How to Create Faster Event Lines: 6 Quick Tips

Whenever you are hosting an event, the last issue you want to encounter is slow waiting times for your guests who have just arrived.

Guests who are waiting an extended period of time to enter an event are more likely to become disgruntled and impatient, resulting in a negative experience or in them leaving the line altogether. If you want to ensure that your event's gate lines move as smoothly as possible, there are a few steps you can implement while planning your event and during the actual event itself.

Tip #1: Sell Tickets Online

One of the best ways to streamline the event management process while selling more event tickets is to create a mobile-friendly ticket registration platform.

Using a mobile-friendly ticket registration platform can prevent lines from building outside your event on the event's set date. Instead, a mobile-friendly ticket registration platform provides an alternate solution for those who do not wish to wait in line and who prefer to have more control over the seats and ticket types they purchase ahead of time.

Tip #2: Allow Attendees to Purchase Tickets in Advance

Along the lines of using a mobile-friendly ticket registration platform, you can also encourage attendees to purchase tickets in advance. Offer Early Bird specials or discounts to incentivize guests to purchase tickets ahead of time, which will reduce the size of your event's gate line once the event's date arrives.

Tip #3: Provide QR Code Links

One option to expedite your event's gate line is to offer QR code links that can be purchased when guests arrive at your event, or before they even choose to step in line.

QR code links can be purchased with the use of event registration software (such as Purplepass) and can be immediately used to gain access to a particular event.

Tip #4: Offer Presale Discounts

If you want to drum up excitement surrounding your event while generating more ticket sales, consider offering presale discounts. In addition to offering Early Bird discounts, consider presale discounts for specific groups of attendees and with special offers, including:

• Group discounts
• Member/student ID discounts
• BOGO (Buy One, Get One promotion)
• Active duty/service member discounts

You can also implement auto-triggered discount codes for those who purchase X amount of tickets at once or if they choose to purchase tickets X weeks in advance of your actual event. The options are virtually endless with the right ticket registration platform solution.

Tip #5: Use a Digital Registration to Track and Monitor Gate Traffic

Using a digital registration solution such as Purplepass' Mobile Box is extremely valuable when researching areas and gates of your event's venue.

With Purplepass' Mobile Box, monitor gate traffic to determine which gates are receiving the heaviest traffic in real-time. With ongoing monitoring, make swift changes to improve waiting times at individual gates as needed during the event. 

Tip #6: Create Multiple Line Types

Use more than one line to help speed up the processing of guests based on the type of tickets they are interested in or have already purchased. You can also use separate lines for family and group ticketing to help expedite the processing of individual ticket buyers.

Tips for Dealing With Unsatisfied Guests

Unfortunately, no matter how many amenities and accommodations you provide at an event you host, you are likely to encounter an unsatisfied or disgruntled guest at one time or another. When you encounter disgruntled customers at the gate, there are a few ways to go about approaching and handling the situation, such as:

• Offering refunds: One of the quickest ways to remedy an issue that a guest is having at your event is to offer them a full refund. Offering refunds, while pricey at times, can also prevent you from receiving negative feedback or reviews online, which can be detrimental to your business or organization over time.
  
  
• Share your refund policy: Informing guests of your refund policy is another way to address issues that an attendee may have with their purchase or the event itself. It is always recommended to share your refund policy as well as your event's terms and conditions with guests before they attend your event. This information should be included on your official website, on social media pages you update, as well as on any ticketing and/or registration platform you provide for your guests to purchase tickets on.
  
  
• Offer vouchers: Depending on the issue at hand, you may provide your guests with vouchers from your sponsors and local vendors who are supporting your event. Using vouchers can help to calm guests who may feel as if they have overpaid for a service or if they are unsatisfied with the food, drinks, or entertainment they experience at the event.
  
  

Tips for Line Security Efficiency and Safety

Hosting an event with multiple lines can quickly become overwhelming if the event is not properly planned and coordinated, with safety and efficiency as top priorities. If you want to ensure that your gate lines move as fast as possible and without issues or interruptions, keep the following tips in mind:

• Use multiple security checkpoints: If you are hosting a large event or a multi-day event, it is advisable to use more than one security checkpoint throughout your gate lines. Multiple security checkpoints help minimize the risk of weapons or other unauthorized items and objects from making their way into your event. This method is recommended when hundreds, if not thousands, of potential guests are attending your event.
  
  
• Track guests with stamps or wristbands: The use of stamps and/or wristbands is often underestimated, as it is an extremely valuable tool for those managing large events or events that are hosted over the course of multiple days. You can also use digital registration solutions to keep track of guests as they enter your event, regardless of the gate line they use.
  
  
• Use an online registration solution: Implementing a digital ticketing registration solution such as Purplepass is also essential for those interested in streamlining their event's gate lines. Additionally, the use of an online ticketing platform can also help to reduce overall line size and risk, allowing those who have purchased tickets in advance to enter the event immediately, rather than requiring them to wait in line. Using a digital ticketing registration platform can also provide in-depth monitoring and tracking of guests who are currently at your event and those who have yet to enter the event with the tickets they have purchased.

Knowing how to effectively improve the speed and efficiency of your event's gate line is crucial whether you are hosting a small local school event or a massive event with hundreds, if not thousands, of attendees. The more actively engaged you are with the planning process of your event and your event's logistics, the less likely you are to encounter an issue with the speed and efficiency of your event's gate lines.