Event Management Software: Friend or Foe?

There are people who swear by the benefits of event management software. There are also people who don’t even want to consider implementing the use of software when organizing an event. Which side of the fence do you sit on?

If you are staffed with the responsibility of organizing, planning, and managing an event, it is essential to take advantage of each and every tool at your disposal. Anything you can use to better your chance of success is something you should consider.

Before we get into the benefits of using event management software, let’s take a look at two of the primary reasons why many people avoid this at all costs:

1. Learning curve. Despite the benefits, these people don’t want to face the learning curve associated with event management software. This holds true even though most programs are user friendly.

2. Lack of control. There is a myth that the use of software can lead to a lack of control and a less personal experience. In all actuality, the exact opposite is the truth. This will allow you to gain control of each aspect of the event, focusing on the organization of every detail.

Why Event Management Software is your Best Friend

With the use of event management software, such as the one offered by Cvent, event planners can benefit in many ways:

• Increase attendance
• Decrease costs
• Automate the event from registration to check in
• Allows you to focus individually on each task
• Generate reports to track success and improve future events

In addition to the software offered by Cvent, which is one of the most popular in the industry, there are several others to consider, each with their own strengths and capabilities:

• Eventbrite (a Tweetwall partner)
• Eventzilla
• Active Events
• EMS Software

Similarities and Differences

If you have come to the conclusion that the use of event management software would be in your best interest, you have a big decision to make: which program are you going to rely on?

It goes without saying that you want to choose the software that will make your life easiest, without breaking the bank.

To make a decision, you should focus your efforts on finding the application that provides the right features at the right cost. Here are some of the things you should be looking for:

• Online registration capabilities
• Procurement and sourcing
• Expense tracking
• Exhibition management, including floor planning
• On-site operations ranging from registration to badges

While every offering will share some features, there are key factors that differentiate each application from the pack. You have to know what is most important to you.

You Owe it to yourself

There is more to event management than meets the eye. If you have ever organized an event in the past, you know that this statement is 100 percent true.

For those who have neglected to experiment with event management software, the time for making a change is now. This one addition to your day to day operations could help you take your next event to new heights.