Automate Event Registration and QR Check-ins with Google Sheets, Gmail, and Slack

This n8n workflow streamlines the entire event registration and check-in process, from managing attendee data in Google Sheets to sending personalized QR code tickets via Gmail and notifying your team on Slack. It's designed to automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual errors, and provide a seamless experience for both event organizers and attendees.

What it does

This workflow automates the following key steps:

1. Triggers on new registrations: Listens for new rows added to a specified Google Sheet, indicating a new event registration.
2. Generates QR Code: For each new registration, it generates a unique QR code image.
3. Sends personalized email: Composes and sends a personalized email to the registrant, attaching their QR code ticket.
4. Updates Google Sheet: Updates the Google Sheet with the generated QR code URL and a confirmation status.
5. Notifies Slack channel: Posts a notification to a designated Slack channel about the new registration.
6. Handles check-ins: Provides a webhook endpoint to process attendee check-ins using their QR code.
7. Validates check-ins: Checks if the scanned QR code matches an existing registration and if the attendee has already checked in.
8. Updates Google Sheet on check-in: Marks the attendee as "Checked In" in the Google Sheet upon successful validation.
9. Responds to check-in webhook: Sends a success or failure response back to the check-in system.

Prerequisites/Requirements

To use this workflow, you will need:

• n8n Account: A running n8n instance.
• Google Sheets Account: A Google Sheet set up with attendee registration data (e.g., Name, Email, Status, QR Code URL).
• Gmail Account: A Gmail account configured as a credential in n8n for sending emails.
• Slack Account: A Slack workspace and a channel where you want to receive notifications, configured as a credential in n8n.
• QR Code Generation Service: An API endpoint or service capable of generating QR codes from text (e.g., a URL containing attendee ID).
• Google OAuth2 Credentials: For Google Sheets and Gmail.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the workflow: Download the provided JSON and import it into your n8n instance.
2. Configure Credentials:
   • Set up your Google Sheets credentials (OAuth2) to allow n8n to read and write to your spreadsheet.
   • Set up your Gmail credentials (OAuth2) to allow n8n to send emails.
   • Set up your Slack credentials to allow n8n to post messages.
3. Update Google Sheet Node (ID: 18):
   • Specify the Spreadsheet ID and Sheet Name where your registrations are stored.
   • Ensure the "Operation" is set to "Append Row" for new registrations and "Update Row" for check-ins.
   • Map the correct columns for attendee data, QR code URL, and status.
4. Configure HTTP Request Node (ID: 19) for QR Code Generation:
   • Update the "URL" to your QR code generation service endpoint.
   • Adjust the "Body Parameters" to send the necessary data for QR code generation (e.g., a unique identifier for the attendee).
5. Configure Gmail Node (ID: 356):
   • Set the "To" email address to the registrant's email from the Google Sheet data.
   • Customize the "Subject" and "Body" of the email.
   • Ensure the generated QR code image is attached to the email.
6. Configure Slack Node (ID: 40):
   • Specify the "Channel" where notifications should be posted.
   • Customize the "Text" of the message to include relevant registration details.
7. Configure Webhook Node (ID: 47) for Check-in Trigger:
   • Copy the webhook URL. This URL will be used by your check-in system (e.g., a mobile app scanning QR codes) to trigger the check-in process.
   • Set the "HTTP Method" to POST.
8. Configure Respond to Webhook Node (ID: 535):
   • Customize the response message for successful and failed check-ins.
9. Activate the workflow: Once configured, activate the workflow to start automating your event registration and check-in process.