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Platform Organization of Events and Seminars: How to choose?

 

 

Choose and compare the best tools for your event or seminar

 

Choosing the best software of events and seminars for your conference, trade show, meeting, seminar or event can be a long and tedious process.

Dozens of pricing options, hundreds of suppliers, thousands of features are included.


However, today's events cannot do without a robust event management software infrastructure, otherwise known as an event and seminar platform.

 


But where do you start?

 


This article will give you everything you need to choose your event management software.


You will be able to understand the different categories of tools, compare hundreds of solutions and suppliers...

 

On the menu...

 

What is an Event Management Software? 

 


An event management software is any type of software used to promote, plan, execute and evaluate events.


It can be an internal software that you can use to manage the event or external software that faces participants at different stages of the event (promotion, engagement, or evaluation).


Traditionally, an event management software is built around event management (project management, team communication, participant management, stakeholder management, etc.).

These are the pillards of the evolution of the Strategic Meeting Management Software (SMMP).


Recently, this definition has evolved and includes a new set of tools:

From a venue sourcing software to event applications, from online engagement tools to feedback and survey tools.

 

 

How event organizers choose their event and seminar platform

 

 

They choose their event platform mainly according to 6 factors:

 

  • Available features
  • The price
  • The support
  • Reporting / Analysis
  • The ability to manage unlimited participants

 

In terms of functionalities, what are the most used ones?

 

  1. Participant management
  2. Sending emails to participants
  3. Post-event questionnaires
  4. Event applications
  5. On-site badge management and registration system
  6. Engagement application during the event (vote, live answers, questions, etc)
  7. Venue Sourcing 
  8. Project management

 

Some tools offer all in one, while others are specialized in a segment that is not easy to choose.

 

What are the reasons for not using the event platform?

 

  • The price is often too high
  • Lack of integration with other tools
  • The complexity

 

It was noted that more than 50% of companies do not use an event platform when they organize events or seminars, so the 50% that use them, prove the growing power of these tools.

 

How to choose the company that will provide the event platform? Here are 4 criteria to consider:

 

  • The price
  • All in one
  • Technology
  • Support

 

Event Management/Seminar Software Purchasing Guide 

 

 

You have identified a technological feature that can add value to part of your process.

You have decided to implement it gradually. You also convinced your boss.

Awesome!

If you take, for example, event registration or event applications, there are hundreds of suppliers offering exactly the same product (at least on paper).


There is no single solution for all events. The granularity and fragmentation of our industry is so unique that even suppliers sometimes ignore aspects of the event planning process.


Yet, there is a superior approach to meeting the challenges of selecting the right vender for your technology.

 

 

Prices and costs

 


For event professionals using technology for the first time, the price is an important factor that is influencing the decision.

In fact, a good model is to start with a small investment and then integrate it into larger software.

We cannot overstate the difference between the cost of the technology and the actual cost to your organization.

The latter includes the cost of the technology plus the time it takes to understand, communicate and deploy it.


Although the price generally entails overall costs, it is also recommended that consideration be given to the time required for the implementation of the chosen tool and the support available from the supplier.


It is difficult to provide an objective overview of the actual costs for your business. This cost usually depends on the structure, size and skills of your team. The price is a great starting point, but we encourage you to look at the full picture before making a decision, which includes explorig the features of the event management software, testing the product, requesting references and implementations similar to your event, and carefully evaluating the support you will receive.

 


Do not exclude the free event management software. Low-cost or free tools are usually a good place to start.

 

 

The 'Freemium' models, where you can start for free and upgrade later, provide a low-risk way to get started and nothing stops you from investing afterwards if your approach is successful.


Also look for synergies and integration opportunities. More and more companies are offering multiple technological solutions.

 

If you are already using a tool, adding an extension can be much cheaper than buying an ad hoc system. Also think of shorter learning curves dictated by integration. Let's talk about that.

 

 

Integration

 


Event organizers use a range of different software tools to fill in various parts of the event management process, such as Business Intelligence and reporting tools, attendee/customer feedback systems, hotel room blocking and more.

 

Making sure that the event management software is able to communicate freely with the rest of your technology stack could save you a lot of time that would otherwise be spent importing, exporting and juggling data into spreadsheets.

 

For this reason, software integration not only saves time, but also avoids human errors.


This is particularly important if you are looking for small software companies. Although there may be advantages in their area of specialization, you want to make sure that the selected software matches the other software you are currently using.

 


All-in-one Event Management Solutions

 


One of the fastest growing areas of event technology is the all-in-one dashboard.

They are complete solutions that offer sophisticated tools, from location search to registration, from applications to smart badges.

They are the evolution of the management dashboards of strategic meetings, popular in the 2000s.

On paper, choosing an all-in-one solution is one of the smartest decisions you'll ever make.
 

On paper, reality can be different.


All-in-one solutions are certainly more practical. Data is often seamlessly transferred to different applications in real time. You can add modules as your needs change. This does not mean that you will get all these extra features for free.

 

Sometimes they will cost as much or more than stand-alone services.

Also, if you put all your eggs in the same basket, you increase the risk. What happens if the server of the company you work for is down on the day of the event? Moreover, these systems are not always flexible. Therefore, if you just need to try a little something, an all-in-one solution could force you to activate an add-on at a substantial cost.


