Here's the scenario - Your team is running a large event in a new location, and 400 people have registered to attend. An hour into the event, you realize that 150 more guests than expected have arrived, and you simply don’t have room for everyone who showed up. What do you do?

The answer (both to prevent this problem and solve it if it occurs) is capacity management. Capacity management involves monitoring and managing the number of people inside your event space to maintain safety, accessibility, and logistical requirements. It’s a crucial task not only for compliance, but also to provide guests with a positive event experience.

However, capacity management can be challenging, especially for large conferences and in-person events that have historically been virtual or hybrid. To help you prepare to manage crowds and stay up to code at your next major event, we’ve compiled some of the best insider tips for effective capacity management. Let’s dive in!

1. Evaluate your venue space early

As soon as you choose a venue for your in-person event (or even before you decide, if possible), take time to evaluate the space’s capacity and any potential safety hazards. To do so, take the following steps:

1. Contact the owner of the venue to ask about the building’s safety regulations and fire codes, as well as the maximum capacity of the spaces you’ll be using. If your company or organization owns the building, brush up on its regulations.
2. Conduct a personal walkthrough, noting any areas or rooms that are especially small or difficult to navigate. Consider the equipment and furnishings you’ll need for the event and how that will impact the venue’s capacity.
3. Determine the maximum number of people who can safely attend your event at one point in time.

Then, go beyond regulations and think more deeply about the guest experience. How many people can this space comfortably contain? Will it be crowded? Will it be easy for guests to navigate, including those with disabilities? Based on these answers, adjust your event’s maximum number of attendees for the ideal guest experience. 

Even if you’ve used this venue for events in the past, don’t skip this step. Refresh your memory on the space’s regulations and complete a new walkthrough to check if anything about the venue has changed since your last event. Additionally, speak with past event staff and attendees about any capacity challenges the venue posed in the past and how they addressed them.

2. Invest in event management software

Event apps and platforms aren’t just for virtual events—the right tools can also boost efficiency, improve capacity management, and customize the guest experience for in-person events. For instance, certain software solutions enable you to:

• Streamline registration. With custom online registration forms, you can easily limit the number of maximum attendees and get accurate guest headcounts prior to the event. Plus, control capacity by setting maximum sizes for group registrations.
• Easily manage guest check-in. Allow guests to check in online or by scanning a mobile ticket to reduce crowded check-in lines and get accurate numbers of guests as they arrive. Then, use check-in data from your app to update headcounts in case group registrations weren’t accurate or some people couldn’t attend.
• Communicate with guests and team members instantly. Make capacity-related announcements and alert guests of changes immediately via text message or push notifications.

To choose the best software for your event, take time to evaluate your event’s needs first. Then, research several platforms that meet those needs before choosing a few providers to schedule demos with. Come to these meetings prepared with questions about pricing, features, and customization options to help you make your decision.

Ultimately, the right event management tools will help you manage event capacity and engage attendees by providing them with a streamlined, one-of-a-kind event experience.

3. Use timed-entry tickets

Event organizers can learn a lot from admissions-based organizations that deal with capacity management as part of their day-to-day operations. For instance, many museums use museum management software with timed-entry ticketing systems to help them space out visitors and confidently manage numbers throughout the day. 

Here is how timed-entry tickets work to streamline capacity management and make events safer for guests:

• Instead of purchasing a generic admissions ticket, guests choose a time or time frame to arrive for the event when they register.
• Organizers limit the number of guests who can arrive during each time frame to stagger attendance and manage guest capacity.
• Using the designated timeframes, organizers can easily check who is inside the building at any given time to monitor capacity levels.

Timed-entry tickets can also make your event more inclusive by cutting down the size of crowds, making it easier for those with physical disabilities or sensory needs to participate in and enjoy your event. While this method may not work for all events, it can help you reduce crowding for large, multi-day events like conferences.

4. Train your event staff to monitor and manage crowds

Whether your event team is made up of experienced staff or first-time volunteers, it’s important to train them on capacity management best practices and remind them why it’s essential for a successful event. 

Provide basic training for all team members about how to monitor crowds and deal with them should they get too large. Create contingency plans and protocols for what event staff should do if you exceed venue capacity or guests react negatively to capacity restrictions. For example, you might ask staff members to immediately alert a certain person about the problem and temporarily stop admitting guests until the issue is resolved.

Additionally, consider designating a few team members to lead your capacity management efforts and keep a close eye on capacity levels throughout the event space. Ideally, these staff members should be well-versed in event management and your venue’s capacity requirements.

Proactive capacity management isn’t just about ensuring the safety of your guests and event staff. It’s also about creating an environment where attendees can comfortably enjoy and get the most out of your events, prompting them to spread the word and attend your events again and again. By following these tips, you’ll be able to keep your in-person guests safe, comfortable, and engaged.