Terrapinn Speeds Up Event Check-Ins to Just 12 Seconds with Zebra’s Printing Solution
Terrapinn, a major event organizer, sought to streamline its registration process into a smooth, frictionless experience that lets participants start networking immediately without facing long, frustrating check-in queues.
Zebra Success Story: Terrapinn
Overview: Hospitality Challenge
By adopting Zebra's advanced printing solutions, Terrapinn automated much of the registration process, significantly reducing queue times and check-in durations. This approach improved efficiency and also supported sustainability goals by eliminating plastic badge holders.
Benefits / Outcomes
- Reduced total queue time for events from up to 20 minutes to 3
- Halved the self-check-in time to 12 seconds
- Automated 80-90% of the registration process for a smoother experience
- Removed the cost and waste of plastic sleeve badge holders
About Terrapinn
The moment you step into a trade show, the experience begins. The few initial minutes you spend going to the registration desk and grabbing your ID badge can set the tone for the entire event, shaping your perception as an attendee from the start. That’s why, for the last 30 years, Terrapinn has invested time and energy caring for every detail, from registration to execution, of its world-class trade shows—events held across every continent that bring together innovators and industry leaders.
“We're always evolving and thinking bigger. Our approach is never to keep things the same,” shares Tania Abbott, Operations Director at Terrapinn. “The goal is constant growth—not just keeping to the same success formula but doubling our impact every year. To make it happen, we're expanding by acquiring new businesses and events across Europe, the US, the Middle East and Africa.”
The Challenge
Terrapinn’s journey wasn't always about handling massive crowds. When events were smaller, with around 2,000-3,000 participants, registration was more easily managed. But as its flagship Solar & Storage events exploded, growing more than fivefold, the company realised it needed a game-changing solution to keep its registration process seamless. The answer? Engaging Zebra Business Partner and Advanced Labeling Solutions Specialist, Labelman, and upgrading to Zebra’s ZD621 desktop printers and direct thermal tag stock. It was a strategic move to ensure that no matter how many attendees showed up, nobody's event experience would start with a frustrating wait for an ID badge.
Previously, Terrapinn used Zebra GK420d printers that initially met its needs. However, the company faced increasing challenges as events grew to 20,000 people. At first, Terrapinn increased the number of printers as a temporary fix. Yet, the company knew it needed a more scalable solution capable of accounting for its expanding show audience.
Always keen on innovation, Terrapinn planned to equip its events with a new generation of Zebra printers. Rather than battling the challenge alone, Terrapinn brought in Labelman to redesign the registration process. “We considered outsourcing the registration and spent quite a bit of time evaluating suppliers,” Abbott shares. “But ultimately, we chose a solution that would provide us with support on-site while keeping us in control.”
Terrapinn aimed to implement a user-friendly system to efficiently manage large crowds with minimal staff intervention, addressing issues with the old method of using perforated badges, rather than just focusing on increasing printing speed. Upon registration, attendee data synced with Salesforce, triggering requests for Zebra printers to print perforated labels. But many attendees struggled to tear them correctly, leading to frustrations when trying to reprint badges and resulting in significant paper waste. When tags didn’t separate cleanly, people tried to pull them through the printer, which required recalibration and caused printing errors. This disrupted the process and caused printer malfunctions, wasting time for attendees and the staff on the floor.
At peak times, attendees used to wait up to 20 minutes in line. Now, queues are consistently under three minutes at any given time.
The Solution
The breakthrough came with an ingenious self-registration solution comprising Zebra ZD621 printers with enhanced cutter modules. “Our team configured the devices to match Terrapinn’s software and specific event requirements and installed the latest drivers to ensure compatibility with their registration systems,” explains Mark Cramer, Managing Director at Labelman. “Now, attendees could simply type an email or scan a QR code to receive perfectly cut badges instantly. No more frustrating label tears, no recalibration issues and no wasted time.” Abbott goes on to add, "It was simple solution to a long-standing problem which had a big impact.”
Terrapinn put its new badge-printing solution to the test at one of its largest events at the National Exhibition Centre venue in the UK in 2024, where over 20,000 attendees walked through the doors. Partnering with Labelman, the team set up 24 printers with the new, automatic cutting mechanism, making the badges immediately available for print and pick up. Each printer was engineered to produce an impressive 200+ badges per hour, completely hands-free. “It was a tremendous success,” says Abbott. “Attendees could walk up, scan their QR code, and have their badge printed in just 12 seconds—less than half the time it took a year ago.”
The new printing workflow and self-service setup dramatically altered event registration. Up to 90% of the badge printing and tearing process is now automated, with no tampering and minimal manual intervention. Previously, staff constantly supervised printers; now, a single team member can oversee four devices during peak times, and up to 10 during lighter periods.
By eliminating errors, reprints and bottlenecks, the system helps ensure smooth, efficient movement through the check-in halls. "At peak times, attendees used to wait up to 20 minutes in line," Abbott recalls. "Now, queues are consistently under three minutes, at any given time."
The Zebra Difference: Outcome and Benefits
Labelman delivered a bespoke solution for Terrapinn, oriented towards its unique requirements, also in terms of alignment with the company’s broader sustainability push. “Over the past year, we have been actively measuring and implementing our sustainability policy to eliminate all plastic use,” explains Abbott. “This includes eliminating plastic badge wallets.”
Cramer and his team designed a custom fanfold label solution that significantly improved badge production. They fine-tuned the settings to integrate Salesforce data with Zebra printers for seamless information flow. The system prints two identical cards with eyelets—one a mirror image of the other—allowing attendees to fold and clip them directly onto lanyards, removing the need for plastic sleeves.
But the environmental benefits went beyond badge materials. By switching to energy-efficient printers and streamlining self-check-in, Terrapinn has significantly decreased power consumption, as the new devices operate for far less time. Zebra’s direct thermal printing also uses heat to activate a chemical layer, eliminating ink and toner, while fewer reprints drive major paper savings.
Labelman has tailored the Zebra solution to Terrapinn’s needs and continues supporting the company, troubleshooting issues both remotely and on-site. It has run hands-on sessions for Terrapinn’s teams and provided a problem-solving guide packed with real-world scenarios, giving them confidence to use the new system efficiently on their own.
The collaboration is a story of shared impact. And attendee sentiments reflect that. “A visitor came up to me and said their registration experience was smooth and seamless from the start,” Abbott shares. “Seeing our work create real change, making a tangible difference—that’s the most rewarding part. Our mission is to build events that transform businesses worldwide. And this is proof that the right solution can transform our own.”
Featured Products and Solutions
