The EQRC notebook / Events
Plan your event QR codes around three attendee moments
One event can involve several very different scans. Someone considering a ticket needs different information from someone standing outside the venue. Plan those moments before generating the codes.
Before the event: help someone decide
An invitation should open the essentials: what the event is, when it takes place, where it is, and how to register. Put that information above background material. If registration happens on another service, name the link clearly so the transition is expected.
Use an Event page when you want to manage the introduction and details in one place. If your event website already does that well, a dynamic website QR can take people directly to it. You do not need a second page just because the print uses a QR code.
On arrival: remove the next uncertainty
At a venue, speed and clarity matter more than promotion. A welcome sign can open current details or a short list of useful links. Check whether a room map, accessibility information or the latest schedule is the first thing someone needs.
Keep essential directions in print too. A guest with a flat battery or unreliable reception should still be able to find the entrance. Position the code away from the busiest bottleneck so scanning does not hold up the queue.
Afterward: make the follow-up specific
A code on a closing slide or handout can lead to session resources or a feedback form. Name the action beside the code and keep it focused. Asking for feedback, newsletter sign-up and a purchase all at once can make the next step unclear.
Decide how long materials need to remain available. If you change the destination to recordings, label the page as a post-event resource. Do not recycle the old event code for a new event without explaining the change to people holding the original invitation.
Write a small handoff brief
Keep a short record for every placement so the print supplier, event team and content owner are working from the same plan.
- Placement: where will the person see this code?
- Promise: what does the label say they will get?
- Destination: which exact page or resource opens?
- Owner: who can approve and publish a last-minute change?
- Retirement: what should happen after the event closes?
Rehearse the journey, then interpret results carefully
Scan the printed invitation, entrance sign and program before doors open. Check the time, address and external registration flow on a phone that is not signed into the organizer’s accounts. Repeat the check after any important update.
A scan is not a ticket validation or proof of attendance. Editable QR Code shares information and links; use your ticketing system for registration and check-in. Compare scans with that system’s outcomes only when you understand how the two measurements were collected.