How to set up an online registration for my event in 2024

Let’s say you want to start event registrations for your virtual or in-person event. You’ve decided to use an awesome event registration software, Oveit . But now the big question – how to start event registration?

First of all, thank you for choosing us. Our focus – making your life as easy as we can. This tutorial helps you start registering visitors right now and by the way – we even provide a free plan. Free registration or paid tickets – you can do it all using our app.

If you need a video tutorial, we made one you can see below. Otherwise – keep on reading this post.

Let’s get started.

A checklist on how to start event registration

The first thing you will see when you start your account with Oveit is a smooth, simple page guiding you to start your event:

Press that button

This part is self-explanatory. Press the “Create event” button and you will have to enter some details about your event. These details can be event name and the date it takes place in. Afterwards you can set up tickets and share the registration link with your potential visitors.

By default, Oveit automatically registers you with the free event registration plan, which allows you to register up to 300 visitors per event, on an unlimited number of events, free of any Oveit charge. If you receive payments, you will be charged a commission by PayPal or Stripe.

Oveit is a powerful tool, with extensive options that allow you to create the perfect event. Let’s have a look at some of the most important ones:

Your dashboard

Once you’ve started your first event you will get access to your Dashboard. Here you will see an aggregate of all your ticket sales and registrations, once they start happening.

Your first event might look like this

If you want to add another event press the “Create event” button or the big + sign.

How to start event registration: Your new event

Now, let’s move on to creating an actual event. You can either click on the button My events and you will be taken to the Event Management chart or you can click on Create an Event button and this will take you to the core part of Oveit.

You’ll see that creating an event is extremely easy. You have 4 main steps and two other ones in case you want to use two additional functions: Registration forms and Badge design (these are more advanced topics on how to start event registration).

The first step is named Event Settings. Here you set up general details on your event, things such as the event’s name, start and end date and where it takes place. By the way – if you host a virtual event – just add “Virtual” or “Online” in the Location/address input.

There’s several other things you can fill in. An example would be “No seating”. This means you will not have a seating map. If you need a seating map just choose “With seating” and find out here how to set up a seating chart.

You will need to add a start and end date for your event. If you’re selling tickets for a venue, such as a theme park that sells tickets all year round, just tick “Perpetual”. This will allow visitors to buy tickets whenever they feel like visiting you.

There’s several other more advanced features, such as registration forms or badges. If you need these, be sure to book a guided tour of these features.

Adding tickets to my event registration

Next steps on how to start event registration guide: tickets.

This is where you set up your types of registrations, free or paid tickets. Oveit allows all sorts of discounts and addons with your ticket but you only need to know one thing. At its basics you will just need to add one ticket, free or paid and click “Save”. This takes you to a list where you can add more tickets by clicking “New ticket”.

Sometimes you may need a more advanced ticketing setup when you start event registration. If so – contact us for a guided tour or more advanced features and benefits.

How to start event registration: checkout preferences

This is where you tweak what happens during the event registration process and/or the payment process.

Three main sections

Let’s check out these options:

The order confirmation email is where you customise the type of follow up email and its subject. This is what your customers receive after they’ve registered for your events.

Some of the content in the email is dynamic, like the order reference and the link where the customers can download their ticket. This is unique for each order. These dynamic tags can be found by pressing the little chevron above the actual email content.

Next up – the order confirmation page:

This is the section your customers see after they’ve finished purchasing your tickets and registering for your events. You can set up a custom message or redirect to a special URL, like a “Thank You” page.

Finally, some advanced options:

Based on your account type this section will have a bit more options but these are great to start with.

Registration forms for your event

No event registration is complete without its registration form. This is where you can ask visitors for details you are interested in collecting for later marketing or statistics purposes.

With Oveit you can set up special fields and get the relevant data from your customer.

How to preview your event registration

The final step in the event registration setup is the Preview and publish section:

This helps you to preview your registration widget prior to publishing it. Press publish and you are ready to go if your event is free.

After you published the event, click on share to share the event link with your guests or copy and paste the event registration widget into your website editor.

If you want to charge a ticket fee, the next step is:

Payment processor integration

If you haven’t done so already, this is where you connect your payment processor. We recommend Stripe or PayPal but depending on your location there are other payment gateways available. By connecting your payment processor you can receive payments instantly. It’s very, very simple:

  • If you use Stripe: press “Activate Stripe integration”. This takes you to your Stripe account where you can check whether you want to safely accept payments with Oveit.
  • If you use PayPal: press Activate PayPal integration: In the next step you will add your PayPal email address and name. This helps Oveit to know where to send funds paid by your customers.

