Top Online Event Management Software for Seamless Event Planning

Event management software is a must-have for professional event planners and organizers to simplify the planning process and seamlessly manage all aspects of in-person, virtual and hybrid events. This comprehensive guide outlines the best all-in-one software tools available to streamline event planning, registration, attendee management, and more.

Why You Need Robust Event Management Software

Planning any event involves coordinating countless moving parts - from registrations and ticketing to venue/vendor management, event marketing, attendee communications and engagement, budget oversight, and much more. Without a comprehensive event management system tying everything together, the process quickly becomes chaotic and risky.

Robust event platforms automate time-consuming manual tasks so planners can instead focus their efforts on critical event details and providing attendees an exceptional event experience. Top solutions offer management tools to simplify:

• Event information and registration management

• Ticketing and attendee check-in capabilities

• Event website design

• Email marketing and event promotion

• Social media integration

• Speaker and exhibitor management

• Reporting and data analytics

• Venue/vendor sourcing and management

• Event app creation and management

• Virtual event streaming options

• And more...

Next, let’s explore must-have features to look for when researching event planning software options and review some of the leading solutions available.

Key Features To Look For in Event Management Software

When evaluating event management software tools, keep these vital components in mind:

Is it User-Friendly?

You want an intuitive platform interface so your entire event team can quickly learn it without extensive software training. It should allow fast event setup, promotions, attendee communication, and seamless event management across desktop and mobile devices.

Does it Offer Robust Planning and Management Features?

Look for comprehensive tools that simplify critical event planning steps:

• Customizable registration pages, data collection and badging

• Ticket sales, discounts and access control

• Real-time attendance tracking 

• Event website and landing page design

• Email marketing and promotions

• Event app creation and gamification

• Speaker/exhibitor management

• Surveys and live polls

• Reporting and data analytics

• And more...

The software should automate and customize such tasks while still providing the flexibility to manage events just as you need.

What Integrations and APIs Does it Offer?

The software platform should readily integrate or sync data feeds with platforms you already use like:

• Email marketing software

• Payment processors 

• Registration and membership databases

• Hotel and venue sourcing systems

• Accounting/budget management platforms

• Post-event survey tools

• And more...

Robust integrations and open APIs allow seamless real-time data flow without everything needing rebuilt in a new system. This saves massive time and effort while still centralizing event details.

How Flexible is it for Different Event Types and Sizes?

Given shifting external factors like COVID-19, ensure the event management software smoothly accommodates:

• In-person events (with changing safety protocols)

• Fully virtual/online events

• Hybrid event options blending both formats

Ideally the platform also scales to meet planning needs of both small and extraordinarily large events equally well.

What Analytics and Reporting Does it Provide?

Robust analytics and consistent feedback loops are imperative to data-driven event planning. Ensure the software provides detailed visibility through:

• Custom real-time dashboards

• Automated reports and analysis 

• Ticket sales tracking

• Website/funnel tracking 

• Attendee profiling 

• Survey and poll analysis

• Benchmarking across events

• Graphical data visualization

• Exportable data 

Such insights help you refine processes before, during and after events to continually improve while proactively addressing issues.

Now let’s look at software platforms that meet these demands for comprehensive event planning and analysis.

Cvent - Comprehensive Event Management Software

Cvent offers one of the most widely used, customizable, feature-rich platforms available for managing events. It simplifies promotion, registrations, attendee engagement, venue/vendor sourcing, budget oversight and more - whether events are virtual, in-person or a hybrid.

Key Highlights

Some of the many reasons to consider Cvent include:

• Customizable registration pages, data collection and automated confirmations

• Robust email marketing tools with opens/click tracking 

• Event websites/microsites with real-time dynamic content

• Integrates with payment gateways, marketing tools, CRMs, etc.

• Live data reporting and analytics for rapid insights

• Built-in surveying and polling options

• Solutions for live streaming virtual/hybrid events

• Event sourcing for venues and vendor management

• Dedicated event app to engage and manage attendees

• 24/7 customer support via phone, email or chat

Cvent seamlessly consolidates the entire event planning process across one centralized, cloud-based platform. It removes massive headache by connecting disparate event tasks like email campaigns, registration page design, event apps, seating charts, and more within a single intuitive solution.

While feature-rich, Cvent still maintains an easy-to-use interface enabling any team member to quickly handle complex event planning previously requiring specialized resources. Setup is fast with pre-built templates for common events like conferences, fundraising galas, user groups meetings, tradeshows and more. Or clients can work directly with Cvent’s professional services team for deeper custom solutions integrated across proprietary tools.

With open APIs and an integration marketplace, Cvent also plays well with external tools you already use like social media platforms, mobile apps, payment processors, and CRM software. This makes it a highly flexible choice to meet current needs while scaling complexity over time.

Cvent offers adjustable pricing packages to meet various budgets. Packages are available based on number of events, types, expected complexities and customizable components.

