The RFID feature allows you to scan an attendee's badge to check them in to the event, sessions, and mark them as entered or exited the venue. It can also be used by exhibitors to capture leads by scanning the attendee badge. Attendees can also scan each other's badges to exchange information and connect.
How Does it Work?
When attendees arrive at the venue, they will check in and the badge will be printed. Next, team members will program the RFID of the printed badge to assign the RFID number to the attendee through the admin app so when their badge is scanned, the system will recognize that the badge belongs to that attendee.
If you're monitoring the entry and exit of attendees from the venue, team members can scan the badge to mark them as entered or exited through the admin app. Team members can also scan the badge to check them in to sessions through the admin app.
Exhibitors can also scan the badge through the attendee app to add attendees as leads.
Attendees can also scan each other's badges to pull up the other attendee's profile to start connecting with them through the attendee app.
Required Hardware and Applications
This feature will only work with the mentioned hardware below. These devices are available for rent through our hardware partner Choose 2 Rent, where most of our clients rent onsite equipment.
Hardware:
iPad - for RFID programming and badge printing
iPhone - for entry/exit tracking, session check in, exhibitor lead capture, peer to peer scanning
Windows PC - for PrintNode
Zebra ZC10L ID Card Printer - for printing the badge
NTAG-Embedded Badge Stock - this is the badge
Socket Mobile S370 portable scanner - for RFID programming
Applications:
Accelevents Admin App installed on your iPad
Socket Mobile Companion installed on your iPad
Accelevents Admin App and Attendee App installed on your iPhone
PrintNode installed on your Windows PC
Part 1: Setup Your Printer to Print Through the iPad
Since RFID scanning only works with ZC10L printers (which are color printers), you’ll need to install PrintNode on a Windows PC. This is because the iPad’s admin app can only print in color through PrintNode, and ZC10L printers are only compatible with Windows, not Mac. Follow the steps in the article below on how to get these applications and hardware connected.
After successfully printing a badge, you can start setting up the RFID scanner.
Part 2: Enable and Connect the RFID Scanner
1. Enable RFID Badge Scanning
Go to your event admin console's Settings > General Settings
Enable RFID Badge Scanning
2. Install Apps to the iPad
Install the Accelevents Admin App to the iPad
Install the Socket Mobile Companion to the iPad
3. Open the RFID Settings in the Accelevents Admin App
Open the Accelevents Admin App and log in
Click the Gear Icon or Burger menu to go to Settings
Select RFID
Make sure you don't exit this page when you move to the next app
4. Connect the Socket Mobile Device to the Socket Mobile Companion App
Make sure your iPad bluetooth is turned on
Make sure your Socket Mobile Device is turned on
Open the Socket Mobile Companion app in the iPad
Click Add a Reader
Select Countertop Reader
Select Socket S370 ROP
Click Done when the setup is complete
You'll know it's connected when you see "Disconnected" change to "App Mode"
Connected | Disconnected |
 |  |
5. Check if the Socket Mobile Device is Connected through the RFID Settings in the Admin App
You will know that it's connected when the status says "Successfully opened Socket S370 ROP"
If it's disconnected, status will be "Device Socket S370 ROP disconnected"
As long as the admin app is not closed, the connection should stay active.
Connected | Disconnected |
 |  |
Part 3: Program the Printed Badge (assign an RFID number to the attendee)
In Part 1, we already did a test print for an attendee. Now to assign an RFID number to the attendee, you'll need to program the badge so that when the attendee presents their badge to staff, the system will recognize that this badge belongs to this attendee and then they can be checked in to sessions, present their badge to exhibitors and have other attendees scan their badge and it will pull up their information in the attendee app.
Go to the Accelevents Admin App's Check In Page
Click the attendee that already has a printed badge
Click Program Badge
Place the attendee's badge to the Socket Mobile Device. You will know that the badge is programmed when you see icon turn green beside RFID Activated.
That's it! The badge can now be scanned in the event. To properly scan a badge, the badge must be placed at the top part of the phone (just like how you would do with ApplePay). In the next parts you'll learn when the badge can be scanned at the event.
Part 4: Scan the Badge to Check In
Normally the badge is printed and programmed upon check in so you may not need to do this anymore. However for events where the badge is pre-printed and pre-programmed then sent to attendees in advance, attendees can present their badge to team members for RFID scanning through the mobile attendee app.
Part 5: Scan the Badge to Enter / Exit the Venue
If you're tracking the movement of your attendees in your event, you can enable the Entry/Exit Feature. While this works with QR code scanning, it can also work if you have RFID badges. If RFID is enabled for your event, the page to scan for entry or exit will have the option for RFID scanning.
Part 6: Scan the Badge to Check In to Sessions
If attendees have an RFID badge, team members can scan their badge through through the mobile admin app to check them in to sessions.
Part 7: Scan the Badge for Lead Capture
When RFID Scanning is enabled, exhibitors can scan the badge from the attendee app to see the attendee's basic personal information and add them as a lead.
Part 8: Scan the Badge to Connect with Other Attendees
With RFID enabled, attendees can scan each other's badges to pull up the other attendees' profile to connect with them through the attendee app.
