Event Check-In Readiness Checklist
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A day-before and hour-before checklist for the person running the check-in desk, covering layout, badges, devices, network, the door team, session scanning, and the data you will want afterward.

[ ] Floor plan marked with the entry points, each station position, the path the line will take, and the pinch points where a queue would block a fire exit or foot traffic.
[ ] Station count worked out from the peak arrival window and a realistic seconds-per-check-in for your actual method, with one extra station held as a buffer.
[ ] Lane split decided (any-line, ticket type, or alphabetical) and matched by signs at eye level placed before the point where the line forms.
[ ] Separate walk-up and exception desk planned, staffed by the most experienced person, with a way to take payment if the event accepts walk-ups.
[ ] Badge strategy locked: which attendees are pre-printed, which print on site, and who handles late registrations and name corrections at the door.
[ ] Pre-printed badges sorted, boxed, and labeled by lane, with speaker, sponsor, staff, and press badges set aside for their own pickup point.
[ ] Blank badge stock, ribbons or ink, lanyards, and holders counted against expected attendance, plus a margin for reprints and walk-ups.
[ ] Every scanner, tablet, laptop, and printer charged, updated, logged in, and tested against a real attendee record at its actual station spot.
[ ] Spare devices, a spare printer, chargers, power strips, and extension cords staged at the desk, not left in a car in the parking garage.
[ ] Attendee list exported and loaded onto every device, with a final cutoff time for edits agreed with whoever owns registration.
[ ] Network tested at the real station locations at the same time of day, with a wired line or a separate operations network requested from the venue.
[ ] Cellular hotspot charged and paired with each device as the second connection, and offline mode confirmed by turning wifi off and checking someone in.
[ ] Duplicate handling tested: the same attendee scanned at two stations while offline shows one check-in and a flag for review, not two records.
[ ] Paper attendee list printed, sorted by last name, and kept at the exception desk with a pen, a marker, and a stack of blank badges.
[ ] Reminder email sent the evening before with the QR code attached and a short note on what to have ready at the door.
[ ] Door team trained on the real hardware and software, through the happy path and the top unhappy paths, before doors open.
[ ] Roles assigned in writing: scanner operators, floater, line marshals, printer minder, and one named person who can edit the attendee list.
[ ] One-page reference card at every station listing the most common problems, their fixes, and the escalation path for refunds and access disputes.
[ ] Break schedule staggered so no station goes dark during the peak window, with a named person who decides when to open the overflow station.
[ ] Session capacities and access rules entered in the scanning tool, with room-door scanners assigned and tested for every gated session.
[ ] Someone owns the post-event export: scan timestamps, ticket type, walk-ups, and badge print counts saved before devices are wiped or returned.
[ ] Tone brief delivered: a calm, warm greeting for every attendee, and no explanations at the counter about why the system is slow.