Oh, the good old days. When all our prospects were stored on 3"x 5" cards, and exhibitor lists were typed by hand before being mimeographed.When registration wasn't really a process, but a line in which people stoodto get a sticky badge that said, "Hi, my name is ..." When ourshows were so small that we knew everyone was a qualified buyer, because,quite simply, we knew everyone. Yes, those were the good old days -- andaren't you glad they're gone?

Breakthroughs in technology have drastically changed the way we manageour shows. With the right systems, we can do twice what we used to do --in half the time. We're more efficient, more informed and better able tomeet the needs of both exhibitors and attendees. And although our jobs maynot be as simple as they once were, I've yet to find anyone who longs toreturn to the mimeograph machine.

Perhaps no area of our business has changed more dramatically, or morequickly, than registration. As an industry, we were truly impressed withthe first computer-generated paper badges. Exhibitors were soon enthralledwith credit card badges. Then came mag stripes, bar codes and Softstrips.Today, the leading technology is Smartcards -- credit card-like badges withembedded computer chips.

In most cases, the advent of the newer registration systems hasn't eliminatedthe need for the older processes. There will always be shows using paperbadges, and some exhibitors will never give up their credit card systems.Today, however, there is a choice. With careful planning and evaluation,each show manager can choose the system best suited to their event.

If your attendees and exhibitors simply want a readable laser-printedbadge and an embossed credit card, then all the excitement about electroniclead retrieval may be of little interest. If, on the other hand, your exhibitorsare demanding demographic, geographic and psychographic information on everyattendee, you may want to look into the newest, highly sophisticated electronictracking systems. A clear distinction needs to be made between your registrationneeds and your lead retrieval needs. Not that they are separately managed,but the information requirements can be very different.

Determining need
In the last issue of EXPO, we reviewed the various features and capabilitiesof in-house registration sottware programs. And for many, in-house systemsare the best choice. But often, show managers choose in-house programs withoutthoroughly evaluating the outside vendor option. Some believe that you haveto have a "really big" show to justify outside assistance, andthat's not always the case.

Many registration vendors suggest that at 3,000 attendees, your showbecomes a good prospect for outside registration assistance. This estimatevaries widely -- one vendor aims at only shows with more than 10,000 attendees-- and is dependent on how complex the event is. Your show, with 1,600 attendees,pre-scheduled exhibitor appointments, extensive educational sessions, demandsfor product locators and electronic messaging, may be an excellent choicefor outside assistance.

Vendors pride themselves on being "an extension of your staff,"and will provide only those pre-show and on-site services that you don'twant to do yourself. If you want to continue to input all the data, andhandle the incoming registration money, then the vendor can print the badges,design the registration area, mail the registration packets and set up andmaintain the on-site equipment. On the other hand, you could turn over everythingto the outside vendor from designing the registration form to deliveringpost-show reports.

The primary advantage of using outside registration vendors is the amountof staff time that becomes available to simply manage the show. In addition,outside vendors have highly sophisticated equipment that is usually toocostly for show management to purchase and maintain for only one major showa year. They also have the benefit of frequency, practice and familiaritywith the entire registration process. There is almost no registration problemthat they haven't faced before.

Many show managers point to a loss of control as the primary disadvantageto hiring an outside vendor. Some feel "out of the loop" if theydon't personally handle the incoming money, housing and confirmations. Oftenthis fear is unfounded, however, since with proper planning, concise communicationand clear procedures, your registration vendor simply becomes a part ofyour staff -- operating in the same way you would. And, as is mentionedabove, you are the one who decides what parts of the registration processwill be handled in-house, and what parts will be outsourced.

Technology options
The concept of "registration" has undergone a stunning transformationsince it was first introduced as a means to simply identify each personon the show floor. Today, information is the key. Show managers need demographicinformation to prove their show's validity, and exhibitors need leads tofollow as proof that they're getting a return on their investment.

From credit cards and Smartcards to Softstrips and mag stripes, the registrationtechnology available today is varied and plentiful. Many registration vendorswill offer only one type of badge, although some can provide "dual"technologies. SaleSolutions Inc., a Newport Beach, CA-based registrationvendor, for example, can offer both credit card and Softstrip technologyat the same show. In 1993, they plan to use Smartcards as well.

Deciding which technology is right for your show requires a careful analysisof your needs. How much information do you need on each attendee? What doyour exhibitors want, and how fast must they have it? Will exhibitors rentthe necessary "readers" or imprinters required for the systemyou choose? And how easy is the process for attendees? Few buyers will wantto complete a three-page business profile just to get a badge at your event.

Credit card badges of the sort originally developed by Brede RegistrationSystems in Minneapolis, are no doubt the most familiar badges in the industry.Used in conjunction with large-print paper badges, the credit card is tuckedinto a pocket of the plastic badge holder. Basic attendee information suchas name, address and phone number is embossed onto the card. Exhibitors"imprint" the information onto paper forms using rented imprintersthat press the card through carbons. Space is usually available on the formsfor the exhibitors to write additional information.

Credit card badges have been available for many years, and the systemis very familiar to most exhibitors. In fact, some exhibitors have usedthe system in so many shows that they now own their own imprinters, andproduce their own forms -- rather than renting these items from the vendor.The system is very basic, and practically foolproof. Exhibitors leave theshow with leads in hand, unaffected by downed computers or electronic "glitches."

