Everybody wants to sell out an event — but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. You also have to get everybody in the door and keep them all safe.
That’s where event access control comes in.
Event controls are all about ensuring your guests have a smooth experience (which makes the event more fun for them and easier for your event staff). Fortunately, plenty of dynamic tech solutions make event access quick and easy.
For example, with Eventbrite, you can ditch paper tickets, generate custom QR codes, and instantly scan event attendees into different event areas at lightspeed.
Read on to learn more about the different event access controls available and the top considerations when choosing the perfect event management software.
Table of contents
What are the best event access control systems?
4 Top considerations when looking for the right event access solution
What is event access control?
Event access control encompasses all the strategies and tools that organizers use to control, support, and enhance customer access before, during, and after events. Access controls can be physical barriers or processes at your event or digital controls created and managed through your event registration software.
It’s an incredibly important part of your overall attendee experience because you don’t get a second chance at a first impression. The access point is your attendees’ first point of contact with your event, so access controls need to be clear and efficient to help your guests (not hinder them).
Now, by helping, we don’t mean giving attendees full access to the event. You want your access controls to be preventative and to keep guests out of unauthorized areas. This minimizes disruptions, helps keep everybody safe, and avoids potential event security threats.
Also, with the right controls in place, you can create multiple layers of access for enhanced tiered guest experiences — supporting VIP packages, special areas for sponsors, entertainers, staff, and everyone in between.
Finally, efficient access controls get your guests in the door fast.
By using the high-tech controls we’re about to cover, your team can prevent bottlenecks for a better flow of attendees, operate with a lower staff count, and eradicate those pesky long lines so that guests enter your venue quickly and are ready for a great time.
What is the best event access control system?
Now that we’ve covered why event access controls are so important to your success, let’s examine your options.
To help you make an informed decision for your next event, here are four trending access control systems you need to know about:
Using an event registration QR code
QR codes are a fast and simple way to distribute tickets, scan people at the door, and check clearance levels so your staff knows who belongs where.
Using QR access controls can also help you boost your event’s sustainability credentials — because you’ll be able to ditch paper tickets, programs, and maps, in favor of digital tickets and online resources.
When you create tickets for an event using Eventbrite, unique event registration QR codes are automatically generated for each ticket sold, saving you time and energy trying to work with online QR code generators.
Here’s how it works:
Because each QR code is totally unique, you can also prevent ticket fraud and set up a timed entry scheme. Timed entry is a fantastic way to avoid long lines by limiting guest access to individual time slots.
For lessons in best practice, take a look at Nasstive Entertainment. By pairing Eventbrite’s QR codes with the platform’s innovative Tap to Pay system, they’ve gone cashless and paperless and can usher their guests through the door smoothly.
“Tap to Pay populates our Eventbrite list, and we can check people in on the spot. Plus, it means we don’t need to handle cash,” says founder Jason Kuska.
“It’s good to go over to digital and make the most of attendees’ spontaneity — and it’s simple with a QR code or the tap to pay.”
Ready to start generating your own QR codes?
Event barcodes
Barcodes have been around a lot longer than QR codes — and like QR codes, barcodes can help improve event sustainability by making them paperless.
But because barcodes are a slightly older technology, there are a couple of drawbacks you need to be aware of.
First of all, they’re not as fast as QR codes. Barcode scanners take longer to convert the patterns back into data that can be read by your event team — which means a slower check-in process.
Event barcodes are also more likely to be misread than QR codes, particularly by older scanners. And because barcodes don’t have built-in error correction the way QR codes do, that can lead to hold-ups at the entrance to your venue or validation issues.
Radio frequency identification (RFID)
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a more advanced access control system that utilizes two components to grant event access to guests and staff: an RFID reader and an RFID tag.
You distribute the tags to attendees, which work by emitting a radio wave that the RFID reader can pick up.
Like QR codes, RFID technology instantly verifies attendee credentials and prevents unauthorized access.
But unlike QR codes, RFID tags can be embedded in wristbands, nametags, or badges. That makes entry to your event even faster — and the data generated can be used to supercharge your event management.
RFID data can help you track how people move around your event. This will help you know when to send staff to different areas, look at the areas of your venue that are getting more visitors, and get more information about what’s working well and what could be improved.
