must be forwarded to various positions.
Participant management is therefore extremely closely linked to other areas of event management and runs through the entire process of event planning.
A tool in which all participants can be listed and assigned categories creates a structured overview of these planning factors.‍

What can digital participant management do?

Today's event managers can hardly ignore digital participant management. Where Excel lists used to circulate in several versions and printed lists caused long queues at the entrance Can digital and automated participant management make this process more efficient and less complicated today.
As a data management system, participant management software coordinates all guest data. A cloud-based tool can be viewed by several users at any time and synchronizes itself in real time so that all data is constantly up to date.
Depending on the question and planning area, the list of participants can be filtered and displayed using good software according to specific criteria. It thus provides exactly the data that is significant for the respective area.

With the help of such a tool, it is possible to perform such diverse functions as:

• CRM and contact management
• Participant-based event planning
• Integration of a landing page for the event
• Communicating the event to the outside world
• Registration tool integrated into the landing page
• Sending invitations
• Feedback and accreditation
• ticketing
• Admission management
• Preparation of statistics
• After-sales management

The benefits are obvious: the management of participant and guest lists can be flexibly adapted to specific requirements. The sending of invitations, registration via a digital form and QR code ticketing can be automated and thus become efficient and clear. Access to relevant information is flexible and quick. The link between participants and means of communication is ergonomic. Statistics make the event evaluable and determine after-sales management. With a professional tool, you can actively implement a successful event.

The basic definition set out above therefore only insufficiently explained the scope and complexity of the term. In summary and in depth, we therefore define participant management as follows:

Participant management is not limited to invitation management and on-site support, but also:
Participant management is shown as complex process involving participants and guests at an event, which forms the basis of event planning and generates a flow of information that controls the logistics of event management.