What Is Event Management?
What is event management, in plain words?
Event management is the work of planning, promoting, running and following up an event so that it meets its purpose. The event can be a conference, a trade show, a webinar, a fundraiser, a company meeting or a wedding-sized party. The work is the same in kind: decide what the event is for, organize the people and places it needs, and see it through.
This guide explains event management without jargon: the four phases, the roles involved, the tools used and how it differs from event planning. Each part links to a longer guide when you want the detail.
Updated by the Eventdex team
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Event management: the plain definition
Event management means taking responsibility for an event from the first idea to the last report. It covers the budget, the schedule, the venue or online platform, the registration of attendees, the promotion, the day itself and the review afterwards.
Someone who does this for a living is an event manager. Plenty of people do it without the title: an office manager organizing a company offsite, a volunteer running a fundraiser or a marketing lead hosting a webinar.
Event planning
The design and preparation part: goals, budget, venue, program and timeline. Planning is one phase of event management.
The event planning processEvent management
Planning plus everything that follows: promotion, registration, running the event live and measuring results.
Event marketing
Getting the right people to register and attend. It runs alongside planning and continues until the doors open.
Event marketing plan
The four phases of event management
Most events follow the same four phases, whatever their size. The phases overlap: promotion starts while planning is still going on.
Plan
Set the purpose and the audience, agree a budget, choose a date and a venue or online platform, build the program and write the timeline of who does what by when.
Event planning timelinePromote and register
Publish the event page, open registration and tickets, send invitations and reminders, and recruit speakers, sponsors and exhibitors if the event has them.
Run
Check people in, keep sessions to time, handle problems as they come up and keep attendees, speakers and suppliers informed on the day.
Follow up
Thank attendees, send recordings or materials, collect feedback, pass leads to the people who need them and compare what happened with what you aimed for.
Who does what in event management
A small event may have one person in every role. A large one splits them across a team. These are the jobs that need an owner, whoever holds them.
| Role | Accountable for | Typical tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Event manager or lead | The event as a whole | Goals, budget, timeline, decisions, day-of escalation |
| Program or content lead | What happens on the schedule | Speakers, sessions, tracks, rehearsals |
| Registration and attendee lead | People coming in | Registration form, tickets, communications, check-in |
| Marketing lead | Turnout | Event page, email, social, partner promotion |
| Partner lead | Sponsors and exhibitors | Packages, booth details, lead capture, thanks |
| Venue or production lead | The place and the technology | Contracts, floor plan, AV, streaming, safety |
The tools event managers use
Early events run on spreadsheets and email. The work becomes harder to hold together as soon as there are several hundred attendees, paid tickets or more than one room. An event management system brings the common jobs into one place.
Registration and ticketing
A registration page, ticket types, payments and an attendee list.
Event registration softwareSchedule and event app
The agenda, speakers and announcements attendees carry in their pocket.
Event mobile appCheck-in and badges
Scanning attendees in at the door and at sessions, and printing badges.
Communication
Email and push messages to the right group of attendees.
Reporting
Registrations, attendance and engagement figures to judge the event against its goals.
Types of event you might manage
The four phases hold for every format. What changes is the weight of each: a trade show spends most of its effort on exhibitors and floor plans, a webinar on promotion and the platform, a conference on the program.
| Event type | Heaviest work | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Conference | Program, speakers, multiple rooms | Conference planning checklist |
| Trade show or expo | Exhibitors, booths, lead capture | Trade show solutions page |
| Corporate event | Brief, budget, stakeholders | Corporate event management guide |
| Virtual event | Platform, promotion, engagement online | What is a virtual event |
| Hybrid event | Two audiences at once | Hybrid vs virtual events |
How to start managing an event
If you have been handed your first event, work through these steps in order before you book anything.
Write down what the event is for
One sentence on the outcome you want and who needs to come to get it.
Set a budget and a date
Work back from the date to list what has to be done and when.
Event budget guideChoose the format
In person, online or both, based on where your audience is and what they need to do together.
Name an owner for every job
Use the roles table above. A job with no name next to it will not be done.
Set up registration early
A live registration page tells you whether the plan is working while there is still time to change it.
Plan the follow-up before the event
Decide what you will measure and what happens to leads and feedback.
Where Eventdex fits
Eventdex is an event management platform. Its pages describe registration and ticketing, an event mobile app, badge scanning and check-in, communication to attendees and reporting for in-person, virtual and hybrid events. For a walk-through of what such a system does, see the event management system guide.
The Eventdex platform
A single place for registration, the app and on-site tools.
Event management software
The Eventdex platform
The jobs event management software covers
- Event managementThe platform behind registration, the app and on-site tools.Learn more about Event management
- Registration and ticketingRegistration pages, ticket types and payments.Learn more about Registration and ticketing
- Event mobile appThe schedule and announcements in attendees' pockets.Learn more about Event mobile app
- Event technologyHow the tools around an event fit together.Learn more about Event technology
“It's easy to use and interfaces very well with our needs. The scheduling function is awesome. It allows our companies and partners to schedule their meetings with no assistance thus reducing time and resources. In addition, if there are any snags in scheduling, the Eventdex staff takes care of your needs immediately.”
University at Buffalo
Eversource Energy
Georgia Tech
Influence Communications
FAQ
What Is Event Management?: common questions
What is event management?
Event management is the planning, promotion, delivery and follow-up of an event. It includes the budget, schedule, venue or platform, registration, marketing, the event day and the review afterwards.
What is the difference between event planning and event management?
Event planning is the preparation phase: goals, budget, venue and program. Event management includes planning and carries on through promotion, running the event and following up. In everyday use the two terms are often interchanged.
What are the stages of event management?
Plan, promote and register, run, and follow up. The stages overlap, and the follow-up should be designed during planning.
What skills does an event manager need?
Organization, budgeting, clear communication with suppliers and attendees, calm under pressure and the habit of writing things down so others can act on them. Software knowledge helps with registration and check-in.
Do I need event management software?
Not for a small, free gathering. Once you take payments, manage several hundred attendees, run more than one session at a time or need check-in and reports, a system saves you from stitching together separate tools.
What does Eventdex do for event management?
Eventdex is an event management platform for in-person, virtual and hybrid events. Its pages describe registration and ticketing, an event mobile app, badge scanning and check-in, attendee communication and reporting.
See event management on Eventdex
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.