Meanwhile, RFID bands also double as “merch” by giving your guests a souvenir to remind them of your amazing event.
In terms of budgeting, just bear in mind that RFID access controls are more expensive.
A single RFID reader can cost anywhere from $500, and RFID tags range from about seven cents all the way up to $25 each.
If that’s a cost you’ve budgeted for, you’ll be able to utilize the Eventbrite Organizer App to support RFID check-ins, too. That means you won’t have to worry about taking on an entirely new event management platform to support your move to RFID.
Near field communication (NFC)
Near-field communication (NFC) works a lot like RFID tags. But unlike RFID, NFC technology is two-range. Both the tag and the reader can exchange data (rather than a one-way radio signal). That means you can use smartphones or badges to communicate with readers.
Shorter-range connections are harder to intercept — making them more secure. That’ll give your attendees peace of mind because over 41% of users say they worry about their data falling into the wrong hands.
NFC tags often cost more than RFID tags — ranging anywhere from around $1. But NFC-compatible devices are cheaper than RFID readers. That means the cost of an NFC system versus an RFID system will depend on the volume of tags and how many readers you need for your event.
You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of the system you opt for. Your budget will guide your choice, but you also need to take into account how many staff members you have and the technical training they’ve got.
But there are a few other key considerations you should bear in mind, too.
4 Top considerations when looking for event access solutions
Shopping around for the ideal event access control system? Here are four important points to guide your wishlist:
1. Define your access zones early
Your access zones are the areas of your event that have different levels of restriction. For example, you might have a general admission zone, VIP zone, backstage zone, staff zone, or anything in between.
Map out your access zones early on in the event planning process based on your event layout, objectives, and event security risks. The complexity of your layout and zones will determine your event access, staffing, and technology needs. This will help you find the best access system for you.
2. Make sure you allocate enough event budget
Assess your needs early in the event planning process and get accurate quotes from suppliers so you can calculate the budget you need to dedicate to event access control.
It’s also worth considering how your numbers might affect the cost of your tech solution.
For example, a festival will require more RFID tags than an intimate concert — so you should start by estimating how many attendees you’re expecting to buy tickets for your event. This way, you can estimate how many tags or readers you need (and how much they cost) if you use RFID or NFC technology.
By understanding your requirements early on, you can ensure you allocate enough of your event budget to an effective access solution.
3. Consider your reporting and analytics requirements
Access control solutions give you access to a range of reporting and analytics tools. So, it’s important to consider what types of analytics and the level of detail your team requires.
For example, do you need real-time numbers on which venue entrances are the most popular? Or do you want to know what time your VIP ticketholders are checking in?
These analytics can help you learn from events to ensure that your next one goes even better.
If you need advanced reporting capabilities, Eventbrite can be a real lifesaver in this department. Using your Eventbrite dashboard, you can get real-time check-in updates, breakdowns by attendee type and ticket type, and analysis of your venue’s busiest entrances to redirect staff — regardless of whether you’ve opted for QR codes, RFID, or NFC access controls.
Here’s how it works:
4. Budget enough time for staff training
Some event access systems are more complicated than others. The solution you choose will affect the amount of time you’ll need to spend training staff on the technology.
If you’re committed to using a more advanced system for all future events, that training carries through to your next events and is more worthwhile. But if you’re regularly taking on temporary staff for a couple of events at a time, you’re going to spend a lot of time on tech training.
That means less time to get everything else done — and time is money, right?
That’s where it pays to opt for a slick and simple solution — and that’s the beauty of the Eventbrite Organizer App.
It’s fast, easy to use, and intuitive. Your event staff will be able to use it almost immediately, which means you can focus on the jobs that really matter.
Supercharge your event access controls
As an event organizer, your job is to create unique and memorable experiences for your attendees. A huge part of that experience is checking your guests in smoothly and controlling access to different parts of your event space.
That’s where Eventbrite comes in.
As an Eventbrite user, you’ll be able to issue custom QR codes, create VIP access zones, and seamlessly check your guests in using the Eventbrite Organizer App. It can even support advanced RFID technology — which means you can make your access controls as simple or complex as you like.
