The idea in one sentence
Guests should not simply be registered before they are allowed to experience something – they should experience something. Every data release is rewarded with a concrete new benefit, never forced by a hurdle.
The problem with traditional onboarding
At events, guests stand in front of an exhibit with their smartphone, scan a QR code and land on a registration form. At this moment, the same thing happens in 70-80% of cases: browser closed, move on, visitor lost. The effort seems disproportionate to the still unclear benefit. Classic “all or nothing” onboarding is optimized for the organizer’s database, not for the guest’s customer journey.
The solution: three stages that build on each other
Instead of a wall at the entrance, there are three low thresholds and each threshold is only crossed if the guest receives a specific new benefit in return. What has already been collected is not lost when moving to the next level, but is taken along and enriched.
How it feels in practice
Level 1: “colada Collector”: Collecting without an account. The guest scans a QR code on the exhibit and immediately sees the content. No intermediate page, no login, no cookie banner with revocation marathon. In the background, an anonymous device ID is used to record what the guest has already scanned or redeemed. In return, the exhibitor receives anonymized frequency data (“how often was the exhibit accessed, at what time of day”). The guest receives: a growing, personal collection of exhibitor links, redeemed free drinks and quiz points – all on the device, without ever having logged in.
Level 2: “Interest Builder”: e-mail in exchange for real benefits. At some point, the guest wants something that is not possible without an address: the quiz with a competition, the brochure by e-mail, the reward that should still be valid on the next visit. This is exactly when – and only then – the system asks for e-mail and first name. The guest does not “hand over their data to an exhibitor”, but activates a specific function. Important: The entire collection from step 1 is transferred to the new profile and is therefore not lost.
Level 3: “Verified Customer”: Commitment. Only when the guest wants something really binding, a test drive, a trial session, an order, is the complete, verified profile requested. At this point, the guest is already warmed up: they have scanned the exhibit, redeemed the reward, read the brochure. The hurdle no longer feels like a hurdle, but like the logical next step.
Why it works: The principle behind it
Each stage follows the same logic!
What the exhibitors get out of it
At first glance, the model looks as if exhibitors receive less data. In fact, they receive more usable data because fewer guests are lost at the entrance hurdle. Those who only scan in stage 1 are statistically visible – frequency, length of stay, popular combinations of exhibits. Those who leave an email in stage 2 have done so actively and voluntarily, which significantly improves conversion rates. And anyone who arrives in stage 3 is a pre-qualified lead with a high probability of closing – not a cold contact from an overwhelmed form.
The name is concept “colada Collector”
“colada Collector” for level 1 exactly meets the requirements of event planners: easy, non-compulsory. Collecting is a game, not onboarding. And precisely because it doesn’t feel like an obligation, it works as an introduction to everything else!
The journey starts here: This is the QR code for the first step: “colada Collector”
And so it goes on: Here are 3 QR codes of possible activities from step 2!
