Participant management: how to manage participants for events
Participant management means collecting, organizing and administering information about the people taking part in an event, from the first registration to the follow-up afterward. It is a central part of running successful events, conferences, webinars and training. With the right structure for event registration, participant lists and communication, it becomes easier to gather registrations, keep track of the participants and follow up. Here we go through how participant management works in practice, what a participant management system should handle and how you get started. In Paloma you can try it for free with up to 80 participants per event.
What is participant management?
Participant management means collecting, organizing and administering information about people taking part in an event. It can cover everything from taking registrations to sending confirmations, managing participant lists and following up after the event.
A good structure for participant management makes it possible to keep track of who has signed up, communicate clearly with participants and create a better experience before, during and after the event.
If you want to automate the whole process, an event platform can help you gather registrations and manage participants in one place.
Why does participant management matter?
When an event grows in size, participant management quickly becomes a decisive factor. Without a clear structure, registrations risk ending up in the wrong place, participant lists becoming messy and communication becoming unclear.
With the participants in order, you can gather all registrations in one place, get a clear participant list, send automatic confirmations, remind the participants before the event and follow up afterward.
It also shows in money. Every participant who fails to show up costs food, space and material, and every question you have to answer by hand takes time from the event itself. That is why many organizers use a digital solution for event registration where the whole process can be handled more automatically.
How participant management works in practice
Participant management follows the same five steps whether you have 20 or 2,000 participants.
Event registration
The first step is to collect registrations. That is usually done through a page online where the participants register. Read more about the page where participants sign up and about how to build a registration form.
Participant list
When the registrations start coming in, you need a clear participant list. There you see who has signed up, contact details, dietary requirements or other wishes and the status of the registrations.
Communication with participants
Before the event, the participants need confirmation emails, practical information and reminders. Many organizers also use a reminder by SMS to reduce the risk that participants forget the event.
Registration on site
At physical events, the participants are checked in when they arrive. An updated participant list makes it easy to register attendance and see who actually takes part. More advice for the day itself is in the guide on how to succeed with your event.
Follow-up after the event
After the event you send thank-you emails, presentations or material, surveys and the next step in the customer dialogue. If you want to plan the whole setup better from the start, there is our guide on corporate events.
Digital participant management for events
Today participant management almost always happens digitally. With the right tools you can automate large parts of the process and reduce the manual administration.
A digital solution makes it possible to create a page for registration, gather event registrations, manage participant lists, send automatic confirmations and send reminders before the event. Everything starts from the same list, so when someone signs up or cancels, the list is updated right away.
This is how it works in Paloma: the participant signs up through a form, ends up in the participant list and gets a confirmation automatically. You send the invitation and reminders by email and SMS from the same place, take payment with Swish, card or invoice if the event costs money, check in the participants with the app on the day of the event and export the list to Excel when you need to.
A participant management system: this is what it should handle
A participant management system should make the work easier for you and the registration easier for the participant. These are the features to look for.
Registration that works on phones: most people sign up from their phones, often straight from the invitation.
A participant list in real time: a list that updates with every registration and cancellation, with the option to search, filter and export.
Automatic sends: a confirmation at registration, a reminder before and a thank-you after, by email and SMS.
Choices and wishes: dietary requirements, seminar choices or the number of companions should be possible to collect in the form.
A limited number of places: registration should close when it is full.
Payment: if the event costs money, the participant should be able to pay in the same flow.
Check-in on site: digital ticking off so that you know who came.
Safe handling of personal data: clear information on where the data is stored and the option to delete after the event.
How to compare providers step by step is described in the guide on how to choose a registration system.
Excel or a participant management system?
Many start with a list in Excel, and for a small meeting it can be enough.
Excel is enough if: you have a handful of participants, take registrations in a single email and do not need to send reminders.
A system pays off when: the registrations come in over several weeks, several people work in the list, the participants make choices or cancel, you want to send reminders or need to know who actually came.
The big difference is that a system does the work for you. The list updates itself, the confirmation goes out right away and the reminder is sent even if you are busy with other things.
Common challenges in participant management
When participant management is done manually, problems often arise that can create stress before the event.
Registration lists in several different documents. Nobody knows which version applies.
