Arrival and check-in operations
Handling attendee identity exceptions at check-in
A guest says they are registered, but the name on the list is different, missing or already checked in.
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The short answer
Give the desk a short procedure for each type of mismatch: find the record by another detail, confirm with the guest in a way that exposes as little data as possible, and pass anything unresolved to a named exceptions lead. Record every exception and its outcome.
Whether the desk may ask to see identification, copy it or keep it is a privacy question. Put it to your organisation's privacy contact before the event, and write their answer on the desk card.
The common exception types
| Case | Desk step | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|
| Name spelled differently | Search by email, organisation or registration number. | No record is found by any of them. |
| Substitute attending for a registered person | Check your substitution rule and record both names. | The rule does not cover it. |
| Guest already shown as checked in | Ask calmly when and where; check the scan log time. | Two people claim the same registration. |
| Registered under the employer's name | Confirm with the booking contact if known. | The booking contact cannot be reached. |
| Badge name does not match the guest's name | Offer a reprint through the reprint workflow. | Name change affects a speaker or seating. |
What the desk may and may not ask
- Ask for details the guest supplied at registration, such as organisation and the email used.
- Do not ask for more personal detail than the check needs.
- Whether ID may be shown, photographed or retained is for your privacy contact to answer.
- Never discuss another guest's registration with a third party at the desk.
Who decides
Name an exceptions lead, usually the registration lead, who decides the outcome. The desk staff do not turn guests away on their own. If the lead cannot resolve it, the committee chair or a named delegate decides.
Agree the rules for substitutions and transfers in advance, with the secretariat, so the answer is the same at every desk.
Steps at the desk
- Greet and search by a second detail.
- If no match is found, move the guest to the exceptions desk without discussing it at the queue.
- The exceptions lead checks the registration source and confirms with the guest.
- Log the exception, the decision and the approver's initials.
- Hand the log to check-in reconciliation afterwards.
Worked example · Fictional example
A substitute and a duplicate scan
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
At a fictional association's forum, a manager arrives in place of a registered colleague. The substitution rule allows it with the original registrant's email approval, so the secretariat contact confirms by message and the lead logs both names.
Later, one code is scanned twice. The log shows the two scans seven minutes apart at different desks. The lead asks the guest politely, finds the first scan was made for a colleague's pass and records the outcome.
Use this yourself
Identity exception desk card
Keep one card at each desk and one at the exceptions desk.
- Exceptions lead and backup:
- Second lookup details allowed (email, organisation, registration number):
- Substitution rule and who confirms it:
- Privacy contact's answer on showing, copying or retaining ID:
- Duplicate scan response and who decides:
- Escalation: committee chair or delegate name:
- Log columns: time, name, issue, steps, decision, initials:
- Wording for guests when a registration cannot be found:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Few exceptions are expected and one lead can decide them.
- Substitution and transfer rules are already written.
- The privacy contact has agreed the ID question.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Different guest categories have separate identity or access rules.
- Substitutions involve sponsors, speakers or regulated access.
- Nobody owns the rule on ID and the desk is improvising.
Want the exception rules agreed before the day?
A conference project lead can draft the exception procedure with your secretariat and privacy contact, name the decision makers, and brief the desk team. Share your registration categories to discuss the scope.
Questions organisers ask
May the desk check ID cards?
That depends on your purpose and policy. Ask your organisation's privacy contact and write the answer on the desk card.
What if two people claim the same registration?
Move them to the exceptions lead. Check the registration source and the scan log before deciding.
Can a walk-in with the right name just be checked in?
Use your walk-in approval process. Do not decide at the queue.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.