Imagine 200 people arriving at once at three accreditation desks, with one person at each desk and an average registration time of 45 seconds.
Do the maths. 200 people ÷ 3 desks = 67 people per desk. At 45 seconds each, the last to arrive waits 50 minutes in the queue.
That is 50 minutes on their feet before the event has even started, and a first impression ruined.
Technology is not enough
You can have the best accreditation software on the market and still have a queue if there are not enough registration points, if people do not know which desk to go to or if someone with a problem blocks a desk for 3 minutes.
Access control is, above all, a question of flow.
Tools help, but what decides whether it works is how you organise the space, how many people you put on it and what happens when something goes wrong.
How to calculate the staff you need
Most organisers work it out like this: "there are 300 of us, so 3–4 people on accreditation will do". Then they are surprised when a queue forms.
The right way is to work backwards, starting from the arrival peak:
How many people arrive in the first half hour? At most events, between 50% and 70% of attendees arrive in the first 30–40 minutes.
How long does each registration take? It depends on the system. With a QR code and a fast scanner, 10–20 seconds. With a list search and handing out materials, 40–60 seconds. With a badge that has to be printed on the spot, 90 seconds or more.
Do the division. If you expect 200 people in 30 minutes and each registration takes 45 seconds, you need to process 200 × 45 = 9,000 seconds of work in 1,800 real seconds. That means 5 registration points working non-stop.
Add a margin. Add an extra 20–30% for breaks, incidents and people who take longer than expected.
In the example, 5 points + 30% = 6–7 people on accreditation during the peak.
The three systems and when to use each
Paper list or tablet with manual search
When: small events (fewer than 80 people) where you do not want to complicate things with technology or where the internet connection is unreliable.
Time per registration: 40–60 seconds.
Risk: transcription errors, slowness if the list is long and difficulty updating it in real time.
Individual QR code with a scanner
When: medium-sized and large events where you can send attendees their ticket in advance.
Time per registration: 10–20 seconds.
Risk: you depend on attendees bringing the QR code (printed or on their phone). There is always 5–10% who do not bring it or cannot find it.
Advance accreditation (collected the day before or sent by post)
When: multi-day congresses and events where attendees are travelling in and have time to collect their badge beforehand.
Time per registration on the day: almost zero. You simply check that they are wearing their badge.
Risk: more complex logistics beforehand and postage costs if you send it by post.
For large events, the ideal is to combine QR codes as the main system with 1–2 dedicated points for incidents (people without a QR code, last-minute changes, technical problems).
The incident desk
At every event there is a percentage of people with problems:
- They are not on the list (but swear they registered)
- They changed their email address and the QR code went to the old one
- They are accompanying someone who is registered
- They are press, VIPs or speakers and should not join the normal queue
- They have a special badge that nobody knows how to handle
If these cases are dealt with in the normal queue, they block the flow. A 3-minute incident means 4–6 people who are not moving.
The solution is an incident desk physically separate from the main flow, staffed by someone with access to the full system and the authority to make decisions.
At events with more than 150 people, this desk is essential.
Signage, obvious but forgotten
People arriving at an event do not know where to go, even if you have sent them an email with instructions or they came last year.
What works:
- A sign visible from the entrance showing where accreditation is
- Clearly separated queues if there are several (by surname, by ticket type, incidents)
- Staff within the flow, not just at the desks, who spot anyone who looks lost and point them in the right direction before they ask
What does not work:
- A4 sheets stuck up with tape
- Signs at eye level when there are 50 people in front blocking them
- Assuming people will read anything
The most expensive mistake
Opening accreditation at 8:55 when the event starts at 9:00.
If you do that, you will have a queue, whatever system you use and however many people you put on it.
Open at least 30 minutes before the actual start and, if you can, 45–60 minutes before. That way, early arrivals get in without waiting and those who arrive just in time find the flow already moving.
It costs nothing. It only requires you and your team to be ready earlier.
Quick checklist
Before your next event, go through these questions:
- Have I calculated the arrival peak and do I have enough staff to absorb it?
- Is there an incident point separate from the main flow?
- Can the signage be seen from the entrance, even with people in front of it?
- Do I open accreditation at least 30 minutes ahead?
- Do I have a plan B if the main system fails (a back-up list, a phone with data)?
If any answer is no, fix it before the event, not once it has already started.
We have managed access at congresses of 400 people at the Palacio de Congresos de Santiago, at corporate days at IFEVI and at institutional events in Vigo. If you have an event in Galicia and want to make sure the entrance does not become a bottleneck, we can take care of it.
