Event Tech Stack
What goes in an event tech stack, and how do you build one that works?
An event tech stack is the set of tools you use to plan, sell, run and measure an event. Most teams do not design one. They add a form tool for registration, a separate ticketing site, a spreadsheet for the schedule and an app that someone liked, until attendee data lives in five places and nobody is sure which list is right.
This guide lays out the layers a stack covers, a table to map your own tools against them, a way to decide between one platform and several specialist tools, and a checklist for testing a stack before the event. For a wider view of what event technology is and where it is heading, see the event technology page, and for tools by task, the event planner tools guide.
Updated by the Eventdex team
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The layers of an event tech stack
Think of the stack in layers, from the first thing an attendee sees to the report you send afterward. Every event needs most of them, and the question is which you cover with software and which with people and paper.
| Layer | What it does | Typical question to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Event website and registration | Presents the event, collects sign-ups and details | How does someone register in a few minutes? |
| Ticketing and payments | Sells tickets, takes payment, handles refunds | Which ticket types and payment methods do we offer? |
| Communication | Confirmations, reminders, updates, follow-up | Who gets which message, and when? |
| Check-in and badges | Admits people, prints or scans badges | How fast can a queue clear? |
| Attendee app and agenda | Schedule, notifications, networking | Where do attendees find the day's information? |
| Engagement | Polls, Q&A, surveys, games | How do we hear from the room? |
| Exhibitors and sponsors | Booth data, lead capture, sponsor visibility | How do exhibitors collect and keep their leads? |
| Data, analytics and CRM | Reports, exports, links to sales and marketing systems | Which numbers do we report, and where do they go? |
Map what you have now
Before you add anything, list what you already use. The map usually shows two problems: layers with nothing covering them, and layers with two tools doing the same job.
List every tool
Include free tools, spreadsheets and the personal accounts someone set up for one event. Write down who owns each.
Place each tool on a layer
Use the table above. A tool that sits on three layers is a platform. A tool on one layer is a specialist.
Mark where data moves by hand
Every place someone copies a list from one tool to another is a risk of errors and a delay. Those handovers are where to invest first.
Note what attendees see
Count how many logins, apps and links an attendee has to use. Each one is a place to give up.
Name the gaps
A layer with no tool, or with a tool nobody trusts, is a gap. Rank the gaps by how much they cost you on the day.
One platform or many tools
There is no right answer, but there is a right way to decide. The more tools you use, the more integrations you maintain and the more places an attendee record can differ. The fewer you use, the more you depend on one vendor's version of each layer.
| Consideration | One platform | Several specialist tools |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee data | One record across registration, check-in and reports | Needs integrations or manual exports to stay aligned |
| Depth in one area | May be shallower in a niche need | Can be deeper for one job |
| Learning and support | One system to learn and one place to ask | Several systems, vendors and logins |
| Switching later | Moving off one platform is a bigger job | Replacing one tool is smaller |
| Attendee experience | One app and one set of links | More to download and remember |
Where Eventdex sits in a stack
Eventdex presents itself as an all-in-one platform. Its ticketing page says it combines ticketing, analytics, marketing and on-site management in one solution, and its other pages cover the layers below. It does not say it replaces every specialist tool, and its pages do not name every system it connects with, so check the integrations you rely on.
Registration and ticketing
Branded registration pages, ticket types, payments through a range of gateways, and 0% commission ticketing.
Event registration softwareAttendee app and engagement
A mobile event app with agenda, notifications, networking, surveys and Q&A.
Event management mobile appExhibitors and leads
Lead retrieval for exhibitors, with scoring, notes, offline scanning and CRM export.
Lead retrieval appReports and integrations
Event analytics and integrations with CRM and other systems.
Eventdex integrations
A checklist to test the stack before the event
Run these checks two to three weeks out, while there is still time to change something. Do them as an attendee would, on a phone, not as the person who set the tools up.
Event tech stack pre-event test
EVENT: ______________________ TEST DATE: ____________ ATTENDEE JOURNEY (use a phone, a test email and a test payment) [ ] Find the event page from a link in an invitation [ ] Register and pay for each ticket type [ ] Receive a confirmation, and it has the right details [ ] Change or cancel the registration [ ] Receive a reminder [ ] Open the agenda or app and find a session DATA [ ] The test registration appears in the attendee list [ ] The same record appears in check-in [ ] Export the list and open it: fields are complete [ ] The CRM or email tool receives the contact EVENT DAY [ ] Scan a test badge or ticket at check-in [ ] Print a test badge [ ] Check-in works with a weak connection [ ] Exhibitor test scan saves a lead PEOPLE [ ] Each tool has a named owner [ ] Staff know who to call if a tool fails [ ] There is a manual fallback for check-in Result: Fix before event: Accept and monitor:
The Eventdex platform
Several layers in one platform
- Event management software featuresThe platform's features across registration, onsite, mobile and reporting.Learn more about Event management software features
- Event registration softwareRegistration, ticketing and payments on a branded event page.Learn more about Event registration software
- Event management mobile appAgenda, notifications, networking and surveys in one app.Learn more about Event management mobile app
- Event analyticsResults and reports in one dashboard.Learn more about Event analytics
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FAQ
Event Tech Stack: common questions
What is an event tech stack?
It is the combination of tools you use for registration, ticketing, communication, check-in, the attendee app, engagement, exhibitor leads and reporting. A good stack covers each layer, shares attendee data between layers and is simple enough for attendees to use.
How many tools should an event tech stack have?
As few as cover your needs without forcing a poor fit. Each extra tool adds a login, an integration and a place for data to drift apart. Start with the layers that cost you most on the day, usually registration, check-in and the attendee app.
Where does AI fit in an event tech stack?
AI is usually a feature inside a layer, such as an assistant that answers attendee questions, rather than a layer of its own. Eventdex describes an AI agent in its registration and lead retrieval pages. For a tool-by-tool view, see the AI tools for event management guide.
Can one platform replace every tool in my stack?
For many events, yes, and for some, no. Eventdex's pages describe registration, ticketing, check-in, a mobile app, lead retrieval and reporting. They do not claim to cover every specialist need, so list your must-haves and check them in a demo.
What should I check about integrations?
Check which of your existing systems the platform connects with, which direction the data flows and how often it syncs. Eventdex's registration page says it integrates with leading CRM solutions and its integrations page lists what it connects with.
See how Eventdex covers several layers of the stack
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.