Check-in is the moment an attendee physically arrives and you record their arrival. Happenee handles this in two ways — manually in the Check-in tool (a web tool in the admin) or by scanning a QR code in the Service app on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Every attendee carries the QR code in the confirmation e-mail, in the PDF ticket, and in the QR ticket module of the attendee app. Scanning takes under one second, can trigger badge printing, and lets you track who is on site in real time.
Decide how many scanning points you will run (one entrance, several entrances, coat check, workshop room, shuttle bus) and what behavior each point needs — see the place types below.
Decide which groups you want shown during scanning (VIP, Speaker, ticket-based group) and configure them in advance in the check-in setup.
Order hostess accounts through customer success if anyone other than the admin will scan on site — this is not self-service.
Download the Service app for iOS or Android onto every phone or tablet your hostess team will use, and test sign-in under your account.
Prepare the Check-in web tool in parallel — that is where you will handle attendees who arrive without a QR code.
Service app (iOS / Android) — the mobile tool for hostesses at the entrance. It scans the QR code from the confirmation e-mail, from the PDF ticket, or from the QR ticket engagement feature in the attendee app. It pairs over Bluetooth with a badge printer (see Printing badges). Sign-in works under an admin account. For hostess accounts (separate sign-in for on-site staff), contact customer success — this option is enabled manually and is not in self-service.
Check-in (web tool in the admin) — open it from the left menu of the event. You use it for manual check-in and for handling attendees who do not have a QR code (see below).
A single check-in point is rarely enough. At larger events you typically scan QR codes in several places — venue entrance, coat check, catering, workshop access. In the Service app you create a place and assign it a type that matches the behavior you need. There are four types:
Check-in — the standard entrance flow. After scanning, the attendee is marked as Checked-in in the Check-in tool. If the same QR code is scanned again, the app warns that the attendee has already arrived. Typical use: the main venue entrance.
Check-out — used when leaving the venue or a specific part of the event. The status switches to Left, but the original arrival record stays. The attendee can be checked in again later through a Check-in place. Typical use: leaving the evening party, ending a program block.
One-time check — a single-use access verification. After scanning, the result is recorded and any further scan triggers a warning that the check has already happened. Typical use: voucher pickup, gift handover, one-time coat-check verification.
Recurring check — repeated scanning with no limit. Useful where you need to log arrival more than once. Typical use: zone access, shuttle-bus boarding, attendance tracking.
You can combine all four types at the same event. The hostess picks which place they are stationed at in the Service app and switches as the situation requires.
In the check-in setup you pick the groups you want shown when a code is scanned (for example VIP, Speaker, Standard). When a hostess scans a QR code, the Service app shows the attendee's group membership under the name. This makes it easy to spot who needs special handling (escort a VIP to the lounge, point a speaker toward backstage).
Groups are populated manually (assignment in Contacts and groups, on import) or automatically — by ticket assignment, by the answer to a Registration form question, by workshop or time-slot registration, or by a discount code. Details in Working with groups and visibility.
A direct check-in for a specific workshop or a specific time slot is not yet a feature in Happenee. You handle it through groups: an attendee registered for a workshop is automatically in that workshop's group, you set the group to be displayed in the Service app, you set the workshop door as a Recurring check place, and the hostess sees from the group color or name whether the attendee is allowed in. A direct workshop check-in with its own attendee list is in preparation.
A more advanced variant — the attendee scans the QR code themselves at a self-service kiosk. After a successful read, a badge is printed automatically. This fits events where you want to shorten the line at the hostess desk. It needs a reliable printer and a clear short instruction at the kiosk.
There will always be a group of people who do not have the QR code at hand — they deleted the e-mail, did not install the app, or registered just now. For them, set up a second station with a laptop and the Check-in tool open next to the queue. There you can:
Search for the attendee by name or e-mail.
Open the profile to see the status, the QR code, and any organizer note.
Resend the confirmation e-mail with the QR code.
Generate a one-time password for sign-in to the attendee app.
Mark the arrival manually (without a scan).
Quickly add a new attendee — only first and last name are required; you can then scan the new attendee and print a badge.
Add a note that the Service app will show on the next scan (dietary restriction, VIP status, gift-handover note).
Good practice: on the morning of the event, send a reminder e-mail with the QR code (an E-mail campaign with the PDF ticket attached) so the QR sits at the top of every attendee's inbox. This shortens the queue at the Check-in tool.
This option is currently available only in the Check-in web tool — the hostess searches for the attendee by name and marks them as Checked-in manually. The mobile attendee-side flow does not support name-based check-in yet — the Service app scans QR codes, not names.
From the check-in setup you can export the full list of scans (who, when, at which place) and per-attendee statistics (who arrived, who did not, repeat scans). This is useful for post-event reporting and for monitoring how the on-site flow is running.
Hostess accounts are turned on by customer success — it is not self-service. Arrange them with lead time, at least a week ahead. As a fallback, the hostess can sign in under an admin account, but you lose a separate audit trail.
Use the right place type for each location. Main entrance = Check-in. A repeated zone (bathroom, catering) = Recurring check. A single-use handover = One-time check.
You have to pick the groups in advance in the check-in setup (the section Show groups during scanning). Without that selection nothing is displayed.
This is handled through groups today (the attendee belongs to the workshop's group, the hostess sees the membership). A direct workshop check-in is in preparation.
That flow is not in the mobile app yet — name search lives only in the Check-in web tool. Either keep a laptop with the Check-in tool open next to the no-QR queue, or have the hostess add the attendee manually in the Check-in tool and then scan them.
Keep a backup printer and a backup roll of badges. See Printing badges — the most common cause is the wrong badge size set in the printer.
