How to cut entry queues to under two minutes at a 20,000-visitor expo
Where queues really come from on opening morning, and the gate plan that keeps them moving.
Long entry queues are rarely about slow staff. They come from too few check-in points at the busiest hour, badges that print one at a time, and visitors who arrive without their QR code ready.
Plan for the first two hours
Most visitors arrive soon after the doors open. Size your gates for that peak, not for the daily average, and move staff to other jobs once it passes.
- < 2 minaverage wait at peak
- 8 secfrom scan to printed badge
- 24check-in points at the main gate
Spread the load across many points
Self check-in kiosks let one staff member look after several lanes. Keep two staffed desks for walk-ins, VIPs and anyone who needs help.
Get the QR code ready before the gate
- Send the QR code by email the day before, and again on the morning of the show.
- Put signs in the queue reminding visitors to open their code.
- Let visitors without a code find their registration by name or phone number at a kiosk.
“On opening morning we had 6,000 people through the doors before 11am, and nobody waited more than two minutes.”
Watch the gates live
Every scan shows up in the dashboard as it happens. When one gate gets busy, move a staff member or open another lane before the queue builds.
