We get a lot of questions about the logistics of managing our event badge-printing kiosks. How do you work out the number of kiosks needed? Can you squeeze big kiosks into small event venues? And, is it possible to transport kiosks all the way from Dorset to Glasgow, or Sydney to Perth – without needing a whole fleet of trucks?
To answer all your burning kiosk questions, we’re going to take you behind the scenes to see how our super smart badge-printing kiosks make their way from CrowdComms’ HQ to your event…and back again.
Making Plans
It will come as no surprise to any event organiser that successful badge-printing kiosk deployment requires a plan!
To work out how many kiosks an event needs, we’ll need to do a little maths. The CrowdComms team sit down with event organisers and talk about anticipated attendee numbers. We find out when those attendees are likely to arrive and how. Will attendees enter the event venue at the same time, or will they arrive in stages? Is the event reception area large and open, or are there potential ‘bottle-necks’ where attendees will need to queue?
Once we have this data, we can work out how many kiosks are needed to process the anticipated number of attendees quickly and efficiently. At this point, we’ll also establish if kiosk data needs to transfer seamlessly to an event app or check-in platform.
Oh, and for those of you who were wondering how we fit big kiosks into small venues, well, that’s when we call on our small but mighty mini kiosks. The mini does the same great job as its big sibling, but its compact size is perfect for limited spaces and tabletop processing.
Getting Dressed
Before our kiosks can leave CrowdComms HQ, they need to look like your kiosks. The badge-printing kiosks are often the first point of interaction for your attendees on event day – so they need to look the part.
CrowdComms badge-printing kiosks have multiple points where we add branded decals to the external panels. The touch screens also carry custom images to reflect event branding, sponsor logos and any other key images.
Our in-house graphic designers work with event organisers to make sure every aesthetic detail is perfect, from font size to brand colour palette.
On the Road
At this point, our kiosks are simply itching to get out onsite and deliver a great start to your event attendees.
But, before we can pack up and ship out, we need to make sure each kiosk is fit for service. Before despatch, we put every kiosk through its paces to make sure it’s ready to work. Once testing is complete, the team complete a checklist to ensure they have all the necessary accessories, such as power cables and support tablets.
Kiosks are then zipped into their snug and protective jackets and flight cases before being carefully loaded onto CrowdComms’ vans for transport to your event venue.
This is probably a good time to explain that we organise whatever transport is required to get kiosks safely to event venues around the country – even if that means a whole fleet of these 
or even this
.
Onsite
Did you know that CrowdComms’ kiosks are always accompanied by responsible adults when out onsite? Our (human) event badge-printing kiosk team is an important part of the overall package!
On arrival, the team carefully unload the kiosks and position them in accordance with the agreed plans and venue map. The full set-up includes re-testing each kiosk, setting up lanyard trees and any signage, and establishing a help desk for manual processing (especially useful for attendees who turn up on the day). Plus, we check that data files are clean and ready to use, and make sure the general reception area is tidy and ordered.
Our team is a handy extension of your event crew, so if you need help guiding people to the right area, reminding them to have QR codes ready to scan, and generally providing a warm and friendly welcome to attendees – we’re right with you.
Bumping-Out*
When the very last attendee has entered the venue, the kiosk team wait for the event organisers’ OK to start the bump-out.
The pack-down is pretty much the same process as the set-up but in reverse. Our onsite crew remove any physical add-ons (such as printing trays) before giving the kiosks a final clean and packing them up ready for transit.
We know that the bump-out has to be fast and efficient, especially if another event is about to bump-in. The CC kiosks team is highly experienced at clearing the event site in a short space of time, leaving the space exactly as they found it.
* For our non-Aussie readers, ‘bump out’ is the delightful term Australians call the pack-down phase of events.
Ready for Bed
Once back at CrowdComms HQ, the kiosks are unloaded and checked to make sure they arrived home safely.
Stored in protective jackets and flight cases, the kiosks can take a well-earned snooze until their next event.
In Summary
Making sure your event attendees have a great badge-printing experience requires a bit of planning and a lot of teamwork.
We take care of every detail, from transportation to bump-out, which means a hassle-free experience for you and a super smooth event start for your attendees.
