How Paper Guest Lists are Killing Your Event

I’m here to tell you something ladies and gentlemen; the age of the paper guest list is over. Don’t believe me? Then check out some scenarios illustrating the pitfalls of using paper.

It is the dawning of a new age, where guest lists now exist on a cloud that you can access on your tablet or mobile device. If some of these scenarios hit too close to home, don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there…

Scene One

It’s go time at your event. The doors open, and all of a sudden your check-in table is flooded. You’ve got two people checking everyone in and quickly your staff is overwhelmed. Check in staff has to flip through pages and pages of names. You’re guests are getting impatient. Eye rolls are starting to happen en masse. Paper just killed your event.No one likes to wait. It can seem nice to have a bit of line at your event, to make it seem like your event is the one everyone is dying to get into, but at the end of the day most attendees just want to get in and enjoy themselves. So let them.

Scene Two

You’ve just had a last minute addition to your guest list. Things are hectic and you’re running around trying to make sure things are running smoothly. You call over a check-in staffer, let her know about Lilly Last Minute, and tell her to put Lilly on the list. Voila! Problem solved, right? Wrong. Your staffer forgets to inform her check-in partner of Lilly Last Minute’s attendance, and of course Ms. Last Minute finds her way to the list without her name on it. Entrance denied. Murphy’s Law at its finest. Lilly Last Minute is annoyed and you look bad. Paper just killed your event.Having multiple guest lists floating around is like asking for trouble. As every event planner knows there are always last minute additions to the guest list, but as paper can’t magically update itself, someone has to physically make the changes and inform everyone about the change, and this long drawn out process leads to a higher chance of human error. Save yourself the trouble by storing your guest list on a cloud where it can be updated in real time across all platforms.

Scene Three

You’ve got a high profile wedding. There are big celebrity names of the guest-list. People are dying to get in. This is unfortunately going to attract the dreaded gatecrasher. He fakes a name, and since your staffer doesn’t have guest pictures in front of them and doesn’t ask for identification, this rando ends up in the wedding photos. Paper just killed your event.If they’d had an online guest list management system with picture optionality things might’ve been different. I think it’s safe to say we all remember the couple that managed to crash the Obama state dinner. The point is even the Secret Service mess up and don’t follow procedure. Keeping your guest lists online and containing a matching guest photo will make sure all those pesky PNGs (persona non grata) have a harder time sneaking in.Don’t let your event turn into a scene from Wedding Crashers. Keep your guests safe and your lists secure.In this time of never ending technological innovation, it is important to stay ahead to the curve especially in the event industry. Don’t be afraid to use technology to your advantage.Online guestlist management apps like zkipster, evolved from event planners like you wanting to make their lives easier. So go ahead, toss out those outdated paper guest lists! Free yourself and your guests from the hassle and awkwardness of long lines, missing names, and party crashers.I promise, your guests will thank you.