Webex Events Onsite's dynamic in-person Event and Session Check-in and badge printing software solution gives you a level of customization and personalization found nowhere else in the industry. Even though Onsite is designed to be intuitive, advance preparation is key to making sure that you and the people on your team are prepared for check-in.

Whether you're using Session Check-in, Event Check-in, or both, this article gives you specific timelines, recommendations, and tips. Where relevant, you'll find links to our comprehensive Webex Academy courses and help articles to guide you along your journey. 🧭

Using Session Check-in is really simple, so it doesn't need its own timeline. However, the following tips are critical to making sure Session Check-in is a success:

If you're only using Session Check-in, then you're all done with this article. Bye! 👋

If you're using Event Check-in, read on! 📖

It's time to start! Begin working on Onsite 12 weeks before your event. This gives you plenty of time to work through the details of your event and custom badge or equipment needs.
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Whether you plan to rent or buy equipment, order as soon as possible to get ahead of potential back orders and long lead times.

It's time to learn! Onsite is very intuitive. However, there's always nuance. That's why we have a Webex Academy course all about Onsite and articles dedicated to each part of the Onsite process. 📚

We highly recommend that you choose at least one member of your team to be your Onsite expert. For events larger than 1,000 people, we recommend at least two experts. They'll learn how to configure the Onsite App, create badges, deploy the equipment, and help print badges. When you've chosen an expert, give them these resources to get started:

After your Onsite expert has gathered some knowledge, it's time to set up Onsite and configure the app in the Webex Events platform.

Remember, Webex Events Registration is the ultimate pairing with Webex Events Onsite for ease of use and reduced maintenance. If you're using a different registration system, make sure you have a planned date for finalizing and uploading your attendees, with plenty of time to spare for testing.

Whatever registration system you use, make sure to ask any questions in your registration form that check-in staff might ask when they're on-site at the venue. Add these questions to the Check-in page to speed up the check-in process.

It's time to build! By now your Onsite expert should have started setting up Onsite and configuring the Onsite App in the platform with custom colors, graphics, button labels, and any other customizations you want.

Now it's time to learn how to design badges. Badges can be as simple or complex as you like. Whatever the case, these articles have everything you need to know:

Learning about designing Onsite badges should help you decide exactly what you want on your badges. For example, because the printers print only in black and white, you may decide that you want some elements pre-printed on your badge stock. Start making designs and playing around with customization options — nothing is final until you submit the badge stock order. Along the way, don't hesitate to chat with our Support team with any questions.

Start thinking about building your Onsite team. You'll need more people than your Onsite expert to manage the check-in table(s) and equipment, answer attendee questions, and help with lanyards and badge holders. Even if your attendees will use the iPads or iPhones to check themselves in, plan to have more people than you need for each device so that some can act as "floaters". Floaters can fill in for no-shows and relieve others when they need to take a break or direct someone to the help desk.

Don't worry about training yet — simply start the process of staffing your check-in tables. Recruit tech-savvy people who are excited to work with your attendees and help manage the check-in process. Effective pre-event communication with staff is crucial so everyone knows where to be and when. Plan your staff communication and sign-up methods early.

It's time to order! At this point, you should decide on a badge size and have a solid idea about the badge design.

If you're buying your own equipment, order now to make sure you get everything in time.

It's time to plan! Creating a floor plan for your badge printing table(s) is critical. Consider details like:

If your routers connect to the internet with a SIM card, test cellular strength in the location where you want to put your check-in stations. If the signal is weak or intermittent, consider moving check-in to a location where your routers can get a solid cell signal, or consider hard-wiring the routers to the internet at your venue.

Speaking of your Onsite equipment, knowing what equipment you need and how to set it up can give you insight into how you'll set up the check-in area. Read our Onsite Event Check-in Hardware Setup article to learn what setup is like.

As part of planning, give careful thought to how attendees will verify certain information, such as medical status. Ask as many questions as possible as part of the registration process so event staff can simply refer to attendee answers on the Check-in page instead of asking each person for information.

Plan to have one line of your check-in area set up as a help desk with its own printer and iPad or iPhone where people can ask questions, reprint lost badges, and resolve personal data issues. This keeps your main check-in lines moving quickly and ensures people don't have to get back in line after you solve their problem. Your Onsite expert(s) should generally be at the help desk.

It's time to be certain! At this point, you should have a detailed plan of operation for badge printing. If applicable, make doubly sure that your Onsite rental equipment can be shipped to the venue up to three days before the event. If storage isn't available at your venue, consider having equipment shipped to your offices or the hotel where staff are staying.

If you're renting equipment from Choose 2 Rent, they'll send you the tracking information for your rental kit during this time-frame. If you rent from another vendor, verify their shipping timeline.

This is the best time for the Onsite expert to start training your check-in staff. Go over the venue setup plan, review safety protocols, and show staff how to correct problems with attendee badge information. Show them the articles linked below so they understand what printing is like from the attendee perspective and know how to set up Onsite hardware:

Create test attendee profiles in the platform to double-check that any visibility rules are working as planned, and show the differences to check-in staff so they know what to expect.

It's time! As soon as you have access to the venue, have your Onsite expert and staff set up your hardware and print a few test badges. When testing is complete, do staff check-in as soon as possible so all staff have their badges before attendees arrive.

Check-in staff should test printing at least one badge on each iPad and printer the night before check-in begins and every morning you open check-in. This helps new staff acclimate to the process so they know exactly what the attendee experience will be like. Testing also helps clear any confusion and makes sure printers are loaded and configured correctly.

Each staff member should practice loading and calibrating a printer at least once. Depending on the size of your event, staff may need to load more badge stock into printers during check-in if a roll or stack runs out. Loading new badges quickly keeps check-in running smoothly. 🏃

If you've followed the process and timeline and learned from the training materials linked throughout this article, you'll be ready when your first attendee arrives at the check-in table.

During and after check-in, review the Onsite Metrics page to make data-driven decisions around staffing and check-in times so your next check-in experience is that much smoother.

If you have any questions, your best resource is our awesome Support team. Click the bubble at the bottom of any page in the Webex Events platform or this knowledge base to start a live chat.