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What is an Event Management System?
An event management system is software that allows you to carry out all aspects of event planning—from marketing and registration to catering and seating arrangements—in a single, online dashboard. Available for in-person, virtual, or hybrid events, event management software places all the moving parts of event planning into a single platform, covering the full event lifecycle, so that nothing can slip through the cracks.
Whether planning a once-off, one-venue event, such as a conference or festival, or an ongoing, multi-venue event, such as class scheduling on a university campus, event management software streamlines the process, helping you maximise your space, budget, attendance, and attendee experience.
Benefits of using an Event Management System
The benefits of event management software are numerous. By switching from a siloed system, where each component of event planning and operations is managed by a separate system, you streamline your workflow for a more seamless experience both behind the scenes and for your attendees.
The benefits include:
1. Time-saving and efficiency
Perhaps the most pronounced benefit of an integrated event management system is the time and effort it saves event organisers. By automating many of the once-manual tasks involved in event planning— such as ticketing, attendance tracking, seating arrangements, and communications—you spend less time on menial tasks and more time on enhancing the quality of the event itself. When the event planning gets easier, the event content gets better.
2. Enhanced attendee experience
Event management software allows you to create a frictionless experience for attendees at every stage of the event lifecycle. From quick and intuitive registration to helpful reminders and post-event follow-up emails, attendees are left feeling valued and engaged. This increases the likelihood that they will attend your events in future.
3. Increased reach and attendance
An event management system creates a digital home for your event, making it easy to advertise it to your audience by simply linking to a webpage. Many event management platforms also integrate social media and even paid advertising opportunities so that you can reach as many potential participants as possible.
4. Seamless stakeholder management
Event management software enables you to coordinate with all third parties involved in the event, such as vendors, speakers, sponsors, and attendees through a single, centralised platform. For example, if your event includes a catered lunch, you can integrate menu options into the online registration system and give your caterer access to that data via your event management platform.
This is just one example of how event management software helps you communicate clearly and effectively with various stakeholders.
5. Budgeting and resource maximisation
An event management system makes it easier to track your expenses in line with ticket sales to ensure you’re staying within your planned budget. During the registration process, you’re able to make real-time adjustments to optimise your budget and resources.
For instance, based on the rate of ticket sales, you might decide to reduce or add more seating, adjust catering orders, or change venue arrangements to better fit the number of participants. This flexibility makes it easy to maximise your budget and allocate resources as efficiently as possible.
6. Informed, real-time decision-making
Unlike fragmented, offline event planning, event management software allows you to track registrations and get a real-time overview of how the event is progressing. This enables you to make quick, informed decisions based on real-time data. For example, if tickets are selling quickly, you may decide to open up a second venue or add a second event date.
Alternatively, if ticket sales are slow, you may boost your marketing efforts or switch to a lower-capacity venue.
7. Improved post-event analysis
Most event management systems include thorough reporting and analytics tools so that you can gain a better understanding of where your event was successful and areas you could improve for future events. These tools allow you to analyse how attendees found out about the event, attendee demographics and preferences, engagement levels with different event segments, any feedback collected, and much more.
8. Data access for future event planning
An event management system makes it easy to view data from previous events so that you can organise new events without needing to start from scratch. You’ll be able to access contact information from past event attendees, view historical attendance patterns, and leverage insights on marketing, budgeting, and day-of resource allocation. All of this helps your event planning team run like a well-oiled machine.
Top 5 event management systems
Creating an effective and engaging event starts with choosing the right event management system. Here’s a concise overview of the top 5 event management systems that can help you streamline your planning process and ensure a successful event:
1. Eventbrite
Eventbrite is a versatile platform suitable for events ranging from small workshops to large music festivals. It's user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with social media to enhance event promotion. Key features include:
- Customisable event pages
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Mobile app for on-the-go management
- Free service tier for free events
2. idloom.events
idloom.events offers a professional toolset for handling every crucial aspect of event management, making it ideal for managing online, live, and hybrid events. Its notable features include:
- Automated processes for efficiency
- Multilingual, multipage event website creation
- Comprehensive attendee and session management
- Features like payment processing, email marketing, and ticketing
3. LineUpr
LineUpr is excellent for creating event apps that enhance attendee engagement and provide essential event information on mobile devices. The platform focuses on:
- Real-time content updates and notifications
- Interactive features such as polls and feedback surveys
- Easy integration with existing tools
4. Hubs101
Hubs101 provides a robust environment for networking and engagement, making it perfect for corporate events and conferences. It includes:
- Personalised agendas and matchmaking tools
- In-depth analytics for measuring event success
- Integration with CRM systems for seamless data flow
5. Ticketareo
Ticketareo is best known for its straightforward ticketing solutions, making it suitable for concerts, sports events, and other ticket-centric gatherings. Features include:
- Quick and easy ticket setup
- Real-time sales tracking
- Basic event promotion tools
What to look for in an Event Management System
When researching different event management software providers, you want to look for one that covers marketing, operations, analytics, and participant engagement. The more comprehensive and scalable, the better.
Below are the key components to look for in an event management system.
1. Virtual, in-person, and hybrid event management
When researching different event management software providers, it’s important to consider not only the event you’re currently planning but also events you may plan in the future. For this reason, it’s best to choose an event management system that works for online events, in-person events, and hybrid events with both in-person and online components.
