How to select an event management solution to better fit your requirements

Any event organizer is most likely to say that each event is unique just as much as it is like others. This creates a dilemma when creating an automated business structure, since you can automate mutual requirements but need to adjust for unique ones.

There is always more than one way to do something, however efficiency is the definition we should be looking for, especially in a stressful business such as event organization.

Event management software has been around for the last two decades. It's main goal, just like other software is to automate our processes and ease our overall workflow. However, if not selected properly, such software can complicate your workflow rather than simplifying it. As event organizers, it is crucial t3o identify the core needs of your event types and select a software that covers the most essential ones, but also has as much wiggle room to it as possible for unique requirements.

All events have one thing in common: attendees. In order to organize the attendees of any given event, some kind of registration form or process (ticketing/ RSVP/ Yes-No) is required. Aside from this however, the marketing of the event is a question of importance. Hence, if you tend to organize events with new attendees each time rather than in-house meetings and company events etc. you will need to market your event. The simplest way to do this is through an event website. Although many event management software provide this feature, there are many who do not. Designing, hosting, managing are all good points to take into consideration since you will certainly make changes to your event website along the way and will have to notify your attendees about them. Being able to seamlessly customize and edit your event website will save you a lot of time and effort. From personal experience, I can easily say that being able to manage your event management platform on your own is much simpler and more efficient than passing on the message to your service provider and asking them to complete a task or make a change for you. Much more time efficient and error free. Ever heard the saying “If you want something done, you have to do it yourself"?

Features such as virtual event capabilities, hotel management, venue sourcing, abstract management, mobile app compatibility etc. are all more niche areas for events. Registering, tracking and managing your attendees and marketing your events are the most common requirements. So be sure the software you choose allows you to manage these processes efficiently. Software is meant to ease your workflow while increasing the value of your services.

One more trait I believe is a must with event management software is customer support. Every system, every software, everything built tends to cause error at some point. This is perfectly normal. The question should be not if it will fail at some point but what will we do when it does? Especially if such a case happens during the check-in of your event or the event itself during a virtual event. Be sure that your service providers tend to respond to your questions and requests for assistance in short periods of time. This might be the most important trait if you are looking to moving your entire operation onto an online platform.

In conclusion, although there are many more traits and features that can meet the specific requirements for each event's niche area, marketing your event, registering managing and tracking your attendees, having responsive customer support are the vital features your service provider should possess.