Registration

Registration, in the furry sense, refers to the purchase of the right to attend a convention. Pre-registration for large conventions such as Anthrocon often opens shortly after the end of the preceding convention, and offers attendees reduced rates for the following year. As well as pre-registering, attendees can also register on the door at certain conventions, albeit at a higher price.

A convention's Registration Department is responsible for collecting attendees' membership fees and issuing name badges. Depending on the convention, they are also responsible for one or more of the following:

• Distribution of membership informational packets
• Distribution of sponsorship information and benefits
• Serving as a central location for sign-ups for convention events

Registration can be a simple task for smaller conventions, though when the attendance numbers surpass several hundred and reach into the thousands, the logistics can become daunting. A consequence of this fact is that simple errors can become catastrophic, resulting in long lines and waits of up to several hours. Registration Departments have used a number of different methods to alleviate these long waits, including:

• Separate regisitration areas for pre-registered attendees and sponsors
• Pre-printing the badges of pre-registered attendees
• Staggered registration times (registration open only to sponsors or pre-registered attendees)
• Making terminals available to those registering at the door to type in their own information

In Australia, registration is typically abbreviated to rego, while in other English-speaking areas it may be referred to as reg, or in some cases a ticket or membership (especially where it represents actual membership of a private club or a membership-based non-profit).