All of our transactions are handled by our partners (e.g. PayPal and Stripe). Your money or your customers payment data is never stored with us.

If you haven’t done so already, you will need to fill in your billing information. As you sell directly to your visitors, they will need to know who they’re buying from. Oveit issues invoices for all purchases on your behalf. Here’s what you need to fill in, only once, as you start selling:

If this is a bit too complicated when you start your event, just reach out to us and let’s set up a call where we can guide you through the setup process, step by step. One of our customer success staff will help you get everything set up.

Final step: Copy, paste and embed your event in your website

The last step: start your event registration. All you have to do now is get the event on your website or share the event link with your guests.

  1. Point visitors to your event registration page on Oveit. Click the “Share” link and share the URL with your visitors on social media or your website.
  2. Embed the registration on your website: you will notice that every event sharing modal has two inputs with a short code section in it. One provides a light theme and one a dark theme. Just copy the code you need and paste it on your website. The embed is responsive and works with most website management software so you won’t have any problems putting it on your website in just a couple of seconds.

And that’s it! You managed to start your event registration and start receiving event registrations. Now visitors can register, purchase tickets and attend your in-person or virtual event.

Why Your Event Management App Sucks: The Problem with All-in-One Platforms

Convenience means having everything in the same app, right? I beg to differ and here’s why, especially when it comes to event management:

Jack of all trades, master of none

An app that tries to be everything to everyone often ends up excelling at nothing. When a platform packs in a lot of features, from event registration to networking to virtual events and beyond, the depth and expertise in each tool decreases drastically. It’s like a Swiss Army knife with too many options – it might do the job, but it won’t do it well. Actually, when it comes to technology, the complexity is exponentially higher. The chances you will get it right on any given task are much smaller.

The standard in event experience OS – the Wenger Swiss Army 16999 Giant Knife

Maintenance is costly and you are paying for it

Maintaining a lot of features within an all-in-one platform takes a lot of effort. From understanding customer problems to designing, implementing and maintaining the solution – this is hard. You might not know this but the cost of upkeep and development is passed onto you, the end user. What’s even worse is it often results in compromised quality across the board. Developers’ focus becomes divided among numerous features, frameworks, legacy code. This draws attention from building strong, core, easy to use solutions.

Imagine investing in an event management app that promises everything from virtual events to networking capabilities to ticketing and registration. And it has a CRM. And provides hotel bookings. And they will surely come to your office riding a pink unicorn.

Sounds cool, right? Well – just think of the complexity of social networking. The 7th largest global company, a company worth more than $800 billion does just that (Yeah, that would be Meta). Think about this when the next platform says it does “networking too”. Specialized networking apps, such as Brella and Grip, focus solely on building connections, and they are great at that.

Integrate specialized tools – it’s a lot simpler now

If you choose to integrate specialized tools it will empower your experience to improve exponentially. This way you can curate the perfect suite of solution. Imagine the Avengers, but for event planning.

Instead of being tied to the limitations of an all-in-one platform, organizers can handpick tools that work great in their area.

These specialized tools can integrate into a streamlined system. This way you can use their individual strengths without compromising functionality or user experience.

Innovation comes from focus and specialization

Specialized tools are agile in adapting to evolving industry trends. They pave the way for innovation by focusing and honing in on specific problems. Unlike all-in-one platforms, which struggle to keep pace with rapid changes across multiple features, specialized tools can embrace new technologies fast. This helps your event stay at the forefront of innovation and deliver better experience.

Specialized tools for events just fit better

Think of specialized event tools like a perfectly tailored outfit—they fit just right! These tools, whether handling event registrations, payments, or access, are like having the perfect tool for each job. They make things run smoother than a greased-up slide. By being laser-focused on their specific tasks, they ensure everyone has an easier and more enjoyable time.

They’re like serving up a gourmet meal instead of a confusing buffet.

Flexibility – like yoga for events:

Specialized event tools are the yoga masters of event management – super flexible! As your event grows or changes, these tools bend and twist to fit your needs.

At Oveit, we believe in the power of focus.

While the allure of all-in-one platforms may be tempting, we are committed to building specialized tools that excel in their functions. We understand that event registration, streamlined payments, and seamless integration are vital for our part in the experience economy (that’s fancy talk for “your event”).

