The reception desk is where a visit begins. Traditionally staffed by a receptionist with a paper book and a phone, it is now often a tablet, a badge printer and a host notification going straight to the person being visited.
Unstaffed reception is increasingly normal in smaller offices. It works when arrival is self-service and reliable: the visitor checks in, the host is alerted, and a badge prints. It fails when a visitor arrives to a locked screen and no fallback.
Whether staffed or not, the desk is where the evacuation list starts, so it needs to capture everyone including contractors and deliveries.