Member-Only Event Registration: How to Choose the Right Access Level for Members and the Public

Membership organizations rarely run just one kind of event. The annual business meeting is for members only. The conference is open to everyone, but members should pay less. The leadership retreat is by invitation. Member-only event registration has usually meant hidden links, discount codes that get forwarded, or someone checking a roster by hand. Sunfish Events gives every event an access level. You upload your member list, assign each person a group, and registration decides who can get in and which tickets and prices each person sees. Sunfish doesn't collect dues or manage memberships. It works from the member list you already keep.

Member-only event registration: the four access levels at a glance

You'll find access levels under Registration > Settings in each event. There are four options, and each one fits a different kind of membership event.

The rest of this post walks through how each one works for a membership organization, starting with the list that powers them.

Step one: get your member list into Sunfish

Every access level except Public depends on a list. For a membership organization, that list is usually your current member roster, exported from wherever you track membership today.

You can build a list two ways:

• Upload a CSV with first name, last name, and email for each person.

• Add people manually, which works well for small lists or last-minute additions.

• Sync, talk with us about integrating your AMS software

To give people a group, such as Member, Student, or Staff, include a group column in your CSV. The values in that column match the names of groups you've already created in Sunfish, so there's no mapping step. There's no limit on list size, and lists are reusable across events, so your member roster doesn't need to be rebuilt each time. For more on that, see reusable invite lists for every event.

A person's group controls a lot about their registration:

• Which tickets they can see, such as a Member ticket only the Members group sees

• What they pay, including member pricing on tickets

• Which custom questions they're asked

• Add-on pricing, so members can get their rate on extras too

We covered the pricing side in depth in member vs. non-member pricing, automated. This post focuses on the other half: deciding who can register at all.

Public + List Matching: one event for members and the public

This is the access level most associations will use for their flagship conference. The event is open to everyone, but members automatically get the member experience.

Here's what happens when someone registers:

1. The visitor enters their first name, last name, and email on the first registration step.

2. Sunfish checks the email against your lists. Matching is by email address only.

3. If the email is on a list with a group, the visitor inherits that group. A member sees the member ticket and member price, answers any member-specific questions, and gets member add-on pricing.

4. If the email isn't on a list, or is on a list without a group, the visitor continues as a member of the public and sees your public tickets and prices.

Nobody enters a code, and there's no separate "members" link to protect. A non-member who finds the page still registers, just at the public rate. A member who comes in through a general promotion still gets their price, because the match comes from their email.

Say your association runs an annual conference with three rates: member, student member, and non-member. You create Member and Student groups, set up a ticket for each group plus a public ticket, and upload your roster with a group column. Then you choose Public + List Matching. One event page and one registration link handle all three audiences.

Requires Invite List: member-only events without sending invitations

Some events are only for members: the annual business meeting, a member appreciation reception, a members-only town hall. For these, choose Requires Invite List.

With this level, only people on a list can register. The important detail is that you don't have to send anyone an invitation. A member can go to the event page, enter their email on the first step, and continue if that email is on a list. If you did send invitations through Invite & Promote, people can also use the link in that email.

When someone enters an email that isn't on any list, they see a message saying that address isn't associated with the event, along with guidance on what to do next. You can rewrite that message, which we'll cover below.

Sunfish also includes a guardrail for this setting. If you choose Requires Invite List before adding anyone, the settings page warns you that no one is invited yet and that the registration page will block everyone until you add invitees. It's a quick check before you share the link.

Requires Invite Link: when the list alone isn't enough

Requires Invite Link is the strictest level. Only people who use the unique link in their invitation email can register. Entering an email that matches a list will not grant access.

This fits events where you want registration tied to a specific invitation you sent, not just to membership status. Examples include a leadership retreat for committee chairs, a major donor dinner, or a small advisory group meeting. Your whole membership might be on a list, but only the people you invited should get in.

Because the link is the only way in, plan for invitees who can't find their invitation email. Entering their address on the event page won't let them in, so tell invitees up front to keep the email, and decide ahead of time how your team will respond when someone can't find it.

For most member-only events, Requires Invite List is the easier choice because members can register without an invitation. Use Requires Invite Link when the invitation itself is the point.

Handling members who aren't on your list

Any list-based setup will run into members who don't match. Since matching uses email only, the most common cause is simple: a member registers with a work email while your roster has their personal email, or the other way around. Other times, someone joined recently and your latest export doesn't include them yet.

You have two tools for this.

Clear wording. On the screen shown when an address isn't on any list, tell members what to try. Something like "Try the email address you use for your membership" solves a lot of mismatches without anyone contacting you.

Request Access. For events that use Requires Invite List, you can turn on Let Visitors Request Access. Visitors who aren't on a list then see a button to request access. Requests go to a list in your admin, where you review and approve them. When you approve someone, you choose which list they're added to, and they're sent an email. You can read more about this workflow in Request Access for invite-only events.

For a Public + List Matching event, remember that a member who doesn't match can still register. They'll just see public tickets. If a member tells you that happened, check which email they used and add it to your list so it matches next time.

Customizing what visitors see

The first registration step and the "not on any list" screen both use default wording, and you can replace any of it. The settings page shows a live preview labeled "What a visitor sees" as you edit. Leave a field blank to keep the default.

Wording is small, but it changes how a rejection feels. "Not associated with this event" works for a private invitation. For a member event, telling people exactly which email to use is friendlier and saves your team the follow-up.

Edge cases to plan for

A few details are worth knowing before your first member-only event goes live:

The list-change behavior matters most for organizations with rolling renewals. If a membership lapses after someone registered at the member rate, their registration stays as it is. Refresh your list before registration opens and again before any price change so new registrations reflect current status.

If your member event also has a multi-day program, the registration setup pairs with your event page content. See how to build a conference agenda attendees can actually navigate.

FAQ

Can members and non-members register for the same event at different prices? Yes. Use Public + List Matching and give your members a group. Members matched by email see member tickets and pricing, and everyone else sees public tickets.

Do members need an invitation to register for a member-only event? Not with Requires Invite List. Members enter their email on the first step and continue if it's on a list. Only Requires Invite Link needs the unique link from an invitation email.

Does Sunfish manage memberships or collect dues? No. Sunfish uses a member list you upload or enter to control registration access, tickets, and pricing. Your membership records and dues stay wherever you manage them today.

Key takeaways and next step

Membership organizations need more than open or closed registration. Public + List Matching lets one event serve members and the public, with members getting their tickets and prices automatically. Requires Invite List keeps an event for members only without sending a single invitation. Requires Invite Link limits registration to the people you invited. All three run on a member list you upload or enter, with groups that control tickets, pricing, questions, and add-ons. Plan for mismatched emails with clear wording and Request Access, and refresh your list before key dates.

If you're planning your next member event and want registration to handle member access for you, try Sunfish Events or book a demo and we'll walk through the setup with your list.