What does an event management software do?
Organizing an event requires a lot of effort, labor, and time. This work gets all the more difficult for events which intend to attract a larger pool of people. These days automation of these processes in event planning has eased it substantially. An event management software helps carry out this automation. Such systems are mostly online-based event management platform that automates the entire event organizing process. These systems are used to oversee the events and registration requirements. The main features of a majority of such systems generally include the following:
- To build event sites quickly and promote them to the targeted audience
- Create a customized registration form
- Allowing attendees to create accounts and minimize their input for future event registration
- Allowing participants to submit their registration and view event information via the web and mobile applications
- Manage attendances by creating shortlist, marking attendances and setting up reminders
- Retrieve event and attendee data via customized reports
With time the event management platform has also evolved and made to incorporate multiple elements all to streamline the organization of events further. Such event software is used mainly for B2B or B2C professional events such as Networking events, Trade shows, Roundtables, Industry conferences, User conferences, Expositions Internal training, among others. The following sections will highlight the primary components of the event management system in the contemporary. Knowledge about the elements will help you, the organizer to make a sound judgment of an event management software. You need to be keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, but a discussion of the essential features usually found in a world-class event management software. These features can help you become more productive and relieve you from the mundane tasks associated with event planning.
The event website
We do not establish the occurrence of an event until an event takes place. A decent online event management platform thus should allow an organizer to create a customized website specific to the needs of an event detailing the event. Since social media provides for rampant sharing of weblinks, such links can help the event reach its intended audiences and beyond. The website will also be the primary location for attendees to gather more information about the event and the process they need to follow in order to participate in it.
Dependable email system
The sharing of information related to the event is a significant part of the mobilization around the pre-event process. As such, the event management software should work towards streamlining the emailing system. These days even though social media assists in drawing the target audience to a website, good old traditional email remains a reliable way to reach out to networks by the simple sharing of an email invitation.
Online registration and ticketing
One of the valuable elements of any event management platform these days should be enabling online ticketing for the audiences. Organizers should ensure that audiences can register or buy tickets for an event taking place either online or offline, depending on the nature of the event. The event management system should build a event ticketing platform which allows interested parties to choose from a selection of tickets matching their preference.
Mobile Event App
A large percentage of people use their mobile phone these days for accessing all kinds of information and also for scheduling purposes. Needless to say, an event management software should have options for mobile use in order to be highly efficient. Many event organizers realize the usefulness of a dedicated mobile event app. Such mobile event app smoothens the response and interaction of the audience with the event registration and other processes.
Enabling online payment
A functional online event planning software will likewise support online payment collection. No longer are event organizers required to process checks and money orders paid by confirmed attendees. Attendees can quickly pay using debit or credit cards, thus confirming their attendance in hardly any time.
Opportunities that event management systems create
One of the major pulls of any event is networking among various people participating in these events. The event management system enables extending this aspect of event by developing a platform which encourages networking even before the actual day of the event. In fact, certain events might also be benefitted or require prior interaction among its attendees. This interaction expands opportunities within the event organization field, which did not exist earlier. By making the attendees list transparent and multiplying the communication channels among them, an online event planning software can develop a platform that works both for the organizers and the attendees.
Often, these events allow for the creation of communities among the attendees. Such events help people in similar fields to come together. Many people who interact during these events and come across other similar-minded people through the event apps can continue to keep in touch, ensuring the success of future events. Further, it fosters the possibilities for new events from within those newly formed communities.
Event organizers should, however, keep in mind that even when you are considering an event management system, you should consider branding. Ideally, the event website domain name should reflect the organizers’ brand, using the website template, keeping its fit in mind. The ideal target should be promoting the organizing company and your event rather than purely highlighting the event management software brand.
Last word
After everything said and done, even in these automated processes assisting the organization of an event, you need to keep in mind that excellent website content remains indispensable. For all the prospective audiences of the event, this automation is invisible, but what remains visible is the content that provides the actual information about those events. In all probability, people would come to an event after reading about it.
Hence, for an event to be successful, a high-quality copy is essential so that the audience finds it compelling enough. In the larger picture, the event organizer should be well-informed about the various stages of an event planning cycle and focus on rendering the goals into deliverables through clear communication. The event management platform helps articulate these objectives.