How to choose among the event solutions on the market?

The organization of an event is a complex process that has evolved considerably in recent years. In the past, the event organizer had to do everything himself. Paper notes and endless lists were his best allies! With the development of the internet and the rise of new technologies, event solutions have appeared (to everyone’s delight)! 

Now, the difficulty comes back to choosing the right event management software! At Eventdrive, we know how risky this mission can be, so we decided to give you a little help! Today, we are guiding you to help you choose the best event solution to support you. 

What is an event solution?

An event solution is a software that allows you to plan your event more simply. Not only does it help you in your daily tasks as an organizer, but it can also allow you to collaborate more easily with your teams, to execute certain tasks, to plan more globally.

A good event solution helps you on different levels: for project management, registration and attendee management, recruitment of service providers, budget management or data analysis.

The criteria to be taken into account when choosing your event solution 

We know how difficult it can be to choose your event solution, especially with the multiplication of offers. To make your choice easier, there are some points to look at first. 

If the possibilities offered by the preselected solutions do not suit you, just look at the next one, until you find the rare pearl!

The features

The range of functions of your event solution should be one of your main criteria for choice. The features of an event solution can be quite diversified and vary from one solution to another.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the features you would like to have:

• Project management: your tool should help you create a calendar and manage the tasks to be carried out daily. You must be able to manage your budget online by recording all expenses and revenues.

• Facilitate communication: you should be able to manage your guests, send personalized invitations and be able to create forms on the same platform. On the communication side, the launch of a website dedicated to your event is becoming more and more common and should be as easy as the launch of a mobile application. Sending email and SMS campaigns should also be part of the possibilities.

• Maximize interactivity: pre-event management is essential, but you should also think about the options to be used on D-Day. For example, you would like to be able to set up a simple and efficient check-in. On the commitment side, having the possibility to stimulate the participants with interactive activities is also a big plus, especially for online events !

• Measuring performance: finally, a relevant event solution will give you figures to evaluate your results. Whether through surveys with participants, data collected during the process or simple reporting of your activities. The measurement of your ROI should be done simply, in a few clicks, without complicated settings on your part.

• Bonus, live streaming : an event management software with all the features mentioned higher up is essential, but in these times, live streaming is also a major asset. By choosing such a solution, you will be able to overcome the impossibility of organising physical events, animate the dynamics of your company and continue to develop your business relationships. 

The support

Sometimes problems are encountered when using a new solution. These small obstacles can be due to 2 problems. 

Either you can’t manage to use the tool, despite the tutorials and training you have had. In these cases, it is essential to be able to communicate quickly with a team member to unblock the situation.

Another possibility is that a bug has occurred. If the solution is well managed, this kind of problem should only rarely happen. But if you are the person who finds out about it, you must be able to escalate the information so that the bug is fixed quickly.

Ideally, support for the event solution you choose should be available 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. Start from this premise and compare the different options. We advise you to eliminate software that does not offer support or that offers support as a paid option or for a short period of time.

Ease of use

The installation and use of an event solution are 2 criteria to be taken into account. Can you imagine having to spend hours understanding the use of the latest technology you have just installed? No, of course not.

Event solutions are supposed to be there to simplify your life as an event organizer, not the other way around.

So take the time to watch videos of the different software and read user testimonials. Finally, take the time to do a demonstration of the tool before signing any contract.

During the demonstration, you will be able to see all the features in real time. It will also be the ideal time to ask questions about the options and possibilities of the tool: you won’t find a better expert than the person giving you the demonstration! This will give you complete visibility.

The price

The price of your event solution will inevitably weigh in the balance, especially if the budget you can devote to it is not high. It can be interesting to start with a small investment, and then increase as you go along if you are satisfied.

The main question to ask yourself is: will my return on investment be sufficient? You need to know if you are willing to invest a certain amount in an event solution. To help you in your approach, just look at all the benefits that your management software will bring you: time saving, simplification of tasks, simplified data analysis… In short, everything you would do more easily.

By setting up this scale, you should estimate if the price of an event solution seems appropriate to you. Sometimes it comes in the form of a monthly or annual fee, but you may also have to pay an annual license fee.

Choosing an event solution that will be with you every day can be quite stressful. Don’t forget to weigh the pros and cons of each option. Do demonstrations to really get to know the tool and compare users’ opinions. You should be able to choose more easily! And in the end, you’ll only be left with the hardest part: getting started!