Collect the sign up on a phone form that carries clear consent for calls and texts, send a thank you the same day, and follow up no more than three times. GoHighLevel can tag the event, text each person, and stop when they reply. The bottom line: an event produces a list of people who stopped at a table, and the only way to turn that list into patients is to reach them while they remember you, with a message they agreed to receive.
Why a clipboard loses most of the value
Paper sign up sheets produce unreadable handwriting, missing phone digits, and no record of consent. A QR code at the table that opens a short form fixes all three: the phone number is typed, the consent box is a recorded checkbox, and the form tags the contact with the event. Texting marketing messages requires prior express written consent, and a person who handed you a sheet to enter a drawing did not agree to a promotional text.
What the form asks
| Field | Why | Leave out |
|---|---|---|
| First name and mobile number | So you can reach them | Date of birth and address |
| A second way to reach them | Anything about health conditions | |
| Event name (hidden) | Attribution for the tag | None |
| Consent checkbox, unchecked | Records consent for calls and texts from the clinic | Pre checked boxes |
| Preferred day or time | Helps the first call | Insurance details |
Do not collect health conditions on the sign up form. A person's interest in a screening is not a diagnosis, and the less you collect before they become a patient, the less you have to protect. Whether the information is protected health information depends on your relationship with the person, so ask counsel how your clinic treats event contacts.
Consent wording
Sample checkbox: I agree that [Clinic] may call and text me about my sign up and about appointments at the number I provided, including with automated technology. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out. The FCC's 2024 order lets people revoke consent by any reasonable means, and a September 2026 revision changed parts of that rule, so confirm the current version with counsel.
Build it in HighLevel
- Create the form with the fields above, a hidden field for the event name, and the consent checkbox.
- Create a QR code that opens the form, and use one form link per event so the tag identifies the event.
- On submit, add the tags Event lead and the event name, and create an opportunity in a stage called Event follow up.
- Send a thank you text within a minute, and a call task due the next morning for the front desk.
- If the person has not replied after 2 days, send one text with a link to a booking calendar, and wait 5 more days for a last short message, then stop.
- Turn on Stop on Response so replies reach staff, and use an If/Else on the consent tag so any contact without consent receives email only.
- After the event, build a Smart List for the event tag and compare bookings with other lead sources.
The three messages, written out
Same day: Hi Jordan, this is [Clinic]. Thank you for stopping by our table at the Chamber event today. If you would like to come in, you can see our times here: [link]. Reply STOP to stop messages. Day 3: Hi Jordan, [Clinic] again. If a visit would be useful, we have openings this week. Book here: [link]. Day 10: Hi Jordan, last note from [Clinic]. If you ever want to come in, our link is [link]. None of the texts mentions a condition or a price.
Worked example
A clinic that collects 120 sign ups at an event and gets consent from 90 percent has 108 contactable people (120 times 0.9). If 25 percent reply and 20 percent of those book, that is 5 appointments (108 times 0.25 times 0.2). The percentages are assumptions to replace with your own event results, and the tag lets you measure it.
Offers and federal program patients
A free screening or discount in the message is marketing, and offers of free or discounted services to people covered by federal health programs can raise federal fraud and abuse questions. Ask your counsel before an offer goes into a text or onto the form.
Choosing which events to attend
The event tag lets you compare events by cost per patient started. Count the table fee, staff time, and materials, divide by new patients who began a plan within 60 days, and rank the events. Many clinics find that two or three events produce most of their patients, and that large public fairs produce more names and fewer patients than smaller events with a clear audience, such as a workplace or a running club. Use your own numbers to decide.
A booth day checklist
Before the event, test the QR code on two phones and print it at a size that scans from arm's length. Bring a tablet as a backup for people who cannot scan, and a sign that says what people are agreeing to. Make sure the form works on a slow connection. After the event, send the thank you within hours, not days, since the same day text is the one people remember.
How this was handled before
A staff member typed the sheets into a spreadsheet days later, called the numbers that were legible, and had no record of consent. A tagged form moves the list into the system the moment the person signs.
What to measure
Track sign ups per event, consented contacts, replies, appointments booked, and patients started, by event tag. A short list of events that produce patients is more useful than a long list of events that produce names.
Questions people ask
Can a clinic text people who signed up at a health fair?
Yes, if the form clearly obtained consent for calls and texts from the clinic and you keep a record of it.
What should an event sign up form leave out?
Health conditions, date of birth, and insurance details. Collect only what you need to reach the person.
How many follow ups are reasonable?
Three at most over about 10 days, stopping at the first reply.
To build the event form and follow up, start a GoHighLevel account here. Forms and smart lists appear in our capabilities demo.