For exhibitors, the simplicity of the credit card badges can be the biggestdisadvantage. Although they may be leaving the event with leads in hand,all they really have is a piece of paper with the attendee's name and address-- and that will still need to be loaded into their computer back at theoffice. They can get more information on each of their selected attendeesby turning in their lead sheets to the registration vendor -- and they canget this information on a disk -- but all of this is at an additional cost.Nonetheless, credit card badge systems can still be very cost-effectivewhen compared with some of the more "high-tech" options. Showmanagers will pay about $2 per person for credit card registration systems.

In the mid-eighties, bar-coded registration systems entered the market.The familiar supermarket bar code is printed onto a paper badge and readby a "wand" rented by exhibitors. To get their leads, exhibitorsturn in the wand, and the registration vendor translates the stored informationinto useable data. Exhibitors can get cheshire labels, paper leads, computerdisks or any combination thereof.

The advantage to the bar coding system seems to be the reliability ofthe wands although many registration vendors are addressing this problemwith vigor. Show management will pay from $4 to $6 per person to use a bar-codedregistration system. Costs for exhibitors will differ based on their requests,but the basic wand rental is about $50.

Softstrip technology is similar to bar coding but has the ability tohold much more information on each attendee. If you've never seen a Softstripbadge, it's a paper badge with "squiggly" lines on the back.

The more lines on the badge, the more retrievable information you have.Leads can be printed out in the exhibitors' booths, or the badge can beread directly into a personal computer, stored in ASCII format, and usedwith the exhibitors' own lead management program. Softstrip technology costsfrom $2 to $4 per person, and exhibitors will pay close to $60 for basicreaders. Exhibitors will pay more if the reader is linked to their personalcomputers.

Magnetic stripe badges are more technologically advanced than the traditionalembossed credit card, although they look similar. Just like your personalcredit cards, these badges have a magnetic stripe on the back which is "read'by sliding the card tnrougn a reader. These badges hold much more informationthan bar-coded badges, but exhibitors will pay as much as $150 for readers.If exhibitors want to rent printers for their booths -- rather than turningin the readers for translation by the vendor -- there is an additional charge.Like the Softstrip technology, mag stripe readers can be linked to personalcomputers. The cost to show management for mag stripe systems is $4 to $6per person.

One of the newest and most comprehensive registration systems uses Smartcardtechnology, such as that offered with the Expocard from Galaxy RegistrationInc., in Frederick, MD. This is also a credit card look-alike, but it hasa computer chip embedded in it that can hold a wealth of attendee demographicdata. Smartcard readers cost exhibitors approximately $50, and show managementpays about $4 to $10 per person. (If attendees return their cards to recyclingbins at the end of the show, that cost can be reduced appreciably.)

In addition to the information loaded onto the computer chip before theshow, the Expocard adds more data as the attendee moves around the showfloor and uses the card. For example, Joe Jones gains access to the hallby using his Expocard, which logs his entry time. (Later, when he leaves,the time will again be recorded, giving show management exact figures forhow long attendees spend on the show floor.)

After entering the hall, Jones finds a product locator, and, after slidinghis card through, makes five or six inquiries. Any exhibitor whose namecomes up in answer to these inquiries will later get a report listing Jonesas a prospect. At every booth, Jones simply uses his card to be placed onmailing lists and receive follow-up communications. Each use of his cardis logged, and will yield information on the elapsed time between booths,the route taken, the time spent in each booth, the time spent in large boothsversus smaller booths, and so on.

Later, Jones decides to answer a survey for show management, and movesto a survey port -- a personal computer linked to the system. He answersquestions ranging from how he liked the layout of the show, to his plansfor attending next year. Jones is rewarded with a coupon that directs himto booth #525 where he can pick up a thank-you gift from show management.

This entire process is repeated each day of the show, for every attendee,thereby compiling an enormous amount of information that was previouslyunavailable or only guessed at. And while all of this information gatheringis impressive, it's important to remember that if you're not going to usethe data, there's no point in collecting it. It's important when choosinga system to decide what your needs are before you get dazzled byall the bells and whistles.

Working with vendors
When choosing your vendor, make sure you understand exactly what reportsyou will get, and how often. If there's a report you want that isn't offered,chances are good that some vendor can create one to meet your needs. Spellout in your request for proposal, exactly when you expect post-show reports,and how soon exhibitors should have their lead sheets.

Registration vendors themselves recommend that you should maintain controlof the process. They will provide you with augmented services, enhancedstaff and additional equipment, but it's still your show, and you shouldcontrol it.

Lack of thorough planning on the show manager's part is often the primarypitfall in working with an outside registration vendor. The show managerforgets to mention a change in policy or procedure, and the vendor continuesunder the false assumption that everything is working. Left unchecked, thismiscommunication translates into expensive emergencles on-site.

In choosing the appropriate registration technology for your event, consideryour show size, staff and budget. Virtually every function you are now doingin-house, can be done by an outside vendor more efficiently, faster andwith state-of-the-art technology too costly for internal use. After doingyour own needs analysis you can choose which of the myriad functions requiredfor your show should stay in-house, and which would be better managed byan outside vendor. The technology is best used when it's molded to yourneeds. The success of your event is directly related to your balancing thebest combination of in-house resources and outside vendor services.