You are organizing an event in Groningen. Great! But then comes the question that makes many novice organizers pause for a moment: how do you actually ensure that visitors register properly? Because let's be honest, an event without a good registration process can quickly turn into a chaos of random messages, unclear lists, and surprising no-shows.
Fortunately, registering visitors in Groningen is much easier than you might think. Whether you are organizing a small-scale workshop, company drinks, or a large public event, with the right approach, you can get it arranged quickly.
In this blog, we take you step-by-step through everything you need to know about registering visitors for your event in Groningen. We discuss which tools you can use, what to look out for when setting up a registration form, and how to ensure the process runs smoothly for both you and your visitors. After reading this, you will know exactly how to handle this, even if you are doing it for the first time.
Parking or organizing an event? What 'registering visitors Groningen' means
Are you searching for "register visitors Groningen"? Then you are probably one of three very different people typing this in. Because this keyword yields results that have nothing to do with each other.
The three meanings at a glance:
The first is the municipal visitor parking permit. Do you live in a Groningen neighborhood with paid parking? Then you can apply for a visitor parking permit through the municipality for €25 per year, including 150 hours of parking credit. This system works with DigiD and has nothing to do with organizing events.
The second meaning is tourist portals such as Visit Groningen, where you can register an event for free to reach a wider audience.
The third meaning, and this is relevant to you as an organizer, concerns registering visitors for your concert, workshop, church service, or club night. Think of online registration, ticket sales, and access control via QR codes.
This article is written entirely for event organizers in Groningen. We will not further consider the municipal parking permit, which you register for or cancel online via the municipal portal. That is a separate system for residents, not for organizers.
Are you already sure that you are looking for a ticket solution? Then skip directly to step 2.
What does visitor registration for events in Groningen entail?
Visitor registration might sound complicated, but the idea is actually very simple: as an organizer, you know in advance who is coming to your event. You have names, contact details, and a clear picture of how many people will be present per time slot or day. No surprises at the door, no manual counting, and no loose papers.
In Groningen, this type of registration is already fully established, even outside the events world. FC Groningen, for example, requires season ticket holders to register for away matches. That might sound strict, but it clearly shows how normal visitor registration has become, even for regular events.
For workshops, church services, trade fairs, and cultural events, visitor registration is particularly useful in combination with capacity management. You simply don't want more people to show up than the space can handle. A good system automatically stops sales as soon as the maximum is reached, so you don't have to worry about it.
The standard for entry is now the e-ticket with a QR code. Visitors receive their ticket by email and are scanned at the door via an app. This eliminates long queues and stacks of paper lists. Visitor registration systems describe this process as "scan and done."
But what is the difference compared to a standard registration form via Google Forms? A simple form collects data but does nothing else. A complete ticketing platform links that registration directly to payment, capacity limits, and access control, all in one clear system. That saves you, as an organizer, a lot of manual work afterwards.
Step 1: Register your event with Visit Groningen and ZoGroningen
The first step to attracting more visitors to your event in Groningen is signing up with the right promotion platforms. And the good news: it costs you nothing.
Sign up for Visit Groningen: free and wide reach
Visit Groningen is the province's largest tourism portal and reaches over 1.5 million unique visitors annually. You can register your event for free via a simple form. To do so, you need: a name and description of at least 50 words, the date and location, your contact details, and a good photo of at least 1600x1200 pixels without text on it. Make sure you have the image ready in advance, as this will make filling out the form much faster.
The smart thing about registering via Visit Groningen is that your event is then automatically distributed via social media, newsletters, and other regional websites. This way, you reach a local audience without needing an advertising budget.
ZoGroningen and Sport050 as additional channels
ZoGroningen has its own toolbox specifically for regional events in East and South Groningen. Practical: their registration form redirects to the same central Visit Groningen system, so one registration means visibility on multiple platforms simultaneously. Are you organizing an event with a sports component? Then Sport050 is a handy additional channel specifically for the Groningen sports sector.
Practical tip
When registering on Visit Groningen, immediately add the link to your ticket sales page as the website address. This allows interested visitors to click through immediately and buy a ticket. You can read how to create such a page in a few minutes in step 2.
Step 2: Create your own ticket sales page with Kaartjie
Once you have registered your event with Visit Groningen, the next logical step is for people to actually be able to buy tickets. That is exactly where Kaartjie comes in.
Your sales page live in a few minutes
With Kaartjie you can have your own online ticket sales page live within minutes. You don't need any technical knowledge, a web designer, or expensive setup costs. You create an account, enter your event details, set your ticket price and capacity, and your page is ready to share. It really is that simple.
How much does it cost?
You pay no subscription and no monthly fixed costs. Instead, you only pay per ticket sold. For free events, a rate of €0.35 per ticket applies. For paid events, you pay €0.80 per ticket , and that amount includes all iDEAL transaction fees. No hidden costs, no surprises afterwards.
Low threshold for your visitors
A major advantage for your audience: visitors pay directly via iDEAL | Wero and do not need to create an account. That sounds like a detail, but it makes a big difference. The fewer steps someone has to take to buy a ticket, the greater the chance they will actually do so.
Automatic capacity control
You set the number of tickets available yourself. If all tickets are sold, sales close automatically. No overbookings, no manual tracking, and no annoying phone calls afterward.
How does Kaartjie compare to other options?
There are other platforms as well. For instance, GO-tickets has been active since 2011, serves more than 2,500 organizers in the Netherlands and Belgium, and achieves a customer rating of 9.6/10, which is impressive. Aanmelder.nl focuses on broader visitor registration but does not work iDEAL-first. Kaartjie was deliberately designed to be more accessible: no subscription, no hassle, get started immediately.