This positions you well for all of your future event organising, while also providing a contingency plan if circumstances (e.g. a health pandemic or poor weather) require you to switch the event from in-person to virtual at short notice.
2. Robust registration / ticketing capabilities
Any quality event management system should include a seamless registration/ticketing function that’s user-friendly, customisable, and integrated with other key components of the event (e.g. seating/capacity management, catering options, parking, VIP access, etc.). Look for event management software that allows you to add multiple variants and add-ons to the registration process.
You should be able to easily customise the registration form so that you can collect all the information you need from each attendee.
3. Secure, user-friendly payment processing
As part of its registration/ticketing function, your event management system should include secure payment processing that meets PCI DSS standards. Consider the ways that your potential attendees prefer to pay (e.g. credit card, Apple Pay, Klarna, etc.) and look for an event software provider that can incorporate those payment methods.
The payment journey should be seamless, embedded within the rest of the registration process, and accessible from any size device.
Find out how you can accept all these payment methods and more
4. Automated marketing and engagement tools
Your event management system should assist you with more than just planning and organising—it should help you promote your event as well. Look for event software with email marketing, social media integration, SEO tools, customisable landing pages, and even paid advertising opportunities.
Your event management system should also make it easy to automate emails, reminders, and notifications to the right contacts so that you can spend less time on manual communication and more time delivering an engaging event program.
5. Easy integrations with video, calendar, email, and CRM platforms
Not all functions and tools within a high-quality event management system need to be built-in, proprietary features. In fact, it’s often easier if your event software allows you to integrate your existing customer relationship management platform, preferred video software (e.g. Zoom, Teams, Webx, etc.), email (e.g. Outlook, Gmail, etc.) and calendar platforms (e.g. Google Calendar).
When researching your options, consider which event software offers the right amount of flexibility and compatibility with the tools your team already uses. Not only does this help ensure seamless workflows, but it also lessens the learning curve and reduces the likelihood of mistakes and technical glitches during the event planning process.
6. Customisation and branding options
Your event management system should allow you to customise each component to match the branding and styling of the event itself. This aspect of event management is often overlooked by organisers, but it’s essential to ensuring your event feels professional, cohesive, and uniquely representative of your company.
When registration pages, tickets, event emails, and virtual meeting spaces lack cohesive styling, the event appears amateur and disjointed. This can undermine attendees’ overall experience and reduce the likelihood of engagement.
7. Venue management and seating arrangements
Whether your event is taking place in a physical venue (or multiple physical venues), a virtual venue, or a combination of physical and virtual spaces, your event management system should account for capacity limits and any specific seating requirements or preferences. It should give you the ability to adjust capacities, add seating maps, and set ticket prices based on seating categories and locations.
For in-person events with varied seating options, potential attendees should be available to view seat availability in real-time and select their preferences at the point of sale. When an event or event segment reaches its maximum capacity, registration should be automatically closed to avoid overselling.
8. Mobile admin access and real-time tracking
No event organiser should be tied to a desk when planning, adjusting, and monitoring their upcoming events. Look for an event management system that is accessible on the go, either through a mobile-friendly website, a mobile app, or both.
This is particularly important for managing logistics and last-minute updates on the day of an in-person event. Having the ability to make changes, send notifications, and track real-time attendance from a mobile phone or tablet is invaluable in the busy hours leading up to an event.
9. In-depth analytics and reporting tools
When comparing different event management software programs, ask about the reporting and analytics tools each provides. Choosing a system that presents event data–such as referral sources, attendee demographics, attendee engagement, and the popularity of different event segments–in a way that’s clear and accessible is invaluable. Robust analytics and reporting tools will allow you to learn from each event so that you can improve and perfect your event strategies in the future.
10. Industry-specific expertise
Although many event management systems are designed to work across a range of industries, it may be worthwhile to use software specifically designed for your sector. Not only will the backend of your event management system be more tailored to your specific requirements, but the customer support you receive will be from a team that’s more likely to understand your needs and provide relevant, industry-specific insight.
FAQs
Can we sell tickets and collect registration information directly from our own website?
Yes, many software management systems make it easy for you to embed the registration and ticket sale process directly into your company’s website. You should also be able to customise the look and feel of the user interface so that it matches your event’s unique branding.
This creates a professional, cohesive user experience that encourages registrations and leaves event attendees with a positive impression of your organisation.
What aspects of event organising can be automated using event management software?
Many components of event planning that were traditionally done manually can now be automated using event management software, including:
- Ticket sales and registration
- Space utilisation and seating arrangements
- Event communication (for example, emails, calendar updates, push notifications)
- Collecting attendee feedback
- Reporting and analytics
How does event management software handle changes, cancellations, and refunds?
One of the best reasons to use event management software if for the ease with which it handles cancellations, date/time changes, and refunds. A quality event management system will allow you to process individual attendee cancellations and refunds in line with your displayed cancellation policy and, if required, will automatically update your event capacity to reflect the new availability.
In the event that you, the event organisers, need to cancel the entire event, you will be able to notify all attendees and initiate a bulk refund process so that everyone is informed and reimbursed efficiently. When it comes to event-wide changes and cancellations, event management software reduces was once a tedious, time-consuming process into less than an hour’s work.
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