Complimentary pass (comp ticket)

Comps are a currency, and like any currency they're easy to debase. A pass given to a genuine buyer your exhibitors want to meet is marketing spend with a measurable return; a pass given to whoever asked nicely is just a discount you didn't negotiate anything for. Disciplined organizers run comps through an allocation: a fixed budget per category — press, speakers, key buyers, sponsor allotments — with a named owner who approves each one, and a distinct badge type in the registration system so comps can be reported separately. That separation matters at renewal time: exhibitors increasingly ask what share of attendance paid to be there, because paid attendance signals intent in a way a blast of free codes never does. The common mistake is using comps to paper over weak registration numbers in the final weeks. It inflates the headline figure once, but comp recipients no-show at far higher rates than paying attendees, so you've bought a bigger gap between registered and scanned — and exhibitors see the empty aisles either way. One honest nuance: your comp list is also political. Cutting a long-standing partner's allocation saves little money and can cost a relationship, so change comp policy openly, not quietly.