Our approach is simple and we think it’s powerful: we specialize, we streamline, and we connect.

Our goal is to build the perfect event registration processes and make it intuitive, flexible, secure, and efficient. Our payment solutions are designed to streamline transactions and make the attendee experience seamless and hassle-free. Additionally, our robust API empowers you to connect with other tools. This way you can create your tailored ecosystem that fits your unique event needs.

Introducing PhonePe Integration: Transforming Events and Simplifying Payments in India

Exciting news for event planners in India! Oveit has joined hands with PhonePe, the fastest growing payment provider in India, a platform used by 500 millions of users across the country. This integration brings a world of convenience to event management.

The Power of PhonePe Integration for India Blockchain Week:

To integrate and launch PhonePe payments we’ve worked closely with the amazing team at India Blockchain Week (IBW). With IBW showcasing the pinnacle of blockchain and web3 events in India, this integration brings convenience to participants and helps streamline payments through India’s UPI.

India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system that enables instant money transfer between bank accounts using a mobile platform. It allows users to link multiple bank accounts to a single mobile app and facilitates seamless fund transfers between individuals, merchants, and businesses. UPI operates 24/7 and is known for its simplicity, convenience, and security in conducting digital transactions. It has revolutionized the way payments are made in India, offering a user-friendly interface and promoting cashless transactions across the country.

As IBW aims to be at the forefront of innovation and technology, our collaboration with PhonePe aligns perfectly, offering a sophisticated payment solution that complements the groundbreaking nature of the event. By integrating PhonePe into the registration and ticketing process, Oveit ensures that the IBW experience remains smooth, secure, and cutting-edge.

What It Means for Event Planners:

  • Smooth Transactions: Attendees can now effortlessly buy tickets and make payments using PhonePe, streamlining the event experience.
  • More Reach: By tapping into PhonePe’s massive user base, Oveit is giving your event wider exposure and making it easier for attendees to pay.
  • Security & Speed: Trustworthy transactions are crucial. PhonePe offers robust security measures, ensuring peace of mind for both you and your attendees.
  • Insights at a Glance: Access real-time transaction data, simplifying your financial tracking and planning.

With PhonePe’s integration into Oveit’s payment gateways, event planners across India gain a powerful tool to elevate their events. Say hello to streamlined payments, enhanced user experiences, and a seamless event journey for both planners and attendees.

Oveit and PhonePe are now shaping the future of event registration and payments, one seamless transaction at a time.

Hypergrowth for your event – turning the impossible to inevitable

If you want to hypergrow your event there is one place you should look – the tech world. In a curious twist, tech entrepreneurs and event planners share more similarities than meets the eye. They’re problem-solvers at heart, they juggle all sorts of complicated tasks, and they’re dedicated to creating exceptional experiences – albeit in their unique professional realms. Both craft solutions, fix glitches, and put customer satisfaction at the forefront. They do this through a blend of creativity and customer-centric focus.

Jason Lemkin is famous for building both tech startups and running an amazing event called SaaStr. You might guess he used the same techniques to grow both his startups and his event. So what would these techniques be?

You can find some insights in “From Impossible to Inevitable” – a book on startup growth. As I was reading this book it hit me: these powerful strategies can transform and grow your events into unmissable experiences. Let’s simplify these hyper-growth lessons and see how they can rev up your event’s success.

1. Find your niche for growth: Your event is probably not a fit for everyone but it’s perfect for a specific community. By tailoring your event registration to meet this community’s unique needs, you can drive attendee engagement skyward, making your event irresistible.

2. Build revenue confidence with multiple revenue streams: Beyond ticket sales lies a wealth of revenue streams. Seek sponsorships, form exclusive partnerships, and monetize post-event content. Diversifying your revenue sources ensures financial stability. Long term this turns your event into a growing success.

3. Develop strong communities and help them build up your event: Ever experienced the magic of a vibrant, connected community? Events that cultivate this sense of belonging leave a lasting impact. Very important: prioritize networking opportunities, interactive sessions, and collaboration spaces. People wanna connect with people. Encourage attendees to share experiences via event registration and social media. This can build up buzz and amplify your event.

4. Innovate and evolve: Stagnation isn’t an option. Ask for feedback using event registration tools to shape future events. Embrace event tech – networking apps, VR and XR tech, extend access to side events – to amplify attendee experiences. Stay ahead with industry trends to ensure your event remains fresh.

