What to Know Before Closing Event Registration

Unlike event registration via fax and mail, online registration can be closed at a specific time and date. While you can stop processing fax and mail registrations at a certain time and date or when a maximum number is reached, you are still left with the task of contacting those people whose registrations come in after the deadline.

When you are using an online event registration system, you get to choose the time and date the registration form will close and when it’s closed, it is really closed. Of course, the event planner has the ability to extend or shorten the close date depending on response and the option of entering more registrations using the administrative features in the back end if exceptions are made.

Closing registration is easy to do, but here are a few details to consider before you make any final decisions.

1. When to close the form.

Selecting a time and date to close the form will depend on the nature of your event. If you need to provide numbers to caterers or other event suppliers and give them enough time to finalize their services you may need to close the registration form a couple of days in advance.

If you don’t plan to close the registration form before the event, be sure to have a computer and an internet connection at the event site so you can check the database for last minute registrations that come in between the last time you check and the time you arrive at the event.

You may also want to consider how long it will take for you to print nametags, plan rooms depending on workshop sizes, and how far away event participants are coming from to help determine a good closing time and date.

2. Create a sense of urgency

Depending on the type of event you are planning, you could be looking at event registrations more from a sales perspective. If you have a registration deadline it will help to get people motivated to make a decision about attending. Not having a deadline may seem like a friendly thing to do, but human nature says people will wait to the last minute to commit. If there is no last minute given, maybe a decision to attend can be delayed until something else comes up.

Another aspect to creating a sense of urgency is to make the registration deadline very clear. This date should appear on the registration form and on your website and/or event promotional materials.

Creating an incentive to register early is a good idea too, see previous article about this.

3. Information to include on your closed page.

After your registration form closes, if someone tries to access it, a closed page should appear. Here are several items that you may want to include on your close page:

• a message saying thank you for your interest but that registration is closed. It may also be helpful to state the deadline.
• a contact name and phone number in case people have questions.
• a notice if onsite registrations will be accepted.
• how to join a waiting list if applicable.
• the time, date and location of the event.
• other information that appeared on the registration form that may be helpful for event participants such as hotel details or links to other pages. This information should also be included in the confirmation email, but sometimes people may just try to go to the registration form to find it again.
• a notice promoting the next event.
• a link back to the main event website.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments about this article.


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