The ScanSync blog
Practical advice on event check-in: getting your attendee list right, scanning tickets fast, staffing the door, and learning from every event.
Guides · 7 min read
A step-by-step guide to event check-in, covering preparation, tools, door layout, what to do while guests arrive, and how to wrap up. It links to deeper guides on each stage so you can plan a calm, fast entrance for any size of event.
Planning · 6 min read
A conference registration desk runs smoothly when the boring details are handled in advance. This checklist walks through the weeks before, setup morning, the rush, and wrap-up, with an equipment list and a simple badge pickup plan.
Privacy & data · 6 min read
Check-in tools hold names, emails, and sometimes much more about your attendees. This article explains general privacy principles such as data minimization, lawful basis, role-based access, retention, and careful exports, with a brief note on CCPA. It is general information, not legal advice.
Technology · 6 min read
An API lets your other systems send attendees to your check-in tool and read results back, while webhooks push a message to you the moment something happens, like a guest checking in. This guide explains both in plain terms, walks through common automation flows, and covers signature verification and idempotency for developers.
Guides · 6 min read
Not every feature in a check-in app matters on event day. This article lists the 10 that do, from fast scanning and offline mode to live dashboards and staff roles, and explains why each one helps.
Operations · 7 min read
Staffing the door is a math problem with a people problem on top. This guide shows how to estimate your peak arrival rate, turn it into a scanner count, and fill the roles, breaks, and backups that keep check-in calm.
Guides · 5 min read
Free event check-in software is often all a small event needs, as long as you understand its limits. This guide compares paper lists, spreadsheets and free check-in tools, explains which limits actually matter, and gives clear signs it's time to upgrade.
Guides · 5 min read
Gala and fundraiser check-in is as much about hospitality as accuracy. This guide shows how to structure your guest list with plus-ones, tables, paddle numbers, and dietary notes, and how to run a door that feels personal while staying fast.
Guides · 6 min read
Most ticketing platforms let you download your attendees as a CSV file, but the export often needs a little work before it's ready for check-in. This guide shows how to export the list, find the column that holds the ticket barcode, keep existing tickets working, and re-upload as late registrations come in.
Planning · 6 min read
You can't reduce event no-shows until you measure them properly. This article explains how to calculate a no-show rate from registered versus checked-in numbers, the common reasons people don't turn up, and practical fixes from reminders to careful overbooking.
Guides · 6 min read
A practical guide to preparing and importing an attendee spreadsheet. It covers which columns to include, why UTF-8 encoding matters, how to handle duplicates and ticket codes, how re-uploads work, and how to fix the most common import errors.
Operations · 6 min read
Multi-day events and re-entry make a simple scan more complicated, because one ticket may be valid several times. This guide covers how to choose pass types, write re-entry rules, set check-in limits, and decide between wristbands and scanning.
Operations · 5 min read
Venue connections often fail just when you need them. This article explains why signal drops, how offline check-in works on a phone, how to prevent double entry when devices aren't connected, and a simple test plan for before doors open.
Technology · 7 min read
A modern phone camera can scan QR codes and most ticket barcodes quickly enough for the majority of events. This guide covers when a phone is the right tool, how to deal with glare, low light, and battery drain, and when a laptop with a USB or Bluetooth scanner is the better choice.
Planning · 6 min read
A post-event attendance report turns check-in data into decisions for your next event. This guide covers what to include, from registered versus attended and the arrival curve to ticket type breakdowns and re-entries, and how to export and analyse the data.
Technology · 6 min read
QR codes and traditional barcodes both work for event tickets, but they behave differently on phone screens, on paper, and when damaged. This article explains the differences, which scanners read which codes, and gives a simple recommendation.
Technology · 6 min read
A live check-in dashboard shows how many people have arrived, how many are still to come, and how fast they're coming through the door. This guide explains how to read those numbers during an event and the practical decisions they support, from opening another lane to adjusting catering.
Operations · 6 min read
Long entry lines usually come from a few fixable causes: everyone arriving at once, slow ticket lookups, and problems blocking the main lane. These 12 tactics tackle each cause, before the event and on the day.
Guides · 6 min read
School and campus events mix students, families and visitors, often with volunteer staff and strict safeguarding rules. This guide covers check-in for graduations, orientation, open days and assemblies, including student ID barcodes, guest tickets, staff roles, contact detail privacy and accessibility.
Operations · 7 min read
A VIP check-in lane works when you know who belongs in it before anyone arrives. This guide shows how to tag attendees with custom fields like Ticket Type, Sponsor, Speaker and Table, split your entrance into lanes, and run badge pickup without bottlenecks.
Free for one event and 100 attendees. No card required.
