Eventact Arrival: Simplified Setup Guide

June 25, 2025 | 4 min read

This guide covers the simplified setup at arrival.eventact.com, for organisers who use Arrival on its own and do not manage their event in Eventact. If you do run your event in Eventact, set Arrival up from the back office instead - that path gives full control over every Arrival feature, and is covered in Eventact Arrival: Check-in and Badge Printing Setup. Both paths work, and you can use them in parallel.

Follow these steps to configure your project, import your guests, design custom badges, and connect your printer. Once setup is done, the desk itself is operated from arrival.eventact.com either way - see Arrival Operation: Check-in Desk Guide.

Phase 1: Infrastructure & Data Management

1. Requirements

Ensure the following are available before starting:

• Print Server: A PC or notebook running Windows to host the Eventact Printer App.
• Physical Printer: Connected to the Windows machine.
• Connectivity: A standard internet connection.
• Network Topology: Check-in kiosks and the Print Server can operate on different networks, as synchronization is managed through the cloud.

2. Project Initialization

• Login: Access the platform at https://arrival.eventact.com.
• Create Project: Use the "New Project" button to initialize the event environment and enter the basic event information.

3. Data Import

• Prepare the Data: Create an Excel (XLSX) file for importing data. Use clear, descriptive column headers, such as "First Name," "Last Name," "Company," and "Job Title," to facilitate automatic mapping of Excel columns to Eventact fields
• Upload the File: Go to Settings > Import Guests and upload the attendee Excel file.
• Field Mapping: Eventact will automatically attempt to match your Excel columns to its internal fields (e.g., "Full Name," "Email," "Organization").
• Tip: Map the columns in your Excel file to the corresponding system fields, such as Full Name and Organization.
• Categorization: Ensure that the Status and Role (e.g., Speaker, VIP) are correctly assigned, as these attributes may affect badge printing rules.

Phase 2: Badge Template Design

• Editor Access: Go to Settings > Name Tags and select a template.
• Adding Content to the Badge:
  • Static Text: Add fixed text that remains constant, such as "Staff", "Exhibitor", or "Welcome". This is helpful when using different templates for various guest types, making them easily distinguishable at a glance.
  • Dynamic Tokens: Insert fields like {Contact.Full Name} or {Contact.Organization} to automatically pull specific guest data onto their badge.
• • Codes: Add QR codes or Barcodes linked to {Registration.Registration Code} for internal scanning.
  • Networking (vCard): To enable contact sharing between guests, add a QR code linked to the {Registration.VCard} token. This allows guests to scan each other's badges with a standard smartphone camera to automatically add contact details to their phone.
• Layout Configuration: Use the right-side panel to set precise X/Y coordinates, font sizes, and alignment. Leaving the position blank flows each line under the one above it; for what the coordinate numbers actually mean, see understanding position settings.
• Conditional Printing: Apply Conditions to designs so they only print for specific guest Roles or Ticket Types.
• Commit Changes: Click "Save" to update the template.

Phase 3: Printer Application Installation

The Eventact Printer app bridges the web interface and the printer.

• Download: In the web interface, navigate to Settings > Printer and download the Arrival Printer Setup.
• Execution: Run the .exe file. If prompted by Windows, select "More info" and then "Run anyway".
• Dependency: The installer will automatically verify and install the required ".NET Desktop Runtime".

Phase 4: Connecting the Eventact Printer App to Event Data

Follow these steps to link the application on your Windows machine to your specific event project.

1. Authentication:
   • Retrieve the Event ID and Event Password from the Arrival Dashboard (Settings > Printer).
   • Enter these credentials into the Eventact Printer App.
2. Printer Identification: Assign a Printer ID (e.g., "Station_01"). Multiple PCs can send badges to the same printer.
3. Polling Rate: Set the Print Interval. The default is 1000ms. Increase this value if you encounter high network latency.
4. Printer Selection: Select your printer from the dropdown list of available printers in the application. This list is generated from the printers installed on your Windows system.
5. Media Calibration: Enter the exact width and height of the labels.
   Note: These dimensions must match the Custom Paper Size settings in the Windows Printer Preferences to prevent alignment errors.
6. Activation: Click "Start" to begin the print service.

Morning Launch Checklist

• ☐ Power & Connection: Ensure the printer is powered on and connected to the Windows Print Server.
• ☐ Paper Check: Confirm that label stock is loaded and the printer is "Ready."
• ☐ Dashboard Check: Log in to arrival.eventact.com and confirm the guest list is up to date.
• ☐ App Launch: Open the Eventact Printer App on the Windows machine.
• ☐ Start Service: Confirm Event ID/Password and click "Start" in the app.
• ☐ Test Print: Perform one test check-in to confirm alignment and data mapping.

Troubleshooting FAQ

Troubleshooting for Arrival is maintained in one place, so it stays consistent whichever way you set up. The three problems most often hit during first-time setup:

• The app says "Stopped", or will not connect after clicking Start - almost always the Event ID or Password, often with a stray trailing space.
• The app is running, but no badges print - check the Printer ID matches in both the app and the Arrival dashboard.
• The print is cut off, or the text is not centred on the label - the Windows Custom Paper Size must match the dimensions entered in the app.

The full reference, including printer spooler and driver problems, is in Printer Troubleshooting Tips.

Quick Reference: Common Dynamic Tokens

Data Point	Token
Full Name	{Contact.Full Name}
First Name	{Contact.First Name}
Company	{Contact.Organization}

As part of your setup, it is recommended to perform a full arrival test - verifying registrant visibility, testing device connectivity, and checking badge printing by locating a guest and printing their badge. For the full procedure, see pre-event testing.

Arrival drives most Windows-compatible printers. For help picking a model, see Choosing a Badge Printer for Your Event.

If you require additional help or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Eventact Support