Arrival and check-in operations
Session attendance scanning: decide what you will count
Someone has asked for attendance by session, and you need to know what that takes at the door of each room.
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The short answer
Start with the question the numbers must answer. Session scanning adds a second queue at every room, so scan only when the count has a named use, such as room planning, a record for a professional body or a sponsor report.
Tell delegates what is scanned and why, and ask your privacy contact how long the scan data may be kept. Accreditation or credit rules are for the body that sets them, not for the organiser to interpret.
Choose the purpose first
| Purpose | What to scan | Cheaper alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Room planning | Entry counts only, by session. | A volunteer with a tally counter. |
| Record requested by a professional body | Entry and exit, as the body specifies. | Ask the body what evidence it will accept. |
| Sponsor report | Aggregate counts, not named lists. | Aggregate counts from tallies. |
| Programme review | Entry counts, compared with plan. | Post-event survey question. |
How scanning changes the room
- A scanner at each door needs a person, a charge and a place that does not block the doorway.
- Doors with scanners fill more slowly. Allow time before the start and ask the venue where people can wait.
- Pick one scan point per room, at the door guests actually use.
- Walk-in and late arrivals still need a rule for the scan.
Planning the counts
Expected room numbers are scenarios, not forecasts. Use the attendance scenario planner to put low, central and high cases next to the number registered for each session. It shows your assumptions and uncertainty, and does not predict who will turn up.
Sequence
- Write the purpose and who receives the counts.
- Choose what to scan (entry, exit, or both) and where.
- Brief the scanning staff and set the late-arrival rule.
- Tell delegates in the arrival instructions what is scanned and why.
- Export the counts after each day and keep them in the reconciliation log.
Worked example · Fictional example
Counting two parallel breakouts
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
A fictional professional-learning team runs two breakouts at the same time. Registration shows 90 people for room A and 60 for room B, but the team treats those as starting points and plans a low, central and high case for each.
They scan entries only, at one door per room, and ask the room volunteers to note any overflow standing. The counts feed a room-allocation decision for next year, so no named list is kept.
Use this yourself
Session scanning plan
Copy this and complete it before you hire scanners or brief volunteers.
| Item | Decision | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the counts | ||
| Who receives the counts and in what form (named or aggregate) | ||
| Scan entry, exit or both | ||
| Scan point per room | ||
| Late arrival and re-entry rule | ||
| Retention period confirmed by privacy contact | ||
| Notice wording for delegates | ||
| Export time after each session or day |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One purpose, a few rooms and a supplier that provides a scanner app.
- No external body relies on the counts.
- You can brief and rehearse the scanning staff.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- An external body requires evidence of attendance and the rules are unclear.
- Many parallel rooms and shared staff.
- Scan data feeds sponsor or member reports and needs consistent handling.
Want the scanning plan agreed with the people who need the counts?
A conference project lead can clarify what each recipient needs, choose the lightest scanning method, brief the room teams and keep the counts consistent for reporting. Share what has been asked of you so far to discuss the scope.
Questions organisers ask
Do we have to scan every session?
Only if a named recipient needs the count. Tally counters or sampling can serve room planning.
Can scan data count as proof of credit?
That is for the body that sets the credit rules. Ask what evidence it accepts and follow its answer.
How long can we keep the data?
Ask your privacy contact. Record the answer and the deletion date in the plan.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.