Event airport arrival information collection
Arrival details reach the secretariat by email, WhatsApp and the registration form, and each one is typed a little differently.
The short answer
Collect arrival details once, through one form, with a deadline and a reminder, and keep the fields to what pickups need: arrival date and time as the delegate knows them, the flight or train reference, party size, luggage and a contact route for the day. Enter the answers into the airport transfer manifest as reported, not as verified.
Do not ask for passport or visa information in this form. Entry questions are for the official source for each delegate's nationality, and any identity data you consider collecting goes to your data protection adviser first.
Decide the purpose before the form
Say on the form why you are asking and who will see the answers: the transport coordinator and the supplier's driver, for pickup. Collect nothing you do not use.
Decide who receives late changes and where they are logged, so that a message to one person reaches the manifest.
Form fields
| Field | Why it is asked | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Name for the sign | So the driver can find the delegate. | Delegate's own wording. |
| Arrival date and time | To place the delegate in a pickup wave. | As the delegate reports it. |
| Flight or train reference | So the coordinator and supplier can check the arrival. | Reported, not verified by the organiser. |
| Number of travellers and luggage | To plan seats. | Include oversized items. |
| Destination | Hotel or venue. | Prefill from the booking record where the delegate has agreed. |
| Contact for the day | So the driver can reach the delegate. | Agree it is used on the day only. |
| Assistance needed | So an arrangement can be made. See accessibility transport requests. | Ask what would help, not why. |
| Prefer to arrange own transport | So you do not plan a seat unnecessarily. | Yes or no. |
Timing, reminders and changes
- Send the form when registration is confirmed, with a clear deadline.
- Send one reminder before the deadline and one to those who have not replied.
- After the deadline, call or message the remaining speakers and officials individually.
- Tell delegates how to report a change, and give one route that always reaches the manifest owner.
- Send each supplier the extract at the agreed cut-off, with later changes marked.
- Ask delegates to confirm the details shortly before travel.
What not to promise
- Do not promise a vehicle will be waiting at a precise moment.
- Do not state journey times or tell delegates how long the trip takes.
- Do not tell delegates whether they need a visa; point them to the official source.
- Do not suggest a particular airline or fare.
- Do not hold identity documents unless a competent party has said it is needed.
Worked example · Fictional example
Collecting arrivals for a regional summit
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional trade council sends a seven-field form with its registration confirmation and a deadline three weeks before the event. 48 of 60 delegates reply after the first reminder, and the coordinator calls the remaining 12 along with the four speakers.
Answers go into the manifest as reported, with the date. The arrival-instructions page for each wave is built from them with the arrival instructions builder, and the coordinator asks delegates to confirm the week before.
Use this yourself
Arrival information request
Paste into a form or an email and set the deadline.
- Name as you would like it shown on the pickup sign:
- Arrival date and time, as you know it today:
- Flight or train reference:
- Number of travellers and any oversized luggage:
- Where you are staying or heading on arrival:
- A mobile number or channel we may use on the day of arrival only:
- Anything that would help your arrival, in your own words:
- Do you plan to arrange your own transport? (Yes or no)
- Please tell us of any change by [route], by [date].
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Fewer than about thirty travellers and mostly local delegates.
- One person owns the form, the reminders and the manifest.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Delegates arrive from many places over several days, with frequent changes.
- Speakers, officials and delegates need separate handling.
- Nobody can chase replies and keep the manifest current while running the rest of the event.
Want the arrival details chased and kept current?
A conference project lead can set up the form, send the reminders, chase speakers and officials individually and keep the manifest current for the suppliers. Delegates still give their own details, the supplier remains responsible for its vehicles, and questions on entry requirements go to the official source. Send the number of expected travellers and your dates.
Questions organisers ask
Should we verify flights ourselves?
Record what the delegate reports and ask the supplier whether it tracks arrivals. Do not mark an arrival as confirmed on your own.
Do we need passport details?
No, not for pickups. Ask your data protection adviser before collecting any identity document.
What if delegates do not reply?
Send a reminder, then contact speakers and officials directly and offer self-arranged transport to the rest.
How early should the form go out?
With the registration confirmation, with a deadline that leaves time to brief suppliers.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.