Step 3: Send e-tickets with QR code and manage access
As soon as someone pays via your Kaartjie sales page, something wonderful happens automatically: the visitor immediately receives an e-ticket with a QR code in their mailbox. You literally don't have to do anything for this. No sending manual emails, no printing and mailing tickets. The system handles this completely independently. Tip: let visitors know that they can check their confirmation email in the spam folder if they don't see it immediately; that will save you a lot of questions on the day itself.
Scan QR codes at the door
On the day of your event, you scan the QR codes via Kaartjie 's access control function. This works on any smartphone you already own, without having to rent extra equipment or separate scanners. You or a volunteer opens the function and is immediately ready to check in visitors. Visitors show their ticket on their phone or as a printed sheet; both work perfectly.
The scan function immediately provides a clear message for each ticket: valid , previously used , or invalid . This effectively prevents fraud and keeps the queue at the door moving smoothly, even at busy events. Verification takes place in a fraction of a second.
Real-time overview in your dashboard
As visitors arrive, the dashboard shows you exactly how many people have already checked in versus the total capacity. This is useful for ushers and volunteers who keep an eye on whether the space is filling up.
Are you organizing a workshop or tour with multiple time slots? Then you set a separate capacity for each time slot. Visitors choose their desired time directly when purchasing their ticket, ensuring that each slot is properly filled without overbooking.
Which events in Groningen use visitor registration?
Visitor registration is not reserved solely for large festivals or professional conference organizers. In Groningen, there are all kinds of small-scale organizations that benefit from it on a daily basis.
Church services and church events
Many church congregations in Groningen want to know in advance how many people will attend, especially for special services such as Christmas or Easter. With an online registration page via Kaartjie , you can easily set a maximum capacity and know exactly who is coming. No more telephone registrations, no more handwritten lists.
Workshops and courses
Imagine: you are a studio owner in Groningen's city center and you are organizing a watercolor course for ten participants. With Kaartjie , you link registration directly to an iDEAL payment. As soon as someone pays, that person is automatically added to your attendance list. You simply open that list on your phone when the participants arrive. It hardly gets more practical than that.
Cultural associations and theater groups
Are you organizing a play or music night at a community center or small venue? Then you don't want to be dependent on an external box office or a large ticket service. With Kaartjie , you have your own live sales page, sell tickets directly via iDEAL | Wero, and manage access yourself with a QR scanner on your phone.
Sports clubs and Sport050 events
For local sports tournaments or open days, an online registration page is much more professional than a WhatsApp group. Participants register, you keep track of capacity, and on the day itself, you scan QR codes at the entrance. Simple and clear.
Small festivals and markets
Organizers of a craft market or neighborhood festival in Groningen can issue free entry tickets via Kaartjie to monitor visitor numbers. This way, you know exactly how many people attended. Also register your event on the Municipality of Groningen events page for extra visibility. At a rate of just €0.35 per free ticket, this is also a financial no-brainer for smaller organizers.
Handy tips for flawless visitor registration
With a few smart habits, you ensure that your visitor registration runs smoothly, from the initial check-in to the final scan at the door.
Set your capacity limit slightly lower than the maximum. Do you have a room that can hold 100 people? Then set a limit of, for example, 90 in Kaartjie You use that buffer for volunteers, speakers, or the sound technician. This way, you will never face unpleasant surprises on the day itself.
Share your sales page link across multiple channels simultaneously. Place the link in your Visit Groningen listing, share it on social media, and include it in your newsletter. Visitgroningen.nl reaches over 1.5 million unique users annually, so a listing there is a logical starting point. Combine this with your own channels for maximum reach.
Use your registration data afterwards as the basis for your mailing list. The people who bought a ticket are already interested in what you are organizing. Do ensure you obtain explicit consent at the time of registration so that you operate in compliance with the GDPR.
Test your QR scan flow in advance. Order a test ticket, scan it with your smartphone, and check if everything is correct. This will take you five minutes at most and prevents stress at the entrance.
Set up multiple check-in points at large events. Grant multiple volunteers access to the scanning function via their own smartphones. This prevents long queues and ensures a calm and orderly influx.
Conclusion: this is how you register visitors for your event in Groningen
Visitor registration for your event in Groningen revolves around two things: visibility and ticket sales. First, you register your event for free on platforms like Visit Groningen to reach a wider audience. Then, you provide a simple way for visitors to register and buy tickets.
Kaartjie is the fastest way to arrange that second part. You don't need any technical knowledge, no subscription, and no startup costs. You create your sales page, share the link, and visitors pay directly via iDEAL | Wero without having to create an account. Every ticket sold automatically generates an e-ticket with a QR code, ready for access control.
The costs are transparent and fair: you pay €0.35 per ticket for free events and €0.80 per ticket for paid events, including all iDEAL transaction fees. No surprises afterwards.
Ready to get started? Register your event with Visit Groningen today for extra visibility, then create your Kaartjie page and paste the sales link directly into your event listing. That way, you'll have everything set up within an hour.
Conclusion
A good registration process is the foundation of every successful event in Groningen. By choosing the right tool, setting up a clear registration form, and informing your visitors in a timely manner, you avoid unnecessary stress and surprises on the day itself.
The most important lessons at a glance:
Choose a tool that suits the scale of your event
Keep the registration form simple and clear.
Communicate clearly to your visitors before, during, and after registration
Actively follow up on your registrations to minimize no-shows.
Now that you know how to handle this, it is time to get started. Begin setting up your registration process today and ensure that your event in Groningen runs smoothly and professionally. Your visitors deserve a flawless experience, and that starts even before they step through the door.