Open online registrations for an event

How do you open registrations for an event?

You create the event in your account: title, date, venue, capacity, programme. The registration page is published with the event, at an address you share however you like: email, social media, your association's website.

Each registrant fills in a short form and receives a confirmation at once. There is nothing for you to key in by hand.

Can the flyer match your own colours?

The event's flyer, with its title, photo and colours, goes with the invitation; you choose it from a gallery of templates by occasion and edit it in the editor. There is no advertising on your guests' page.

What happens when there are no places left?

The capacity entered at creation closes confirmed registrations. Later registrants go on a waiting list and are told so; you decide whether to call someone back if a place frees up. That is less tiring than answering dozens of messages one by one.

How are confirmations sent?

A confirmation goes out with each registration, without you doing anything. The day before, a reminder gives the address and a link to add the date to a calendar. After the event, each group receives its message: those who came on one side, those who did not on the other.

How do you get the check-in list for the door?

On the night the list opens on a phone. One person ticks off arrivals and you get the real number of attendees, with no paper or spreadsheet. Check-in has a guide of its own.

How is this different from ticketing?

A ticketing tool sells places to the public: it takes payment, issues tickets and sometimes manages a seating plan. Carton Blanc takes no payment. It suits a free event, an event by invitation, or one where payment happens elsewhere. If you must sell places, our comparison page names tools built for it.

What mailing calendar should you plan around the event?

When you create the event, Carton Blanc prepares five draft emails dated relative to it: the announcement at D−42 with the flyer and link, the detailed invitation at D−28, the reminder at D−14 sent only to guests who have not registered, the day-before reminder, then the after-event message two days later. You read each one, change the text or the date, and nothing goes out without your approval.

For an event open to the public you can shorten this: an announcement four weeks ahead and a reminder the day before are often enough.

What mistakes should you avoid when opening registrations?

Mistakes nearly always come from what was not written down. A registration with no deadline drags on, a capacity left blank lets the page confirm beyond the room, and a link shared without a description does not tell people who the event is for.

• Leaving the capacity blank: the page confirms everyone, including beyond the room.
• Not putting a registration deadline in the announcement.
• Putting the address only in the flyer image, where it cannot be copied.
• Forgetting the day-before reminder, which does the most to reduce no-shows.

Which events is this page for?

Events where you know or choose your audience: a members' meeting, a talk open by registration, an open day, an association evening, a workshop. It does not suit an event that must sell places to the public; for that, see our comparison page.

When should registrations close?

Close them when the room is full or when the venue needs a final number, whichever comes first. Once capacity is reached the page stops confirming by itself; if you want to close earlier, lower the capacity to the number already registered. Late arrivals then go on the waiting list and are told so.

Frequently asked questions

Can you open registrations for a free event?

Yes, it is the most common use: a talk, a members' meeting, an afterwork. Registrations are capped by the capacity you enter.

Do registrants need an account?

No, a form and an email confirmation are enough.

How many people can you register?

Up to 1,000 per event, registrations included. Beyond that, write to us.

Can registrants unsubscribe?

Every email carries an unsubscribe link, and anyone who unsubscribes receives nothing more from the organiser.