Using an online registration system for your event can make life for event planners far easier by saving time and removing much of the manual labor of entering data, processing payments and writing reports. However, often online registration systems offer only some of these options and only some of the time. The key, then, is to choose an online event registration system that offers total, integrated automation.



You want your registration forms connected with your merchant account, which is connected to your database, which has easy reporting capabilities. This is extremely important because the system you are using may be only partially automated.

For instance, your system might take online registrations that are then emailed to you, but never put in a database. So, you still have to manually key in the registrant's information and build your database by hand. In other cases, you may have to manually process payments. Or, your system might capture a registrant's information and put it into a database. But to get reports you have to go ask the programmers to write reports to capture the information you need. You might have to wait 24 hours... 48 hours... or most likely longer.

These are all consequences (or "side effects") of using a system that is only partially automated. It is not necessary or worth it to settle for a system like this.

When choosing your system, make sure it is fully automated and fully integrated. This will give you the greatest ease of use and satisfaction over the long haul.

Some example of complete integration:

Self-service changes & cancellations – No more unnecessary phone calls. Save time be letting your registrants make changes and cancellations themselves!

Real-time credit card processing – Get paid immediately. The money appears in your merchant account instantly.

Automatic email receipts – Confirm registrations within seconds by using their mail server to send automatic email receipts to registrants.

Automatic sold-out and waitlisting management – Avoid overbooking an event. Get people on a waitlist to fill cancellations.

Integrated accounting system – make accounting and reporting easy by keeping track of everything for you.

Many of these will be important to you, and once you try them, you'll find many that you can't live without.

While online registration is an excellently effective way to make event planning easier, the right system – one that is fully automated and integrated – can make the leap between manually managing your online registration and letting the system manage your registration for you (while you use your time for matters more important to you).