Most event tech failures aren't because someone didn't try hard enough on the day. They're because someone didn't run the right checklist 30 days out. This is that checklist.
Cover sheet to use 60 days, 30 days, 7 days, and event day. Print it. Hand it to your tech lead. Don't try to remember any of this in your head.
60 days out: Strategy & sourcing
- Final attendance estimate locked. Tech capacity scales from this number.
- Venue site visit completed. Network paths and power locations identified.
- Registration platform decided (Eventbrite, Cvent, RegFox, custom).
- Credential type decided (paper badges, plastic, RFID wristbands, digital QR).
- Cellular and WiFi coverage tested at venue. Survey results in writing.
- Hardware sourced — scanners, printers, badges, wristbands, radios. Lead times verified.
- Power audit complete. Battery backups planned for critical points.
- Internet provider confirmed. Backup ISP or cellular failover planned.
30 days out: Configuration & testing
- Registration system fully configured. Test order placed end-to-end.
- Badge / wristband design finalized and proofed. Print test batch.
- Check-in app installed on all check-in devices. Test scans complete.
- Parking system configured. Capacity limits set. Pre-paid pass distribution started.
- WiFi network design documented. SSID, IP ranges, VLAN assignments mapped.
- Vendor POS systems contacted for connectivity requirements.
- Two-way radio channel plan finalized. Channels distributed to leads.
- Dispatch coordinator identified. Backup identified. Both trained on system.
- Incident logging system configured. Field collection app installed on devices.
- Run-of-show document distributed to all tech staff.
7 days out: Final verification
- End-to-end test event: register, badge, scan, access controlled zone.
- WiFi network deployed in test mode. Speed tests at every coverage zone.
- All hardware powered, paired, charged, and labeled.
- Backup hardware identified and accessible (extra scanners, batteries, cables).
- On-call escalation path documented. Phone tree distributed.
- Vendor and exhibitor IT requirements collected and prepared.
- Day-of-event runbook printed. Laminated copies at every check-in station.
Event day: Hour-by-hour
- 2 hours before gates: WiFi live. Speed test from 3 zones. Resolve any drop.
- 90 min before: All check-in stations powered. Scanners paired. Badges loaded.
- 60 min before: Parking system live. First 50 attendees pre-staged in queue.
- 30 min before: Dispatch radios verified. Channel check completed.
- Doors open: Tech lead in dispatch position. Floor leads at each zone.
- First hour: Active monitoring. Catch issues before they cascade.
- End of day: Backup all check-in data. Reset systems for day 2 if multi-day.
Common failures and how to prevent them
The check-in line cliff
Single-station check-in flows over 200 attendees/hour break. Plan for parallel stations: 1 station per 75 expected concurrent arrivals. Test it.
WiFi capacity, not coverage
Most failures are AP saturation, not signal strength. Every consumer-grade AP caps around 30 simultaneous clients. For 500 attendees on WiFi, you need 15+ APs minimum.
Vendor POS surprises
Vendors will arrive with POS terminals you've never seen, expecting your network to handle them. Get vendor IT requirements in writing 30 days out. Have a vendor-only VLAN.
Radio channel chaos
If you don't issue a channel plan, every team picks the same channel and nobody can talk. Issue a plan. Print it. Tape it to every radio.
"It worked yesterday"
Networks that worked at the venue walkthrough often fail event day because of: weather, attendee phones jamming the spectrum, generators causing interference, a vendor plugging in a personal hotspot near your AP. Test under load, not just under empty conditions.
About event "security"
This article covers event technology — credentialing, check-in, on-site networks, dispatch coordination. Licensed event security personnel (guards, crowd control, armed response) are a separate, regulated profession. We coordinate with whoever you've hired for that role but don't ourselves provide those services.
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