5. Share stories of success: Just as successful businesses flaunt their wins, your event should shine too. Gather and broadcast testimonials from past attendees, speakers, sponsors. Whether it’s about networking success or good deals, these stories provide social proof and keep the growth wheel spinning.

In Conclusion:

Focus on niche audiences, diversify revenue sources, foster communities, innovate relentlessly, and amplify success stories. This will take your event to the next phase.

Top 10 best event registration software platforms

Looking for the best event registration software but feeling lost in a sea of options? Event planning just got easier! Dive into this curated list where the spotlight shines on top-notch event registration platforms. Whether you’re a seasoned event organizer or just dipping your toes into the planning pool, this guide offers a treasure trove of insights to help you navigate the diverse landscape of event registration tools. Discover user-friendly features, pricing insights, and unique offerings that make each platform a gem in its own right. It’s your passport to streamlined event management!

Oveit:

Oveit homepage

Strengths:

  1. Direct Payments for Event Registration: Oveit’s emphasis on registration and instant payments is a significant strength, streamlining the registration process for both organizers and attendees. One key element is that Oveit provides registration payments for credit and debit card, ACH/bank transfers and even crypto.
  2. Flexibility: Positioned as more flexible than other platforms, catering to a diverse range of events, from conferences to corporate events.
  3. Smart tickets, wearables, video ticketing: Oveit showcases a few features that are not available with any other contender on this list. The highlights are smart tickets (blockchain based tickets that solve ticket fraud), wearable wristbands and badges and video ticketing (an innovative way to sell tickets in live or recorded video).
  4. Freemium Plan: The availability of a freemium plan, allowing free event registration for up to 300 visitors, is a notable advantage, particularly for growing events. The PRO plans are easily accessible. The Business option offers full support for midsized and large events registration

Weaknesses:

  1. Market Recognition: Despite its strengths, Oveit is one of the relative new comers in the market (being around since 2016). The market recognition appears to be relatively lower compared to old school companies.
  2. Limited Features: Oveit focuses on providing a great registration, payments and access control platform. However, if you need event networking or logistics support, other, more expensive (and sometimes bloated) platforms could be the answer.

Cvent:

Strengths:

  1. Comprehensive Platform: Cvent offers an all-in-one solution for event planning and marketing, including registration, venue sourcing, and analytics.
  2. User Testimonials: Positive feedback from clients like Cornell University and Walmart Inc. adds credibility to their platform.
  3. Robust Features: Cvent provides various features, including mobile event apps, check-in and badging, webinars, and attendee hubs, making it a versatile choice for event organizers.
  4. Large User Base: Processing 240M+ registrations and managing 6M+ events indicates a wide user adoption, which often translates to a stable and reliable platform.

Weaknesses:

  1. Potentially Overwhelming: The platform’s extensive features might be overwhelming for smaller events or users with simpler needs.
  2. Expensive: The level of features and the large-scale operation may come with a higher price tag, making it less accessible for smaller organizations.

Bizzabo:

Bizzabo homepage

Strengths:

  1. Holistic Event Experience: Bizzabo aims to provide a comprehensive event experience OS, covering various event types, from conferences to webinars.
  2. User Reviews: Positive reviews from users like Piano.io and HubSpot on ease of use and growth support contribute to Bizzabo’s credibility.
  3. Revenue Generation: Bizzabo emphasizes driving revenue through events, connecting them to CRM, and providing lead capture tools, catering to business needs.

Weaknesses:

  1. Complexity for Smaller Events: The platform’s extensive features might be more than necessary for smaller events, potentially making it a complex solution for simpler needs.
  2. Pricing Concerns: While not explicitly mentioned, the emphasis on revenue generation and enterprise features might imply a higher cost, which can be a barrier for smaller organizations.

Splash:

Splash homepage
Splash homepage

Strengths:

  1. Comprehensive Event Marketing: Splash’s focus on online, in-person, and hybrid events positions it as a comprehensive event marketing tool.
  2. Design and Customization: Responsive web page and email customization options enhance the visual appeal of events.
  3. Integration with HubSpot: Integration with HubSpot facilitates seamless event management and data utilization.

Weaknesses:

  1. Limited Pricing Information: The absence of clear pricing details in the provided content can be a drawback for organizations evaluating the platform.

