Guide
How to Run QR Check-in at an Exhibition Gate
A practical guide to QR check-in at an exhibition gate: registration, gate setup, walk-ups and what to watch on show day.
By the ExpoLiz team · · 4 min read
A long queue at the entrance is the first thing visitors remember. QR check-in keeps the line moving because each visitor already holds a pass on their phone and the gate team only has to scan it. Here is how to set it up, with examples from NITE 2026, where more than 5,000 visitors came through two gates over three days.
1. Get visitors registered before the day
Share a public registration link across your channels so visitors register online and receive a QR pass on their phone. At NITE, the Northern Chamber of Industries shared one link and every registered visitor got a NITE 2026 pass with a QR code.
2. Scan on ordinary phones
Gate volunteers scanned with their own mobile phones, so they could start in minutes. Visitors showed the QR pass on their phone and were scanned in within seconds. No one was asked to download an app.
3. Plan your gates
NITE used two entrances, each assigned in ExpoLiz so every entry was recorded by gate. Decide before the day how many lanes each gate needs and who is on each.
4. Keep a separate flow for walk-ups
Not everyone registers in advance. At NITE a ticket counter issued QR tickets to walk-ups, and they were scanned at the gate like everyone else. Put the counter before the scan point so walk-ups join the same line.
5. Brief the gate team
Give each volunteer one job: scan, help, or direct. Do a short test scan before doors open.
6. Watch the numbers during the day
Every scan lands in one place, so organisers can see attendance build through the day instead of waiting for a count at closing. See how NITE read this data in the case study.