Individual Attendee Collection (IAC) is a feature in Event Tickets Plus that allows enabling attendee information to be collected on each ticket when multiple tickets are purchased together. Without IAC, the tickets only enable attendee information about the individuals purchasing the tickets. IAC changes that by allowing information to be entered for each ticket on an individual basis.

As such, you can reliably gather and record the name and email address of all attendees in a way that allows exporting, searching, sorting, and API access.

Enabling individual attendee collection globally

The feature can be enabled in the plugin settings, located at Tickets → Settings → Attendee Registration

Collecting attendee information with the Attendee Registration option
  • Allow Individual Attendee Collection: IAC is enabled, but option for the person purchasing tickets.
  • Require Individual Attendee Collection: IAC is enabled and the person purchasing tickets is required to provide information for each ticket before proceeding.
  • No Individual Attendee Collection: IAC is disabled.

Once saved, this is the default setting for all new tickets. You can still override the setting on a per-ticket basis in the WordPress editor.

👋 Heads up! Individual Attendee Collection requires the updated ticket and/or RSVP experience to be enabled on sites already running Event Tickets. You can enable the updated experience from Tickets Settings General → Display. For new installs (since version 5.0), this experience will be enabled automatically and you will not see these setting options.

Enabling IAC in the WordPress editor

No matter what IAC you set for the default in the plugin settings, you can still manage the IAC for individual tickets in the WordPress editor directly in the Ticket block. Add a Ticket block to the post, and select the “Attendee Collection” option to expand the IAC settings for that ticket.

Collecting attendee information in the ticket area with the Block Editor
The “Attendee Collection” option is located in the Ticket block.

Collecting attendee information by selecting the "Require Individual Attendee Collection" option
Once expanded, the “Attendee Collection” section offers the same three settings that we covered in the global settings. Note that the pre-selected option will match your global setting. So, for example, if your global setting is to “require” IAC, then the Ticket block setting will also “require” IAC by default.

Enabling attendee collection with a filter

In addition to using the plugin settings, the default IAC setting can be programmatically set to any of the three possible settings with the following function:

<?php

add_filter( 'tribe_tickets_plus_attendee_registration_iac_default_setting_for_all_tickets', 'my_custom_iac_setting_for_all_tickets' );

/**
 * Filter the Individual Attendee Collection setting for all tickets.
 *
 * @param string $default_iac_setting The default IAC setting for all tickets (none, allowed, required).
 *
 * @return The default IAC setting for all tickets (none, allowed, required).
 */
function my_custom_iac_setting_for_all_tickets( $default_iac_setting ) {
  // Set the default as allowed.
  return 'allowed';
}

Enabling attendee collection WordPress editor

Even if IAC is disabled in your plugin settings, you can still use the feature by enabling it when creating a new ticket in the WordPress editor.

  • Add a ticket block to the editor
  • Create at least one ticket and save it by selecting “Create Ticket”
  • Select the option to add attendee information

No Individual Attendee Collection

This is the out-of-the-box default setting and is the only Attendee Collection setting available in Event Tickets Plus versions prior to 5.1.0.

This setting means that any Attendee (and ticket) generated will use the Billing Purchaser’s name and email address. In the same breath, only the Billing Purchaser will receive an email containing all tickets purchased.

Allow Individual Attendee Collection

We consider this as the middle-of-the-road compromise between No individual attendees and Require individual attendees ticket sale options. This setting also places control in your Purchaser’s hands as they initially purchase each ticket, including if they choose to update their Attendee tickets post-purchase.

As folks select to purchase tickets to your upcoming event, the experience this setting provides includes: 

  • The option for your purchaser to either leave themselves (the Billing Purchaser) as the Attendee name and email address, or
  • To add a different name and email address (other than themselves) to any given ticket.

Post-purchase: the Billing Purchaser can log into your website, head to the Event page > My Tickets, and update (e.g. change) the ticketing information for a given Attendee.

The information used within tickets that have “Allow Individual Attendees” is that the same information is allowed to be reused for multiple tickets, and/or default to the Billing Purchaser’s name and email.  

Note: Any Attendee that the Billing Purchaser adds a unique (different) email address to, will receive their own individual ticket confirmation email and the Billing Purchaser will receive the standard ticket email confirmation, which contains all tickets purchased.

Require Individual Attendee Collection

There is a strong case in which “Requiring” Individual Attendee Collection for a ticket is beneficial for your upcoming event if enabling attendee information is important to you. By using this ticket sales option, the Billing Purchaser will be required to add a unique name and email address for each attendee. 

For example: the ticket’s Billing Purchaser selects 4 tickets to an upcoming event. Prior to completing their purchase, they must add a unique (different) name and email address for each of the 4 Attendees. None of the Attendees need to be the Billing Purchaser’s information either. They can simply purchase the tickets on behalf of the Attendees. By doing so, each individual Attendee will each receive their own individual ticket confirmation email and the Billing Purchaser will receive the standard ticket email confirmation, which contains all tickets purchased. 

As folks select to purchase tickets to your upcoming event, the experience this setting provides includes: 

  • The requirement for the Billing Purchaser to add a different name and email address (other than themselves) to every Attendee’s ticket prior to completing their purchase.

Post-purchase: the Billing Purchaser can log into your website, head to the Event page > My Tickets, and update (e.g. change) the ticketing information for a given Attendee, however, it must be different from all other Attendees for that set of tickets purchased.

When modifying the name or email address on the My Tickets page for an attendee ticket with Individual Attendee Collection required, any email can be used even if the email address is used for another attendee already.

Resending Tickets

The Event Tickets Plus system keeps checking for when Billing Purchaser updates (e.g. changes) an Attendee’s email address. When such an action takes place (post-purchase), a checkbox will appear allowing the user to select to resend the ticket email upon saving the new updated information. 

Enabling attendee information with Individual Attendee Collection provides flexibility in the way your Event Attendees are generated. 

As the default, only the Billing Purchaser is listed as the Attendee to an event. If they purchase multiple tickets, their name and email address will be listed as the Attendee. 

Individual Attendee Collection provides you with two additional ticket sales options: 

  • “Allow” Individual Attendee Collection
  • “Require” Individual Attendee Collection

The goal of the Individual Attendee Collection project is to adjust the system so that you can reliably gather and record the name and email address of all attendees in a way that allows exporting, searching, sorting, and API access.

Note: You can enhance your ticket sales by using both Individual Attendee Collection and custom Attendee Registration Information fields. Let Individual Attendee Collection collect and organize your Attendees and use the power of Attendee Registration Information to gather even more custom information!