Event Management Platforms- 9 Tips for Choosing the Best Fit

 

In the high-stakes world of event planning, your choice of technology is the difference between a seamless masterpiece and a complete disaster. As events continue to transform into complex, data-based experiences, one-size-fits-all type of event management platforms will no longer work. Regardless of whether you organize a global hybrid summit or an intimate executive roundtable, the platform you use to manage the event will act as the central hub for all things related to your event. 

Below is our definitive guide with 9 tips from experts on how to navigate the many options available for selecting the right event management software.

1. Start by Pinpointing Your Must-Haves

Before you can pick an event management platform that meets your needs, you have to figure out what those needs are. It’s very easy to get sidetracked with all of the demo tours and sales pitches from various vendors. However, no single platform can meet all of the needs of an event. 

So, it may help to group platform features into just three categories as a way of staying on track:

• • Must-Haves
  • Nice-to-Haves
  • Not Needed

This is one of the first things to consider in planning for your budget, as it provides you with a realistic view of how much money you have to spend on tools and equipment. Also, these categories make it easier to compare event management platforms without getting distracted by features you may never use.

For instance, start by outlining the core requirements. 

• • Do you need strong ticketing tools with secure payment processing for a large public conference?
  • Are you planning a trade show requiring floor plans and an exhibitor management system?
  • Is networking the main goal? which means attendee matchmaking and engagement tools matter more
  • Or do you have a smaller seminar where there is no real need for anything more than simple registration and minimal communication?

When you narrow down your must-haves, it will also be a lot less confusing when looking at feature lists. At its core, the best platform is the one that lets you carry out your event goals, supports your workflow and does not exceed your budget.

2. Prioritize an Intuitive User Interface (UI)

Event management platforms may boast a large number of features. However, as soon as the user has to struggle through an unresponsive User Interface (UI), they become irrelevant. A well-designed user interface is key to helping you and your team work as efficiently as possible, and to building confidence among attendees through every single interaction with your platform.

Event planning already has its own set of tight deadlines and frequent last-minute changes. The clearer and more intuitive a dashboard is for team members, the easier they can create their own registration pages, update their agendas, or send out an announcement. They do not need to rely on technical specialists for every small edit.

Attendees will also take note of how easy it is to use technology. Each time an attendee clicks something extra or is required to fill out an extra-long form, the greater the opportunity for them to leave the process before finishing it. Event management platforms that are designed with simplicity in mind takes away that frustration. 

3. Focus on Scalable Integration Options

The most effective event planning is when your event management platform is connected to all of the other tools you are using. The best event management platforms act as a single hub for your event registration, payment processing, communication, and reporting. The issue with disconnected tools is that there will always be a back-and-forth between systems. Integration solves that problem by allowing your data to update automatically, saving you time. 

This is how seamless connectivity works in action:

• • With native CRM connections to tools like Salesforce or HubSpot, attendees’ records are always up to date. Your team can follow up while interest remains high.
  • Stripe or PayPal are examples of secure payment providers whose API provides instant sync of payments received from your attendees.
  • Integrating event marketing tools like Mailchimp sends automatic confirmation emails, reminders, and surveys to attendees based on their activity.
  • An open API, along with pre-built connectors, enables your event platform to integrate into your existing workflow without needing you to modify your workflow.

A well-connected environment provides an organizer with a comprehensive view of the entire attendee experience. That level of data transparency makes it easy to measure your event ROI.

4. Test Across Devices and Screen Sizes

Mobile friendliness is the foundation for high-performance event registration. If registration forms and attendee portals do not function perfectly on smaller screens, then you might lose at least half of your audience before they complete the sign-up process.

A good strategy is to go beyond just making your site look nice on mobile. A well-designed mobile event app is an example of how to make the experience so much more interactive and enjoyable. The app will function as a digital front desk for attendees during the event. 

Take time to evaluate event management platforms by testing their mobile user experience.

• • Test how quickly (or slowly) pages open on each of your mobile devices. Confirm there is no lag or delay in opening the page.
  • Use one-hand navigation to determine if the menu items, buttons, and forms are easily tapped. 
  • See if the agenda layout allows you to easily scan through sessions without having to constantly zoom.
  • Verify QR code check-ins and lead capture tools work as expected for both your staff and exhibitors.

5. Assess Scalability and Flexibility

Many of today’s event organizers start out using a tool because it fits their current needs and find out they have outgrown that tool. The result is wasted time, money and resources as they switch to a new platform.

Event planners should look for event management platforms that have built-in scalability. No matter if your event is a small executive gathering or an international conference, the system should perform reliably. High registration traffic or multiple live sessions should not slow it down or cause disruptions.

Flexibility is equally important. For instance, you may host a virtual webinar this month, an in-person summit next quarter, and a hybrid event sometime later in the year. Flexible event management platforms must support all of these different types of events without having to make changes to the entire system.

Before committing:

• • Ask how the system handles a high volume of users and high registration periods.
  • Confirm you can expand features as your events become more complex.
  • Check if switching from in-person, virtual and hybrid events requires additional tools.

6. Check Data Security and Compliance Standards

Collecting attendee names, email addresses, and payment methods puts a great deal of responsibility on you, both ethically and legally.

• Ensure your chosen platform aligns with some of the most well-known privacy standards, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Check that the platform is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard to protect all financial transactions collected via registration.
• Verify that the platform includes role-based access controls so that only the proper individuals within your company can view attendees’ sensitive information.
• Verify that the platform enforces strong encryption for stored and transmitted data.
• Ask about regular security testing, vulnerability monitoring and update cycles.

7. Look for High-Quality, Human Support

Even the best of technologies will fail without the right people backing it up. If your sessions freeze or a registration link stops working, you cannot waste time waiting for someone to call back or get stuck talking to chatbots that solve nothing. It’s the expertise of real people who will help you at these times.

That said, look for providers that offer 24/7 assistance through phone, chat and email. For large events, it is helpful to have a dedicated manager who has experience with your workflow. Also, some vendors also employ on-site technical representatives to troubleshoot connectivity and other setup issues in real time.

8. Scrutinize the Pricing Model 

Transparent pricing is quite rare; therefore, you will have to thoroughly examine the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Regardless of whether the model is a flat-rate subscription or a per-attendee fee, find out if essential features like API access, custom branding, or premium support have an additional tiered pricing structure that will increase costs when they add on to the base price.

Furthermore, review all the hidden financial details. Look out for:

High mark-ups from credit card processing
Percentage-based ticket commissions
Late payments for your earned revenue

9. Test the Platform with a Demo or Trial 

Do not fall victim to a contract based solely on a good presentation. Ask about a testing environment where you can put your staff through real-world testing of uploading large attendee lists, changing sessions, or making last-minute changes to events under pressure.

A proof-of-concept will give you a sense of how the system operates on a daily basis and how soon your team feels they are getting comfortable navigating the interface. Vendors who are unwilling to provide you with a realistic trial run of their product may be indicating problems down the line and should therefore serve as a warning sign.

Pick the Event Management Platform That Works for You

Choosing between event management platforms can be very stressful. When you are able to clearly define your logistical needs, your day-to-day management requirements, and your long-term performance objectives, the process becomes much more manageable and certainly easier. 

The right event management platform for you will allow you to work as you do in planning, executing, and measuring success at all stages of your events, rather than forcing you to change your processes and workflow to fit the software.

Dryfta supports this process by offering personalized demonstrations that walk you through features and workflows based on your event goals. Book a free demo to see how the platform can align with your planning strategy and help you manage events better.