Zoho Backstage - March 2026 Updates

Zoho Backstage has released four updates for March 2026, focused on simplifying registration, exhibitor management, session scheduling, and event check-in.

• You can now offer companion tickets linked to primary tickets, allowing attendees to register additional participants such as guests or team members. Pricing, limits, and availability can be configured independently.
• Companion tickets can be canceled and refunded independently. A primary ticket can only be canceled when all associated companion tickets are also selected.
• Exhibitors can now be added, approved, or imported without assigning booths upfront. Booth allocation can be completed later when the floor layout is ready, allowing contracts and invoicing to proceed without delays.
• Unassigned exhibitors are clearly marked for easy tracking, and booth-related communications are triggered only after a booth is assigned.
• A new setting prevents attendees from registering for sessions that overlap in time. Session duration is displayed during registration to help attendees make informed choices.
• If needed, organizers can still manually add attendees to overlapping sessions from the Session Registration or Check-In tabs. This setting is available under Manage > Agenda > Session Settings.
• Pre-event check-in allows you to start checking in attendees before the event day by setting a specific start date.
• Multi-day check-in tracks attendance separately for each day of the event, giving a clearer view of daily participation.
• Event check-out tracking is now available, providing a more complete picture of attendance beyond just entry.
• Check-in data is reflected consistently in live feeds and analytics based on your configuration.

Availability: Companion tickets are available on Essentials, Premium, and Ultimate plans. Exhibitor, session overlap, and check-in features are available on all plans including Free.