Organizing and managing an event represents a significant financial commitment for any organization, and understanding its return on investment (ROI) is paramount. Over 90% of event producers believe that utilizing event management software can help them achieve their business objectives.
Are you planning sports tournaments? A corporate conference? A music festival? All three? This blog post will explore some of the best event management software on the market so you can make your next event a big hit, with much less stress!
Event management software platforms assist event producers in planning and organizing various aspects of an event. They’re must-have tools for significant events like conferences, sports tournaments, and trade shows—but are also helpful for smaller events.
Depending on the platform, event management software can cover:
• Hotel room block management and attendee booking
• Event scheduling and agenda building
• Registration, ticketing, and payment processing
• Attendee communication and engagement
• Reporting, analytics, and ROI tracking
This may seem obvious, but ease of use is a crucial factor. You want simple software that's easy to set up and use, allowing you to quickly manage your events and see a return on investment (ROI), without requiring technical expertise, coding, or developer experience.
Modern software solutions provide unparalleled customization features, enabling organizers to create a personalized experience for attendees. From personalized communication to custom branding options, the right event management software platform can be tailored to reflect your company, the event's focus, and the needs of your attendees.
Your event management software platform should be flexible, providing precisely what you need for your event, whether it's a large conference or a small meeting.
When selecting event management software, consider the security and compliance standards that the software adheres to. Do they offer data encryption, access controls, payment security, GDPR compliance, and integration with other security tools and functions?
By prioritizing security and compliance, you can help to ensure the protection of sensitive data and adherence to legal and industry standards.
Having advanced reporting and analytics functions in event management software is crucial for data-driven decision-making, optimizing resources, and enhancing the overall attendee experience. Key metrics to track typically include attendance numbers, revenue generation, marketing effectiveness, and attendee engagement.
This data not only helps to evaluate the event's performance but also plays a vital role in securing future funding by demonstrating ROI, evidencing growth potential, and aiding strategic planning and overall credibility for future events.
Let’s take a look at the best event management software platforms in 2024 based on ease of use, features and customer support.
Best for: Comprehensive event housing management
EventPipe stands out as a cutting-edge event housing management solution, offering a seamless and efficient process for event producers, housing companies, and CVBs (Convention and Visitors Bureaus).
This end-to-end platform helps you quickly launch customized booking websites, manage hotel blocks and sub-blocks, streamline the hotel RFP process, automate reporting and invoicing, and access additional revenue opportunities–all from one place.
From sporting events to corporate conventions, music festivals, and beyond, this modern solution simplifies the traditionally complex world of event housing.
Best for: Event and sports team management
The Stack Sports platform offers a range of solutions for sports management, camps and events, payments, and more. Key features include professional website designs, mobile app tools for team communication, enrichment programs, payment solutions, and a video library with over 11,000 videos.
Best for: In-person, hybrid, and virtual events
Accelevents is a top-tier event management platform designed for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. This powerful software seamlessly integrates advanced features with an intuitive user interface, making event planning effortless.
As a comprehensive event management solution, Accelevents has earned the trust of over 12,500 organizations worldwide. One of its standout features is its exceptional 24/7 customer support, ensuring you're never alone on your event planning journey.
The platform provides a high degree of customization, tailoring features to the unique needs of each event.
Best for: Large-scale event management
Cvent is an event and hospitality technology company that helps event planners and producers find venues and hotels, plan and promote their events, increase attendee engagement, and track return on investment.
The company provides 24/7 customer service and offers real-time reporting and insights on attendee engagement. Cvent's Business Intelligence tools also enable hoteliers to pinpoint and capitalize on the best market opportunities, connecting them with over 110,000 event planners and producers for their events.
Best for: Hybrid events
Whova is an all-in-one event management software designed for planning any event, whether it's in-person, online, or a combination of both. It helps you plan your event easily, from setting up sign-ups to creating fun schedules. Whova also allows you to chat with people who come to your event, which is a good way to keep everyone connected and involved.
With Whova, you can create interactive maps, share documents, maintain branding, and create a personal agenda.
Best for: Simplifying ticket selling
Eventbrite is an international platform that allows you to easily set up ticket sales for a wide range of events, including sports tournaments, music festivals, conferences, and fundraisers. It allows users to create, find, share, and attend events that enrich their lives. Eventbrite is all about connecting people worldwide through fun and engaging live events.
