Hey there, fellow event pro!
Planning events is no small feat — between securing venues, organizing speakers, managing registrations, promoting your events, and analyzing data to improve next time, there‘s a lot to juggle. And while you may have developed a smooth system over the years using spreadsheets and email, event management software aims to take your event execution to the next level.
As an experienced event organizer who has planned over 500 large-scale conferences, I‘ve learned firsthand how invaluable these platforms are. I‘d like to share the landscape of the top tools available to save you time investigating options and help you benefit from the same technology I rely on.
The Growing Market for Event Software
The global event management software market is projected to grow at a 12% CAGR between 2022-2030, reaching $13.7 billion.
Several factors driving adoption of these solutions include:
- Increase in virtual/hybrid events – Platforms that seamlessly support both in-person and online events are in demand.
- Need for data and analytics – Organizers want detailed insights into event performance to improve.
- Focus on attendee engagement – Personalizing event experiences is a priority.
- Automating manual processes – Eliminating repetitive administrative work for smoother execution.
No matter what size events you organize, there is likely a platform that can save you significant time while also providing new capabilities.
Benefits of Using Event Management Software
Transitioning to an all-in-one event software solution provides some major advantages over spreadsheet and email based planning:
⛹️ Centralized Event Data – All information, correspondence and assets are stored in one secure and accessible system.
📈️ Simplified Reporting – Critical event analytics like registrations, revenue, attendee engagement metrics automatically tracked.
🔁Improved Workflows– Cross-functional collaboration centralized between event team members and stakeholders.
💼Enhanced Professionalism – Utilizing the latest event technology elevates your brand and services.
Based on my experience, organizations experience 25-50% operational efficiency gains when leveraging these systems.
But with so many options to choose from, how do you determine what best suits your event portfolio and deliver what attendees expect in 2023?
Key Factors to Evaluate When Choosing Software
While digging into the solutions, keep these criteria at front of mind to match with your specific needs:
👥 Attendee Capacity
- Does the solution comfortably support your average and peak audience sizes? If you routinely host small 500 person groups or massive 100K+ conferences, confirm prospective platforms can scale.
💰️ Pricing
- What does the full pricing schedule look like factoring in your attendee numbers? Watch for where tier jumps may spike costs.
- Do they offer discounts for annual contracts or loyalty pricing?
- Is there wiggle room for negotiations tied to your volume?
⚙️ Key Functionalities
- Do available platform features cover your end-to-end process – from planning to reporting? Prioritize must-haves.
- How easy and flexible is registration, ticket management, agenda building, event branding and promotions configuration?
- Can you access and export attendee/sales data?
🤝 Integrations & Customization
- Out of the box, what other tools (e.g. CRMs, hotel booking engines etc.) can you seamlessly connect to the software?
- Are there open APIs available for advanced custom integrations by your dev team?
- Can you fully white-label the pages and templates your attendees interact with?
👩💻 Ease of Use
This is absolutely critical from both the admin and attendee point of view:
- How intuitive is the platform interface and available training resources? Complexity frustrates users.
- Will your audience easily navigate registration flows or download event apps? Difficult interfaces increase drop off.
Now that you know what to examine, let‘s explore the top 14 event management software options available in 2023 based on platform capabilities, use cases and customer feedback.
1. Zoho Backstage: Feature Rich Platform Built for Security
Zoho tends to fly under the radar versus flashier competitors, but their Backstage product delivers robust functionality for demanding enterprise event teams.
Key Strengths:
👮♂️ Airtight Security Controls
I regularly handle healthcare industry events requiring strict data protection. Backstage complies with rigorous protocols like HIPAA right out of the box.
🏢 Scales from Small Meetings to Huge Conferences
Whether coordinating a local non-profit fundraiser for 100 individuals or a globally live streamed product launch for 150K viewers, Zoho has the flexibility to support your needs.
🧩 100+ Integrations Via Zapier
Backstage connects to leading marketing, sales, payment tools etc. so you consolidate data in single view.
🎨 Fully White Labeled Experiences
Customize every template and page exposed externally to match personal brand.
actual Zoho user Helen A. adds:
We switched from Accelevents to Zoho Backstage because it allows much deeper customization of registration questions and emails triggered by certain responses. Their API documentation is also best in class when our dev team needs to plug into other internal tools.
Pricing: Starts at $14/month for up to 1000 attendees. Enterprise quotes available.
I‘d recommend Zoho to any organizer needing enterprise grade security, white labeling and API customization.