Eventbrite:

Eventbrite homepage

Strengths:

  1. User-Friendly Registration: Eventbrite’s three-step registration process simplifies event setup for organizers.
  2. Ticket Customization: The ability to create various ticket types and offer discounts adds flexibility.
  3. Social Media Integration: Seamless sharing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram enhances event visibility.
  4. Strong Marketplace: Eventbrite sports one of the most popular ticketing and registrations marketplace with millions of users.

Weaknesses:

  1. Pricing Complexity: While offering both free and paid plans, the variety of plans and features may be complex for users seeking simplicity.
  2. Payments Sent after Events: While some exceptions may exist the usual customer will have to wait until the event is done to receive their funds which may prove hard for most event planners.

vFairs:

Vfairs homepage

Strengths:

  1. Virtual, Hybrid, and In-Person: vFairs positions itself as an all-in-one platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, providing flexibility.
  2. Industry Recognition: Being ranked #1 in the Event Management Platform & Virtual Event Platform categories on G2 adds credibility.
  3. Customizable Platform: vFairs offers a customizable platform from event registration to analytics, catering to diverse event needs.

Weaknesses:

  1. Potentially Complex: The inclusion of virtual, hybrid, and in-person capabilities might make the platform complex for users with specific event needs.
  2. Limited User Testimonials: While G2 rankings add credibility, the absence of user testimonials in the provided content is a notable gap.

SpotMe:

Spotme homepage

Strengths:

  1. Enterprise-Grade Platform: SpotMe’s positioning as an enterprise-grade platform makes it suitable for high-touch industries.
  2. Customized Registration Pages: The flexibility to build customized registration webpages aligns with diverse event setups.
  3. Real-Time Tracking and Reporting: SpotMe’s emphasis on real-time tracking and detailed reports contributes to effective event measurement.

Weaknesses:

  1. Pricing Transparency: The absence of clear pricing information may pose challenges for organizations in budget planning.

Accelevents:

Accelevents homepage

Strengths:

  1. Custom Registration Flows: Accelevents’ focus on custom flows with conditional logic and segmentation enhances the registration experience.
  2. Integration with CRMs: Seamless integration with CRMs and marketing automation tools facilitates real-time data utilization.
  3. Diverse Features: Features like assigned seating, pre-event session registration, and add-on sales contribute to a comprehensive event management experience.

Weaknesses:

  1. Pricing Information: Users might face challenges without clear pricing details, making it difficult to evaluate the platform’s affordability.

EventMobi:

Eventmobi homepage

Strengths:

  1. Flexible Event Management: EventMobi positions itself as the most flexible event management software, catering to various event types.
  2. Longevity: With over 12 years in the industry and a substantial number of global events and attendees, EventMobi’s longevity is a strength.
  3. Versatile Solutions: Offering in-person, virtual, and hybrid solutions, EventMobi caters to a broad audience.

Weaknesses:

  1. Possibly Overcrowded Offerings: The inclusion of in-person, virtual, and hybrid solutions might lead to an overcrowded platform for users with specific needs.
  2. Limited Specific Features Mentioned: The content provided doesn’t delve into specific features, making it challenging to assess the depth of the platform.

Whova:

Whova homepage

Strengths:

  1. Online Registration Customization: Whova’s customizable event registration forms and widgets contribute to a tailored registration process.
  2. Real-Time Reporting: The real-time reporting dashboard enhances the tracking of sales and attendance.
  3. Event Networking: The ability for attendees to connect and network via the mobile app adds a social element to events.

Weaknesses:

  1. Pricing Customization: Clear pricing information is not provided, potentially making it challenging for organizations to assess the platform’s cost-effectiveness.

General Observations and Recommendations:

  1. Pricing Transparency: The lack of clear pricing details across multiple platforms is a common concern for organizations. Transparency in pricing is crucial for informed decision-making.
  2. Feature Overload: While feature-rich platforms offer versatility, they may be overwhelming for smaller events. Event planners should assess their specific needs before opting for a platform. Sometimes less is better
  3. User Testimonials: Platforms with positive user testimonials instill trust and confidence.
  4. Flexibility and Freemium Plan: Oveit’s emphasis on flexibility and the availability of a freemium plan for up to 300 visitors is a unique strength, especially for growing events.
  5. Search for differentiators: While most platforms solve the same problems with the same basic solutions, searching for factors that differentiate platforms can help event planners discover new opportunities in their very competitive field.

In summary, the choice of an event registration platform should align with the specific needs, scale, and budget of the organization. Platforms offering pricing transparency, user testimonials, and a balance of features are likely to be well-received by a broad range of users.