Accessibility and language inclusion
Event support-person registration
A delegate has asked to bring someone who assists them, and your registration form has no place for that person.
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The short answer
Support-person registration lets a delegate name someone who accompanies them, so the organiser can plan seating, catering, badges and access. Decide the rules first: whether the support person has a fee, a badge, a seat and meal, and what the delegate is asked to share.
Ask only what you need to plan. Do not ask why support is needed, and keep any reply visible only to the people who act on it.
Decide the policy before you open registration
| Question | Options to decide | Who confirms |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | Free, same fee or a reduced fee for a support person; confirm with finance and the committee | Committee and finance |
| Seat and room | Shared seat plan, or a seat beside the delegate; check room capacity with the venue | Organiser and venue |
| Meals and materials | Included, or on request with dietary details | Caterer and organiser |
| Badge | A badge saying support person, with the delegate's name or not, as the delegate prefers | Organiser |
| Access to sessions | All sessions, or some with limits for confidentiality | Programme chair |
| Privacy | What is collected, who sees it, how long it is kept | Organiser; check the data protection process |
Wording that works
Add one optional line at registration: if you are bringing a support person, tell us their name, so we can plan seating, a badge and a meal. Give a named contact and a reply date.
Make clear what the support person receives and what is not included, such as awards-dinner places. Keep the wording neutral and avoid any label.
Sequence
- Agree the policy with the committee, finance, venue and caterer and write it in plain words.
- Add the optional line and the policy summary to the registration form and the delegate guide.
- Check capacity for each room and any dinner, and note the cap on guests.
- Issue badges and update seating and catering lists as registrations come in.
- Review cases that fall outside the policy through one named contact, and record the decision.
Privacy and data handling
- Collect a name and contact only; do not record health or other sensitive details.
- Share the list only with the people who need it: registration desk, caterer, venue.
- Ask your data protection owner or adviser how long to keep the record and how to delete it afterwards.
- Do not publish support-person names in the attendee list.
Worked example · Fictional example
Support-person policy for a one-day professional forum
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional association for engineers sets a policy: a support person attends free, receives lunch and a badge, and sits beside the delegate in all sessions. The awards dinner is excluded and noted on the form.
Six delegates name a support person. The secretariat sends the venue and caterer a list of first names and meal needs, and the badges are printed with a neutral label.
Use this yourself
Support-person registration wording and checklist
Copy the wording into your form and tick the checklist before registration opens.
- Form line: If you are bringing a support person, please give their name and any meal needs. We will plan a seat and a badge. Contact: [name and role] by [date].
- Policy summary: what a support person receives, what is not included, and the fee if any.
- Capacity check: room caps and dinner caps confirmed with the venue.
- Badge wording agreed.
- Privacy note: what is collected, who sees it, how long it is kept.
- Exception route: one named contact and how decisions are recorded.
- Lists updated: seating, catering, badge printing.
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A small event with clear room capacity and a simple fee policy.
- The committee has decided the policy in advance.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several categories of attendee with different fees and conflicting rules.
- Capacity is tight and approvals need coordinating between venue, caterer and committee.
- Registration data handling needs a clear process.
Want the registration policy built into your plan?
An Event Blueprint can set out the support-person policy, the registration wording, the capacity and catering checks, and who handles exceptions, so it is agreed before registration opens. Share your registration categories and venue capacity notes.
Questions organisers ask
Should a support person pay a registration fee?
That is a policy choice for the committee and finance. Decide before registration opens and say it plainly on the form.
Should we ask the delegate why they need support?
No. Ask for the support person's name and any practical needs, such as a meal, not the reason.
Is the support person counted in capacity?
They take space, so include them when you check room and dinner limits with the venue.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.