How CampusESP for Event Management streamlines registration, communication, and check-in
Summer is finally here, and for many in Student Affairs, this means a long season of event planning. Events like Family Weekend require all hands on deck and a lot of coordination… for teams already stretched thin.
The right event management tool can take the stress off. CampusESP for Event Management was built and tested with the help of Family Weekend veterans who know how to pull off a smooth event. From event registration and ticketing, to event promotion and attendee communication, to onsite registration and check-in, to post-event analytics, CampusESP covers the end-to-end process.
The best part? Event Management is FREE and included for all CampusESP customers.
Read on to learn how CampusESP can streamline your event management, so you can focus on the big picture: Planning successful events and connecting with families.
Customize your event registration form
The first step is to build a registration form using CampusESP’s flexible form builder. Registration forms may collect a variety of data, including family contact information, number of guests, RSVPs for specific activities, accommodations, and more.
With eCommerce support, forms may also include the option to purchase priced tickets, swag, and other add-ons. Families love a branded t-shirt they can wear on campus!
The flexible form-builder includes the option to set:
Required questions
Dynamic questions (appear based on other responses)
Inventory limits and order limits
Registration windows
Confirmation emails and event reminder emails
Which “Communities” or segments the event is visible to
Rules that move users into “Communities” based on their responses
And more!
One benefit of an all-in-one parent engagement platform is that the data collected on an event form may be used to develop your parent database. As you collect more information about families and their preferences, you can better personalize their event communications – and all communications – from CampusESP.
Promote your event across email, text message and a portal experience
Once your form is built, it’s time to get the word out.. Since families are already relying on CampusESP for regular news and updates, it’s easy to reach them with event information.
There are a number of content tools and channels at your disposal, such as:
Announcements, to deliver event reminders, updates, and nudges to register over email
SMS, to quickly reach families on mobile devices
A Portal Experience, to share event details and eye-catching event promotions (in addition to other helpful family information)
Newsletters, an automated, biweekly email that summarizes top portal information for families that haven’t logged in recently
Developing all this content may sound like a lot of work, but your dedicated Customer Success Manager will offer training and best practices to help you cultivate your engagement strategy!
Follow up with registered (and non-registered) families
Leading up to your event, you’ll want to keep registrants excited and informed about their plans. You may also want to nudge families who haven’t registered in order to boost attendance. CampusESP’s “Dynamic User Targeting” features makes it easy to reach both audiences with personalized messages.
To nudge families that still need to register, you may:
Set up recurring announcements that automate reminders to register (and stop once someone does register)
Build event advertisements in your portal and emails that get families excited to register
To communicate with families that already registered, you may:
Pre-schedule reminder emails to keep your event top-of-mind
Segment and personalize your emails by event registration status, student class year, family distance to campus, and other factors
These easy-to-use communication features can help you increase registration, keep families engaged, and get everyone ready for the big day.
Offer event check-in and onsite registration check-in
Say goodbye to clunky spreadsheets, long lines, and hectic check-in hours – CampusESP’s event check-in features can simplify the process for both your team and your families. A smooth start is critical to a successful event!.
CampusESP’s event check-in support allows you to:
Deliver and scan personalized QR codes (or search for registrants)
Easily view important registration details at the point of check-in, such as t-shirt size or parking passes
See a real-time check-in counter (and export more detailed lists later)
Track the number of attendees at both the family level and the individual level
For the families who show up at the check-in booth and haven’t yet registered (it always happens), you can easily process onsite registrations with a QR code linking to your registration form. These features minimize the time spent getting attendees through the door, so you can maximize the event experience for your families.
Measure event success with event analytics and family surveys
Once the event is over, there are a number of features that can help you evaluate success and improve future events . The post-event recap and results review is one of the most important parts of the planning process.
CampusESP’s survey and and analytics features make it easy to:
Deliver surveys to gauge satisfaction, collect feedback, and assess event success.
See event summary results, including total registrants, attendees, tickets/items sold, revenue generated, and more.
Download user-level data, including the registration form responses, purchases, and check-in status for specific individuals
The event summary results live in CampusESP, making it easy to see year-over-year event reporting. The survey results, form responses, purchases, and check-in status are added to the parent profile, giving you a more holistic view of parent engagement. More and more, institutions are using this valuable data to tie parent engagement back to student success.
CampusESP for Event Management is an end-to-end tool to help you easily plan, execute, (and dare we say enjoy?) stress-free events. But don’t take our word for it – Check out how University of Mississippi and Georgia Institute of Technology scaled attendance, sold out their events, and brought in record revenue when they transitioned to CampusESP.