Also calledWalk-up registrationOn-site regDoor registration
Separate the lanes
Pre-registered visitors scanning a QR move through in seconds. Walk-ups need a form, a payment and a print. Mixing them in one queue means the fast majority waits behind the slow minority, which is the most common reason an entrance backs up.
Shorten the form at the door
Whatever you ask at the entrance, someone is typing it while a queue forms. Collect the minimum needed to print a badge and take payment, then ask the profiling questions by email afterwards, when the visitor has time and a keyboard.
Plan for the first ninety minutes
Arrivals at a trade fair are not spread evenly across the day; they cluster hard at opening. Staff and lanes should be sized for the peak hour, not the daily average, and the live queue view is what tells you when to open another lane.