The Differentiators – Three Considerations when Evaluating Registration Solutions

With hundreds of registration solutions on the marketplace today, it can be a challenge to find the ideal option for your organization. For years, we’ve worked with clients trying to find the perfect fit. We place top priority on these three considerations as you are evaluating the right fit for your registration needs.

1. 1Budget Let’s get this one out of the way right off the bat since it’s usually the last thing discussed during the evaluation process. Depending on what you’re looking for, the cost for a registration system can swing dramatically. All companies have different pricing models which make it hard for you (the consumer) to compare prices. Is the system you’re looking at a flat fee and you have access to multiple templates/modules, do they make you pay for an annual license and pre-pay for transactions, do they charge for users but have a lesser license fee? These factors actually should help you narrow down on what platform you’re looking for. Don’t be afraid to lead off your search by asking budget questions out of the gate to help eliminate pricing structures that don’t make sense for you or your company/association.

2. Integrations This is the second most asked for service in the marketplace today. Most planners want a one stop shop for all their technical needs. This is becoming more readily available for our clients but you need to know how it all works together before you sign a contract. In a perfect world the registration system is integrated with the database, mobile app, onsite badge production, session scanning, lead retrieval, surveys and the list goes on. That’s a perfect world. In reality, multiple systems need to “connect” to each other by API (Application Program Interface). There are very few true one stop shops out there and they tend to be extremely expensive. You need to partner with a registration system that has an easy to use and open API to make your life much easier. This should be another question asked if this is going to be a need for you.

3. Service Levels Okay, we’ve discussed money and the technology, now it’s time to talk about the level of service you will receive with your system. If you are a savvy – do it yourself – kind of planner and want to take on the task of registration building yourself, you need to find out how your registration partner is going to train you. Are they a group that has a “library” of thousands of tutorials that you need to spend hours looking for, do they give you a block of time to spend with one of their specialists, do they give you access to a test sight so you can learn on your own…….you get the picture. Be very careful that you select a partner that meets your needs as it relates to your overall business needs.

Shameless plug – if you don’t have time to do registration builds yourself, you could always look to hire a partner like LiveCon to build your sites for you (plug over). Make sure when negotiating your agreement, you keep in mind that registration companies want you to pick them and are usually willing to bend on this fee. Don’t tell them I told you that.

There you have it……three considerations that you should be thinking about these days that will help you select the right platform for your registration needs.

About LiveCon: LiveCon was created to give our clients a true one stop resource for all their conference and meeting needs. Our business model is simple, customize and create a technology and service platform to fit your unique need and stay on budget.