There are advantages and disadvantages associated with all-in-one solutions and you should carefully evaluate them before making a decision.

 

Verification of supplier competence

 


Event and meeting professionals attach great importance to the qualifications of technology suppliers. Typically, this is one of the most detailed sections when preparing a Request for Proposql (RFP) for suppliers.


We believe it is extremely important to verify supplier references. We invite you to request customer references, case studies and seek opinions on social networks and comparison sites.

This is especially true if you are looking for a highly supported and expensive technology.


With such a large and competitive market, suppliers are subject to significant media hype to enhance their own credibility. We believe that the tool's technology needs to be carefully examined in conjunction with the company's reputation.


In cases where you compare companies and the technology provided is exactly the same, huge price differences are not justified by reputation alone.

 


Support


If the technology you choose refers to a vital process of your event - such as registration - in which data and payments are involved, you may want to consider the offer of support providers carefully.

There is a universal rule in event technology companies. Those who provide good support are usually the ones who succeed.

I have seen many companies with mediocre support offers inevitably fail in the long run. On-site support is particularly important.

Event technology providers often do not understand how events work. Unlike companies, events last two or three days.

Or at least most of the action will be concentrated in a peak period during the year. You can probably live with faulty systems four months before the event. You cannot afford to fail the week before the event or, in the case of an event application or engagement tools, the day of the event.

 

That's why a certain amount of ownership or on-site presence for vital technology stacks is a key part of your decision.

 

Event management software: What solutions are available? 

 


There are many different solutions in terms of event management software, focusing on many areas and types of events. Some will offer all these functions, others will specialize in a single area. What is an all-in-one solution for an event planner will not be advanced or complete enough for another event.

Here are some of the main types of event management softwares and features to explore.

 


Places and destinations

 


Choosing the right venue and destination for your event can make a difference, and technology can help you evaluate and make the best decisions wisely.

There is a plethora of market information to research and pre-select the places you are interested in, as well as to give you the means to negotiate in the best possible way.

 

Some tools focus on a single element of the room selection and reservation process, while other technologies can handle everything from research to transportation and room management.

 


Type of tools:

Selecting the destination and location

 

  • Location search
  • Comparison of locations and offers
  • RFP online
  • Venue Sourcing
  • Real-time room availability and reservation systems 
  • Marketplace
  • Search online
  • Search for DMC (Destination management company or local receptive agency)

 

Negotiation of the venue of the meeting / seminar / event

 

  • Automated quote generation
  • Online quote generators
  • Strategic site sourcing solutions
  • Comparison of reservation history
  • Estimate of taxes, tips and additional expenses

 


Accommodation

 

  • Blocks of rooms and accommodations (reservation, option installation)
  • Management of rooming lists

 

Transportation 

 

  • Flights
  • Transfer
  • Carpooling

 

Connectivity / Wifi / Miscellaneous

 

  • WiFi connectivity
  • Temporary WiFi access points
  • Virtual Concierge
  • Robots / IA

 

Attendee management / Subscription and registration

 

Online registration and ticketing is an integral part of most of today's events, even for free events and seminars for participants.

 

Most event organizers use an online system to inform those who wish to attend the event, saving time and ensuring better accuracy (no problem deciphering poor handwriting).

 

 

Type of tools:

 


Online registration and subscription management software (participant management)

 

Online Registration

 

  • Online Ticketing
  • Personalized registration forms
  • Electronic signature of legal documents (CGV, Contract, etc)
  • Secure online payments

 

Accounting and financing

 

  • Financial software
  • Budgeting tools
  • Expenditure tracking
  • Accounting applications
  •  

Event and project management software package

 


There are all-in-one solutions that can handle registration, task management, marketing and communication within a single platform.

 

Of course, there are many benefits to having comprehensive tools that help you manage everything in one place and give assurance that if data is updated, it is updated globally.

 

Type of tools:


Event and project management software package

 

  • All-in-one solutions
  • Project management software
  • Gantt charts
  • Workflow
  • Task management
  • Training
  • Data portability / APIs
  • Supplier management
  • File sharing and storage
  • Event design and plans
  • Management of strategic meetings
  • Meeting plans
  • Calendar of dates
  • Independent websites
  • Communication tools
  • Evaluation and reporting tools
  • Satisfaction survey tools and ROI
  • Calculations of CO2 emissions

 

Event marketing tools


Type of tools:

  • Event Websites
  • Landing pages
  • CRM
  • Email marketing
  • Inbox management
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Social walls
  • Interactive display
  • Digital display
  • Group Collaboration Tools
  • Monitoring and reporting
  • Google Analytics
  • Social Media Analysis

 

 

 

Comparison of event and seminar management software

 

We will not compare the software, there are too many of them and in our humble opinion, their paid business model is counter-productive.

As you can see, choosing your event and seminar platform is not an easy task and yet, we haven't covered all the points.

 

So what can we do about it?

 

Just one tip: try Genius Meetings, the only event platform that is 100% free!

 

 

 

 

 

To organize your seminar and event with Genius Meetings,

Register here, it's free!