Ideal Users

Cvent works incredibly well for virtually all organization sizes planning events of any type, frequency or attendee size:

• Associations and Membership Groups

• Corporations

• Nonprofit Institutions

• Government Bodies

• Higher Education 

• Healthcare Facilities

• Hotels, Convention Centers 

• Casinos

• Event Planning Agencies

• And countless more

For truly customizable and comprehensive event lifecycle management, Cvent is easily an industry leader.

Aventri - Robust Event Management Software

Aventri offers another powerful yet easy to use end-to-end event management solution designed specifically for marketing, registration, logistics, engagement, access control and more - whether events run virtually or in-person. 

Why Choose Aventri

Some of the key advantages Aventri delivers include:

• Customizable registration pages, data collection and confirmation workflows

• Drag-and-drop event website design and tools

• Map venue floors for seating charts or exhibitor placements 

• Host fully branded event mobile apps to engage attendees

• Flexible ticket management and access control

• Data integrations with marketing platforms, payment processors, etc  

• Real-time analytics through custom reporting dashboards

• Support for hybrid, virtual/online and in-person events

• Dedicated customer support resources

Aventri consolidates the data and tools event professionals need to smoothly run world-class events while eliminating risky manual missteps. It empowers users to handle time consuming task automation so more focus stays on attendee engagement and event quality control.

With an open API, Aventri also readily integrates attendee data with external tools you already use instead of mandating an entirely new constrained software ecosystem. This makes it more flexible than some competitor platforms.

Robust white label options even allow for deeply customized branding and experiences across the platform and companion mobile app without requiring internal IT resources.

Best For...

Aventri works incredibly well for:  

• Trade associations

• Professional convention organizers 

• Corporate brands

• Nonprofits

• Colleges and universities

• And more

It's designed for mid-sized to enterprise-level organizations running upwards of 20+ events annually in need of repeatable, standardized and scalable processes plus deep customization abilities.

For feature-rich event management software with robust customization, Aventri is a leading choice.

Splash - Intuitive Event Management Software

Splash specializes in intuitive, all-in-one event management software providing tools to automate time-consuming event planning tasks like email marketing and promotions, ticket sales, registrations, attendance tracking, data reporting, and more. 

Why Choose Splash?

Some reasons to consider Splash include:

• Simple and quick event website design

• Customizable registration pages and data collection

• Email marketing tools with link tracking 

• Integrates with payment processors and email systems

• Ticket creation, discounts, sales and validity control

• Process refunds and donations

• Check-in capabilities via desktop or mobile devices

• Lead retrieval features

• Real-time sales and attendance dashboards   

• Post-event data analysis

Splash allows event organizers to create highly professional pages, collect complex registration info, track attendee activities at the event, process payments, stay on top of metrics, and more without juggling multiple platforms.

While Splash offers the core features needed for end-to-end planning, it maintains a simple user interface allowing faster ramp up compared to some tools overloaded with intricate options. So for many events, Splash provides the ideal balance of simplicity with depth.

Splash integrates well with commonly used tools like QuickBooks, MailChimp, Paypal, Stripe and dozens more to consolidate data automatically. For fast event promotion and management, Splash should be strongly considered.

Who Uses Splash?

Typical Splash customers include:

• Small businesses

• Startups

• Schools

• Nonprofits

• Event planners

• Conference organizers

• And more

For those planning smaller events on a budget but needing more than entry-level features, Splash hits a sweet spot between easy and fully loaded at very accessible pricing.

Choosing the Best Event Software

While all platforms profiled here aim to simplify planning amazing events, they each serve slightly different needs. As you evaluate options, carefully consider:

Types and Sizes of Events

Larger organizations running hundreds of events should leverage extensive customization, open APIs and scalability that Cvent or Aventri offer. Smaller teams can better leverage intuitive interfaces of tools like Splash.

Evaluate attendee numbers, virtual components, complexity factors and budget.

Event Goals and Priorities

Not all solutions excel equally across objectives like maximizing revenue, simplifying oversight, delivering unique experiences, streamlining logistics, targeting niche audiences, etc.

Prioritize must-have strengths accordingly when researching vendors.

Pricing Factors

Pricing varies greatly depending on intended audiences, event complexity factors, number of events, customization needs, and features offered. Enterprise-level platforms like Cvent get quite expensive compared to limited free plans some tools offer. 

Focus spends on where it matters most for event goals without overspending on unused features. Consider event revenue potential compared to platform costs too.

Carefully determining critical components makes selecting event management software much easier. Many offer free trials using actual events before committing which further informs decisions.

Key Takeaways

Successfully planning events requires coordinating many disjointed tasks like ticketing, data collection, reporting, attendee communications, logistics management, and far more. Robust event management software ties everything together seamlessly while allowing customization for unique needs.

Solutions like Cvent, Aventri and Splash simplify routine tasks to instead maximize creative planning and attendee experiences. Pick platforms aligning close enough with precise event types, sizes, goals and resources.

Evaluate must-have event software components against available options using free trials. This ensures spending aligns with genuine needs and priorities for simplify event planning.