How to Export from Cvent and Import into Micepad for On-Site Check-In

Cvent is a powerful registration platform. It handles invitations, RSVPs, payment processing, and attendee management for thousands of events every year. But when it comes to on-site operations—check-in at the door, badge printing, lead capture—many event planners find that Cvent's on-site tools (Cvent OnArrival) are expensive, complex to configure, and require dedicated Cvent hardware.

That's where a different approach works better: use Cvent for what it does best (registration and attendee management), and use Micepad for on-site check-in and badge printing. The connection between the two is a simple CSV export and import. This guide walks through the entire process, step by step.

Why Use Micepad Alongside Cvent?

If Cvent already handles registration, why add another tool for on-site operations? Three reasons:

Cost

Cvent OnArrival pricing is typically bundled into enterprise contracts or charged as an add-on per event. For many organizations, this means paying thousands of dollars for on-site check-in functionality on top of the existing Cvent license. Micepad's on-site check-in and badge printing starts at $475 per event (check-in only) or $600 per event (with badge printing). For organizations running multiple events per year, the savings add up.

Simplicity

Cvent OnArrival requires significant configuration: badge template design within Cvent's system, hardware setup with Cvent-compatible printers, staff training on the OnArrival interface, and often an on-site Cvent technician. Micepad runs on any iPad, connects to standard label printers over Bluetooth or WiFi, and takes about 15 minutes to set up. Most staff can learn the check-in interface in under 5 minutes.

Flexibility

With Micepad, you're not locked into Cvent-specific hardware or workflows. You can use any iPad, choose from multiple supported printers (Zebra ZD421, Zebra ZD621, Brother QL-820NWB, Brother QL-1110NWB), and run check-in with or without an internet connection thanks to offline mode. If you switch registration platforms next year—say from Cvent to Eventbrite—your on-site check-in workflow stays exactly the same.

Step 1: Export Your Attendee List from Cvent

Cvent makes it straightforward to export attendee data as a CSV file. Here's how:

1. Log into Cvent and navigate to your event.
2. Go to Reporting > Standard Reports (or Invitee List Report depending on your Cvent version).
3. Select the Invitee/Attendee Report or create a custom report with the fields you need.
4. At minimum, include these columns:
   • First Name
   • Last Name
   • Email Address
   • Company/Organization
   • Job Title
   • Registration Status (to filter for confirmed attendees only)
5. Optionally include:
   • Registration Type / Ticket Type (e.g., VIP, General, Speaker)
   • Session selections (if you want this on badges)
   • Custom fields (dietary requirements, accessibility needs, etc.)
6. Click Export and select CSV format.
7. Filter by status: Make sure you're only exporting attendees with a "Confirmed" or "Accepted" registration status. You don't want declined or cancelled registrations in your check-in list.

The exported file will download as a .csv file. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets to verify the data looks correct before proceeding.

Tips for a Clean Export

• Watch out for merged name fields. Some Cvent configurations export "Full Name" as a single column instead of separate First Name and Last Name columns. If your export has a combined name field, you'll need to split it (see Step 2).
• Check for special characters. Names with accents (e.g., Renée, Müller) should export correctly in UTF-8 encoding. If you see garbled characters, re-export with UTF-8 selected.
• Note the column headers. You'll need to know the exact header names when mapping fields in Micepad.

Step 2: Prepare Your CSV

Micepad accepts standard CSV files and is flexible about column naming, but a few minutes of cleanup will make the import smoother.