There are four plans available on this platform, depending on the number of tickets you want to sell: Free, Flex, Pro, and Premium.
Best for: Virtual events
Zoom Events is an event platform that enables you to manage all types of events—virtual, hybrid, large, or small. It will help you to stream sessions directly on the main screen, allowing attendees to choose what they want to watch. It's also great for networking, as it will enable attendees, whether they're present in person or online, to connect during the event.
Plus, Zoom Events has intelligent analytics and tools to help you drive revenue during your events.
Best for: Virtual conferences and trade shows
vFairs is a one-stop shop platform for managing events of all kinds—virtual or in-person, conferences, trade shows, and job fairs. You can get custom mobile apps for on-the-go planning to keep your attendees engaged. With a variety of tools for registration, setup, and analytics, vFairs ensures that you can plan, market, and host your events well.
Best for: End-to-end event management
Stova can be used for a variety of events, from business meetings to social gatherings. The company has over a decade of experience in the field, merging three brands—MeetingPlay, Aventri, and EventCore—to deliver successful events.
Best for: Integrated webinar and event features
Webex Events is a collaboration suite that combines meetings, calls, messaging, event management, webinars, polling, and more in one place. This platform enables employers to allow flexible workstyles and reimagine workspaces that are safe, secure, and supportive. With Webex Events, you can seamlessly combine in-person and online events to connect with your audience.
Get calling, meetings, messaging, webinars, event management, polling, and more—in one unified platform, at one low cost.
Event management software optimizes time and costs by standardizing processes, automating repetitive tasks, and providing efficient scheduling capabilities. The shift towards a digital-first approach further enhances accessibility and scalability, ensuring that the platform evolves in response to the changing needs of event planners and organizers.
An event management system facilitates instant communication among all involved parties, making it easier to share timely information. Automated notifications and mobile capabilities help keep everyone informed of changes and plans, eliminating problems caused by miscommunications.
Event management software facilitates a thorough analysis of event successes and failures. Detailed reporting on every event enables users to identify areas for improvement, refine processes, and ensure the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
The most significant aspect of producing an event is ROI, which is where software, technology, and tools play a crucial role. If you’re a CVB or destination, EventPipe helps you track overall revenue, rebates, commissions, pick-up rates, and more. Track every metric, both in real-time during the event and after it concludes, so you can continue to improve and demonstrate the economic impact of your event.
Selecting the right event management software can significantly impact the success of your events. With numerous options available in today’s market, choosing one that meets your specific needs is crucial.
If you're looking for software to manage your event housing, look no further than EventPipe. From customizable booking sites and group block management to streamlined RFP processes and simplified attendee booking, EventPipe offers a versatile platform that caters to the many needs of event producers.
Its commitment to data reporting and analytics ensures that organizers can make informed decisions, optimize future events, and demonstrate the impact of their endeavors.
Ready to revolutionize your event management experience?
For small businesses, the right platform depends on what type of event you are running. EventPipe is a strong fit for organizations managing hotel room blocks, even at smaller scales. Eventbrite is a popular option for ticketed events. WildApricot works well for groups that manage both memberships and events together.
In-person events involve a lot of moving parts: venue logistics, hotel accommodations, transportation, and on-site coordination. For the hotel and housing side of in-person events, EventPipe is built specifically for that workflow. For broader in-person management including registration, check-in, and attendee engagement, Accelevents, Stova, and vFairs are solid options.
Zoom Events and vFairs are strong choices for conference management, particularly for virtual or hybrid formats. For associations and organizations managing hotel blocks for their annual conferences, EventPipe handles the housing side that general conference platforms do not cover in depth.
For large-scale corporate gatherings, Cvent and Webex Events offer enterprise-grade features across event logistics, communications, and integrations. EventPipe is the right addition when corporate events involve contracted hotel blocks and accommodation management for a group of attendees.
Jeff is the Marketing Manager at EventPipe. He brings a decade of Marketing experience with a background in social media, events, SEO, and content. Outside of work, Jeff is an independent Hip Hop artist who regularly releases and performs his music and loves to golf and play ice hockey in his spare time. Jeff holds a bachelor of arts in Economics from Union College, with a minor in Spanish.