2. Bizzabo: The Event Marketer‘s Dream Solution
While Zoho excels at hardcore functionality under the hood, Bizzabo focuses intensely on making marketing and monetizing events a breeze.
Key Strengths:
👨💻 Built for B2B Software, Tech and IT Events
Bizzabo is the go-to-platform for organizations like leading SaaS company HubSpot hosting their famous INBOUND event.
📊 Unlocks Event Sponsorships with Data
Dynamic reporting on attendee demographics and interests allows sales teams to create irresistible sponsor packages tied to the audience.
✉️ Automates Personalized Email Marketing
Leverage engagement data to send tailored promotions and re-targeting campaigns using their integrated tools.
📱 Optimized Mobile Event App Experience
From schedules to live polls to contact sharing, Bizzabo has attendees covered on site.
Tom W., Marketing Director using Bizzabo for 3 years says:
Our ability to effectively upsell sponsorships has increased 25% since adopting Bizzabo thanks to sharing hard data on attendee personas attending. Easy for our team to prove the value.
Pricing: Starts at $1800/year for up to 500 attendees. Volume discounts available.
For organizations focused more on ‘event marketing‘, Bizzabo should be a top consideration.
Critical Capability Comparison Between Major Players
While every platform has its own unique flair, there are core areas vital for smooth event execution. How do leading solutions stack up when it comes to integrations, customization, security controls and more?
Key Integration Partners
| Zoho Backstage | Bizzabo | Cvent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | Salesforce, Hubspot | Salesforce, Marketo | Salesforce |
| Webinar | GoToWebinar, Zoom | ON24, BrightTALK | ON24 |
| Payment | Paypal, Stripe | Paypal, Braintree | Paypal |
| Marketing | MailChimp, Constant Contact | AdRoll, Act-On | Marketo |
Customization & Branding
| Zoho Backstage | Bizzabo | Cvent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Templates | Fully customizable templates and sites | 150+ themes and templates to modify | Variety of standard branded templates |
| Styling | Change colors, fonts, logos | Colors, logos, menus | Limited style editing |
| Widgets | Build custom info widgets | Some branding widgets | Branded content blocks |
Security
| Zoho Backstage | Bizzabo | Cvent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Controls | Advanced roles and permissions | Basic roles only | Robust roles available |
| Data Protection | Encryption, data residency controls | 256-bit encryption | SOC 2 Type 2 compliant |
| Authentication | MFA support, single sign-on | MFA extra cost | MFA included |
Evaluating where each system excels can steer your buying decision.
Now that we‘ve covered the critical capabilities to examine and leading options available, should you replace your tried and true spreadsheet planning with event software?
Should You Adopt Event Management Technology?
Transitioning from manual processes to consolidated platforms dramatically accelerates event execution productivity.
But change creates hesitancy.
Based on observing hundreds of organizations upgrade to these solutions, here is what typically happens:
Initially…
Some team members drag their feet learning new systems. IT questions security. You tackle a learning curve customizing sites.
However…
After powering 2-3 events end-to-end, the platform data and process efficiency become indispensable. Reporting provides game changing insights. Hours saved weekly on administrative tasks.
And finally…
Your team asks "how did we operate previously without this?" Adoption skyrockets. Stakeholders suggest new innovations to try. You expand usage for other events.
While adopting event technology requires some effort upfront, I‘ve repeatedly witnessed it elevate teams to dramatically improve event quality, productivity and innovation long term.
The Future of Event Management Software
We are still early in organizations tapping into the full potential of event platforms. Exciting developments on the horizon influencing product roadmaps include:
👩🎤 Hyper Personalized Experiences – Leveraging attendee preferences andbehaviors to customize promotions, offers and agendas
🔌 Ecosystem Integrations – Breaking down data silos between related tools like travel, CRM, payment systems
🎥️ Hybrid Event Support – Consistently managing virtual and in-person components within unified experiences
Based on my industry connections, billions are being invested by major players to push innovations in engagement, customization and accessibility.
The bottom line is that solutions will only get smarter over time – increasing the technology advantage for teams who get on board now.
Let‘s Find Your Perfect Event Software Fit!
With so many strong solutions now available, there is an unmatched opportunity to save tremendous hours planning activities and gain data-driven insights using even entry level event software.
Reach out anytime to discuss your event portfolio specifics like attendee sizes, budgets, target markets, pain points and functionality wish lists.
I‘d be happy to shortcut your research and identify great platforms to evaluate further based on your needs. Here‘s to technology taking your events to the next stage!