Required Fields

Field	Required?	Notes
First Name	Yes	Or a combined "Full Name" field
Last Name	Yes	Can be combined with First Name
Email	Recommended	Used for deduplication and QR code matching
Company	Optional	Displayed on badges and in search results
Job Title	Optional	Displayed on badges
Ticket Type	Optional	Used for attendee categorization and badge color-coding

Common Cleanup Tasks

• Split combined name fields. If Cvent exported "Full Name" as one column, split it into "First Name" and "Last Name." In Excel: Data > Text to Columns > Delimited > Space. In Google Sheets: use =SPLIT(A2, " "). For names with multiple spaces (e.g., "Mary Anne Smith"), you may need to manually adjust a few rows.
• Remove cancelled registrations. If you didn't filter by status during export, delete any rows where Registration Status is "Cancelled," "Declined," or "Pending."
• Remove duplicate entries. Cvent sometimes creates duplicate records for attendees who modified their registration. Sort by email and remove duplicates, keeping the most recent entry.
• Standardize ticket types. If your Cvent event has ticket types like "General Admission - Early Bird" and "General Admission - Standard," consider simplifying to just "General Admission" for badge purposes, unless the distinction matters on-site.
• Remove internal-only columns. Columns like "Registration Date," "Payment Amount," or "Internal Notes" aren't needed for check-in. Removing them keeps the import clean, though Micepad will simply ignore unmapped columns.

Save the cleaned file as a CSV (UTF-8 encoding) when you're done.

Step 3: Import into Micepad

With your cleaned CSV ready, importing into Micepad takes about 2 minutes.

1. Log into Micepad at app.micepad.co (or create a free account if you don't have one—the free tier supports up to 50 attendees).
2. Create a new event or open your existing event.
3. Navigate to the Attendees section and click Import.
4. Upload your CSV file. Drag and drop, or click to browse.
5. Map your columns. Micepad will show a preview of your data and ask you to map each CSV column to a Micepad field:
   • "First Name" column → First Name field
   • "Last Name" column → Last Name field
   • "Email Address" column → Email field
   • "Company" column → Organization field
   • "Job Title" column → Title field
   • "Registration Type" column → Category field
6. Review the preview. Micepad shows the first few rows as they'll be imported. Check that names, emails, and companies look correct.
7. Click Import to finalize.

Your attendees are now in Micepad and ready for check-in. Each attendee automatically gets a unique QR code that can be included in confirmation emails or displayed at check-in.

What About Attendees Without QR Codes?

If your attendees registered through Cvent, they may already have a Cvent-generated QR code in their confirmation email. Micepad generates its own QR codes during import. You have two options:

• Use Micepad QR codes: Send attendees a pre-event email from Micepad with their new QR code. This is the cleanest approach.
• Use name search: Skip QR codes entirely. Attendees check in by typing their name at the kiosk or telling it to the staff member. This adds a few seconds per check-in but requires zero attendee preparation.

Step 4: Set Up Check-In and Badge Printing

With your attendee list imported, configure the on-site experience.

Badge Design

• In Micepad, go to Badge Design in your event settings.
• Choose a badge size that matches your printer and badge stock (e.g., 4" x 3" for Zebra printers, or 4" x 6" for larger badges).
• Customize the layout: attendee name (large, readable), company name, job title, attendee category/ticket type, event logo, and a QR code for lead capture.
• Use color-coding by category to visually distinguish VIPs, speakers, general attendees, and exhibitors. Staff can then spot-check access at a glance.
• Print a few test badges to verify alignment and readability. Names should be legible from 3–4 feet away.

Check-In Configuration

• Enable walk-in registration if you expect day-of registrants who aren't in the Cvent export.
• Set up duplicate check-in alerts to flag if someone tries to check in twice (useful for multi-day events where you want daily tracking).
• Configure the kiosk display: choose between QR scan mode (attendees scan their code), name search mode (attendees type their name), or both.

Printer Setup

• Connect your badge printer to the iPad via Bluetooth or WiFi. Micepad supports Zebra ZD421, Zebra ZD621, Brother QL-820NWB, and Brother QL-1110NWB.
• Load badge stock and print 5–10 test badges.
• Position the printer next to the check-in kiosk or iPad station so attendees can immediately grab their badge after checking in.

Step 5: Syncing Updates Before the Event

Registration rarely closes at the same time as your data import. New people register, others cancel, and some update their information. Here's how to keep Micepad in sync with Cvent.

