How StartupTN turned a 1,500-person event check-in into a one-person workflow with Zoho Backstage
- INDUSTRY Government & Startup Ecosystem
- EVENT TYPE In-person
The organization
StartupTN is the Tamil Nadu government's nodal agency for startups and innovation. Operating under the state's MSME Department, it works to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting founders, investors, incubators, mentors, and aspiring entrepreneurs across Tamil Nadu.
Events play a central role in this mission. By bringing together stakeholders from across the startup ecosystem, StartupTN creates opportunities for collaboration, networking, investment, and innovation.
For large gatherings, however, the attendee experience begins long before the first session starts. The speed and accuracy of registration and check-in often set the tone of the entire event.
The challenge
StartupTN was preparing for its two-day flagship event in Chennai. The scale was significant: approximately 1,500 attendees, 30 speakers, and 200 exhibitors. A substantial number of attendees were expected to register on-site, and the team needed a reliable way to ensure that only genuine, registered participants entered the venue.
Nikunj Panchal, then Project Lead at StartupTN, wanted more than a registration database. He needed real-time visibility into attendee arrivals and a faster way to manage check-ins at the entrance.
"I was exploring various tools for event management where I could do the live check-in and have control over what's happening."
The team initially considered using a Google Form to collect registrations and manually generate passes afterward.
"I left it to the Google Form to collect all the data and thought that we would generate the pass."
But a Google Form has a ceiling and limited scope. It can gather information, but it can't check anyone in—nor can it confirm who is genuine at the entrance. Manual verification would have created long queues, increased staffing requirements, and made it difficult to validate attendees quickly.
The solution
The search ended when Panchal came across Zoho Backstage.
"I came across the Zoho Backstage tool, where I found that I could generate a unique QR code with the imported data, and I could check people in with it."
That one capability solved the core problem. Panchal imported the registration data, and Backstage turned each registrant into a unique QR code. The code served as the attendee's pass, and scanning it was the check-in.
The team created multiple ticket classes for different attendee categories and pre-printed badges for advance registrants. Walk-in attendees could be registered on-site and issued passes immediately.
Check-in was handled entirely through the Zoho Backstage Organizer mobile app, eliminating the need for dedicated scanners or additional hardware.
"The best part was the mobile application. I just downloaded the app and scanned attendees to check them in."
The Backstage features StartupTN uses:
- Attendee data import
- Unique QR code generation for every registrant
- Mobile check-in through the Backstage Organizer app
- Multiple ticket classes
- Pre-printed badges for registered attendees
Benefits & ROI
The clearest payoff showed up at the entrance. Panchal had planned for a row of people scanning codes. He didn't need them.
"I thought I needed five to six people to scan the QR codes. I just had one person at my barricade, and it took hardly less than a second."
One-person check-in at scale
The QR-code-based workflow accelerated attendee entry, reduced staffing requirements, and helped prevent bottlenecks at the venue entrance. For a 1,500-attendee event, that reduction in staffing dramatically simplified operations.
A freed-up team
Team members who would otherwise have been stationed at the entrance were freed to support exhibitors, speakers, and attendees elsewhere in the venue.
Verified attendees, easy walk-ins
Every attendee pass was linked to a registration record, which meant the team could confidently verify participants and maintain the integrity of the event while continuing to accommodate walk-ins.
Future plans
StartupTN runs multiple events throughout the year, and the team plans to continue using the same workflow for future programs.
"The app that the Zoho team provided will be helpful for my upcoming events and all the stakeholders."
With attendee import, QR code passes, and phone-based check-in already proven at scale, StartupTN now has a repeatable event operations template that can be deployed across future ecosystem gatherings.
That leaves StartupTN free to focus where it matters most. The purpose of these gatherings isn't the entrance; it's what happens once everyone is inside—in the pitches, the introductions, and the deals that move startups forward. Now the team can dedicate its time to creating the connections, conversations, and opportunities that help Tamil Nadu's startup ecosystem grow.