Hard to keep track of updates. Cancellations and changes come by email, by phone and in the hallway.
Late information to participants. Practical details go out at the last minute, or not at all.
Manual sending of reminders. They are easily forgotten when there is the most to do.
By gathering registrations, participant lists and communication in one system, the work becomes considerably easier.
Tips for better participant management
Create a clear page for registration. Time, venue and the last day to sign up should be visible right away.
Gather all registrations in one system. One list, one truth.
Send a confirmation right after registration. Then the participant knows the place is booked.
Send a reminder before the event. The day before works best, preferably by SMS.
Make it easy to cancel. Then the place can go to someone else.
Follow up after the event. Say thank you, send material and invite people to the next occasion.
Checklist: before, during and after
Before: set the last day to sign up, decide which details you need, send a digital invitation, check the confirmation by signing up yourself and plan the reminder.
During: check in the participants, have the list available on your phone and note who does not show up.
After: send thank-yous and material within a couple of days, ask for feedback and delete details you no longer need.
The same way of working applies to digital events, see the guide on how to plan a webinar.
The participants' personal data and the GDPR
A participant list contains personal data, and you as the organizer are responsible for how it is handled. Three things go a long way.
Only collect what you need. Name and email are often enough. Only ask about dietary requirements if you are serving food.
Say what the details are used for. A short sentence by the form is enough.
Delete when the event is over. Details about allergies and dietary requirements can be sensitive and should not be kept longer than necessary.
Also ask the provider where the data is stored. Paloma is a Swedish platform and stores data in Sweden.
Summary
Participant management is about collecting registrations, keeping the participants in order and communicating before and after the event. With the right structure it becomes easier to create an event that runs smoothly for both the organizer and the participants.
By using a digital solution for event registration and participant management, you can automate large parts of the work and create a better experience for the participants.
Frequently asked questions about participant management
What does participant management mean?
Participant management means that you collect, organize and administer information about people taking part in an event. Among other things it covers registrations, participant lists, communication and follow-up.
How does digital participant management work?
Digital participant management means that you use a system to gather registrations, update participant lists and send confirmations, reminders and follow-up. It saves time and reduces the risk of manual errors.
What is the difference between participant management and event registration?
Event registration is the sign-up for the event itself. Participant management is broader and covers the whole process before, during and after the event, including participant lists, communication and follow-up.
Do you need a registration page for participant management?
Yes, a page for registration is often an important part of participant management. There participants can register, and you get a clear basis for further administration and communication.
Which form suits events best?
The best is usually a simple registration form that only collects the information you really need, for example name, email and any special wishes.
How can you improve participant management before an event?
You can improve participant management by gathering everything in one system, using clear forms, sending automatic confirmations and reminders, and following up the participants after the event.
Which participant management system should I choose?
Choose a system where registration, the participant list, sends and check-in are connected, so that you avoid moving lists between tools. Also look at price, support and where the data is stored. In Paloma you can try it for free with up to 80 participants per event.
Can I handle participant management in Excel?
Yes, for small events. But Excel sends no confirmations or reminders, and the list quickly goes out of date when several people change it. A system updates the list automatically with every registration and cancellation.
How do you check in participants on site?
The simplest way is to tick off the participants digitally against the participant list. In Paloma you check in the participants with the app on the day of the event, and see right away who has arrived.
How do you reduce the number of no-shows?
Send a confirmation right at registration and a reminder the day before, preferably by SMS. Also make it easy to cancel, so that the place can go to someone else.
How do you handle the participants' personal data under the GDPR?
Only collect what you need, say what the details are used for and delete them when they are no longer needed. Details about dietary requirements can be sensitive and should not be kept longer than necessary. Paloma stores data in Sweden.
What does a participant management system cost?
It varies between providers. With Paloma it is free to get started, with up to 80 participants per event and one active event at a time.
Get your participants in order, for free
Registration, the participant list, confirmations, reminders and check-in in the same tool. The free account includes up to 80 participants per event, so you can run your first event completely free of charge.
Create a free accountThis guide is about participant management: registrations, participant lists, communication, check-in and follow-up for events, conferences, webinars and training. Paloma is a Swedish platform for events, newsletters and SMS that has been around since 2003.