Recommended Sync Schedule

• 2 weeks before the event: Initial import (what you just did in Step 3).
• 3 days before the event: Re-export from Cvent and re-import into Micepad. Micepad handles this by matching on email address—existing attendees are updated, new attendees are added, and no duplicates are created.
• Night before the event: Final sync. Export from Cvent, import into Micepad. This captures last-minute registrations.
• Morning of (if needed): If your event allows day-of registration through Cvent, do one more sync 60–90 minutes before doors open.

How Re-Import Works

When you import a CSV into Micepad for an event that already has attendees, the system uses the email address as the unique identifier:

• Matching email found: The existing record is updated with any changed information (name correction, company change, etc.).
• New email: A new attendee record is created.
• Email in Micepad but not in the new CSV: The existing record is kept (not deleted). This is intentional—it prevents accidental data loss if you export a filtered list.

If you need to remove cancelled registrations from Micepad, you can either delete them manually in the Micepad dashboard or filter your CSV export to only include confirmed attendees (which is the recommended approach from Step 1).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does using Micepad mean I should stop using Cvent?

No. This is not a replacement—it's a complement. Cvent continues to handle your registration, invitations, payment processing, and attendee communications. Micepad handles the on-site operations: check-in at the door and badge printing. Think of it as Cvent for pre-event, Micepad for the event day itself.

Is there an API integration between Cvent and Micepad?

Currently, the connection is through CSV export/import. This is intentionally simple—it works regardless of your Cvent plan level and doesn't require IT involvement to set up API credentials or webhooks. The CSV workflow takes about 2 minutes per sync.

What if my Cvent export has thousands of attendees?

Micepad handles large imports without issue. Events with 15,000+ attendees (like MongoDB's multi-city conference series) have used this exact CSV import workflow. The import itself takes a few seconds regardless of file size.

Can I export check-in data back to Cvent?

Yes. After the event, export your check-in report from Micepad as a CSV. This includes: who checked in, when they checked in, and any walk-in registrations added on-site. You can import this data back into Cvent's reporting, or use it independently for your post-event analysis.

What about attendee privacy and data security?

The CSV file contains personal data (names, emails), so handle it accordingly. Delete the CSV file from your local machine after importing. Micepad stores attendee data securely and allows you to delete event data after the event is complete.

Do attendees need to do anything differently?

From the attendee's perspective, almost nothing changes. They register through Cvent as usual. On event day, they either scan a QR code (which you can send them via a pre-event email from Micepad) or simply give their name at the check-in desk. Most attendees won't know or care which tool handles check-in—they just want their badge in their hand quickly.

Also Works With: Eventbrite, Whova, Bizzabo, and More

While this guide focuses on Cvent because it's the most common enterprise registration platform, the same workflow applies to virtually any registration tool that exports CSV. Here's where to find the export function in other popular platforms:

Eventbrite

1. Go to your event's Manage page.
2. Click Orders > Attendee Summary.
3. Click Export (top right) and select CSV.
4. The export includes: Name, Email, Order Date, Ticket Type, and any custom questions.

Whova

1. In your event's Organizer Dashboard, go to Attendees.
2. Click Export to download the attendee list as CSV.
3. Includes: Name, Email, Company, Title, and custom fields.

Bizzabo

1. Navigate to Registration > Attendees in your event dashboard.
2. Click the Export button.
3. Select the fields you want to include and download as CSV.

Google Sheets / Excel Spreadsheets

If you're managing registration through a simple spreadsheet (common for internal corporate events), just save or export the file as CSV. Make sure your columns include at least First Name, Last Name, and Email.

Any Other Platform

If your registration platform can export attendee data as a CSV file—and virtually all of them can—it works with Micepad. The column names don't need to match exactly; Micepad's field mapping step lets you match any column header to the correct field.

The entire process—from Cvent export to Micepad import to printing your first test badge—takes about 15 minutes. For most events, you'll do a total of 2–3 syncs between initial setup and event day. Compare that to the setup time for Cvent OnArrival, and the simplicity of the CSV approach becomes clear. Your registration lives in Cvent. Your check-in lives in Micepad. And a simple CSV file connects the two.