Event stories, best practices and guides | EventX

Best Event Management Software Top 10 : The Ultimate Guide for 2024

Written by Jemmy K | Oct 5, 2023 8:24:10 AM

In the dynamic realm of modern event planning, an event management system is no longer just a luxury but a crucial necessity. This technology plays a key role in effectively and innovatively managing various events, from corporate gatherings to educational job fairs. It marks a significant shift in event organization in this digital era, moving away from traditional methods like manual spreadsheets and extensive email chains to more efficient practices. These include streamlined event registration, scheduling, marketing, and attendee engagement processes. Such tools are not only pivotal in simplifying logistical aspects but also in elevating the overall event experience. The market today is replete with a wide array of software choices, designed to cater to events of all scales, from intimate local gatherings to expansive international conferences. Offering both comprehensive solutions and specialized functionalities, these software options ensure that every event planner can find the ideal tool to meet their specific requirements.

Begin a more efficient journey in event management with our carefully chosen list of the top 10 event management platforms. We have thoughtfully picked each platform to facilitate every stage of your event planning. Our guide enhances your decision-making with an in-depth analysis and comparison of different event management systems, showcasing their individual strengths. It also provides a thorough overview of the pricing for each platform and gateway, ensuring you have a clear and straightforward understanding of the potential costs involved.

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Best Event Management Software Top 10

EventX

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.9 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 9.0 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 9.5 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 8.8 / 10

 

EventX stands out as a beacon in event management software, especially in Asia, having served over 100 cities and 5 million attendees. Designed for both enterprises and small businesses, this modern SaaS solution provides automated tools to easily manage, track, analyze, and measure campaign effectiveness for all kinds of events. With their tech-driven platform, EventX aims to make the event management process as seamless and efficient as possible.

Key Features:

  • Tech-First Solutions 

EventX empowers event organizers with cutting-edge technology, ensuring the entire event management process is streamlined and efficient.

  • Generate Attendees and MQLs

Harness the power of EventX to not only attract attendees but also generate marketing qualified leads (MQLs), amplifying the ROI of every event.

  • Attendance Check-In

Ensure a smooth start to your event with hassle-free and rapid attendee check-ins.

  • Instant Badge Printing

Elevate the professionalism of your event with on-the-spot badge printing, offering attendees a tangible memento and facilitating networking.

  • Monitor the Real-Time Statistics

Stay in the know with real-time analytics, allowing organizers to evaluate event success and make instant adjustments.

Whova

 Whova

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.8 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 9.3 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 9.3 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 9.1 / 10

 

Whova is a versatile event management platform that has facilitated over 30,000 in-person, 9,000 virtual, and 5,000 hybrid events, showcasing its immense adaptability and reach. As a comprehensive tool designed to meet the complicated demands of contemporary event organizers, Whova ensures every aspect of event planning and execution is streamlined, efficient, and impactful.

Key Features:

  • Speaker Center

The Speaker Center allows event organizers to effortlessly manage and synchronize speaker information across web and mobile interfaces.

  • Name Badges

Generate thousands of professional name badges in just 5 minutes, enhancing the event's professionalism and efficiency.

  • Check-In & Attendance Management

Whova's intuitive system ensures rapid attendee check-in, paired with real-time attendance analytics for organizers.

  • Online Liability Waivers Solution

Address and mitigate liability concerns efficiently, without being trapped by cumbersome paperwork.

Cvent

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.3 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 7.7 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 8.7 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 7.3 / 10

 

Cvent, a hallmark in the event management software industry, serving more than 21,000 customers globally, induces a blend of technological prowess and user-centric design. As a comprehensive platform, Cvent aims to address the challenges faced by contemporary event organizers, ensuring every phase of the event lifecycle, from planning to post-event analysis, is executed with precision and efficiency.

Key Features:

  • Attendee Engagement

By managing meeting requests, budgets, and approvals in one place, the platform ensures a transparent view of total spend, fostering informed decision-making and risk management.

  • Spend and Workflow

With an emphasis on centralized management, the platform oversees meeting requests, budgets, and approvals, granting a clear perspective on expenses. Its capabilities extend to tracking spend and savings, making financial management easier.

  • Actionable Insights

The platform captures comprehensive insight across the entire attendee journey, seamlessly integrating with other vital SaaS solutions. 

 

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Eventbrite

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.4 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 9.0 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 8.5 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 8.9 / 10

 

Eventbrite is a popular online event management and ticketing platform that has supported over 5 million events across nearly 180 countries in 2022. The platform boasts 798,000 creators and has distributed 284 million tickets, making it a platform used by event organizers across the globe. With robust features for event marketing, registration, and data tracking, Eventbrite aims to help event creators seamlessly manage and promote events while saving time and driving ticket sales.

Key Features:

  • Event Ticketing

Create customizable event pages and leverage Eventbrite's trusted platform to seamlessly sell tickets and drive registrations. It offers flexible ticket types and pricing options.

  • Reporting & Analytics

Get real-time access to in-depth analytics on sales, traffic sources, demographics and more to optimize your marketing and events.

  • Organizer App

Check in attendees onsite, sell last minute tickets, accept payments and monitor data in real time using Eventbrite's dedicated event management app.

Eventzilla

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.4 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 8.7 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 8.2 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 8.5 / 10

 

Eventzilla is an intuitive, easy-to-use event management software trusted by over 50,000 event organizers worldwide since 2009. Having powered over 200,000 event websites with 7 million registrations. With Eventzilla, event organizers can quickly create professional online registration pages, customize the registration experience for your attendees, and provide a seamless checkout process - without any complex setup or design expertise required.

Key Features:

  • Create a Stunning Event Registration Page in Minutes

The platform is designed with user-friendliness at its core, allowing organizers to input event details, registration types, and payment options swiftly. Within minutes, you're all set to start accepting online registrations, no week-long training required.

  • Tailor Your Registration Experience

Include multiple registration flows based on attendee type, self-service options for modifications and cancellations, multi-track and multi-session registrations, automated waitlists, and customizable badges and reminders.

  • Seamless & Secure Checkout Experience

Attendees can register quickly and easily without needing to create an account. Eventzilla's simplified registration pages and flexible payment options ensure a smooth checkout process.

Airmeet

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.6 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 8.8 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 9.2 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 8.5 / 10

 

Airmeet is a rapidly expanding platform designed for hosting a diverse array of virtual events, ranging from hackathons and panel discussions to workshops. Events are held in customizable virtual 'ballrooms' to ensure tailored experiences and meaningful interactions among participants. Guided by their mission to empower organizations and communities towards collective progress, Airmeet has garnered the trust of thousands of communities worldwide.

Key Features:

  • Unparalleled and Attractive Engagement

Boost event engagement with 38 unique interaction capabilities including live polling, Q&A, gamification, and 1:1 video networking.

  • Timely and Actionable Intent Data

Collect 64 intent signals from event attendees to identify promising leads and customize follow-ups to drive conversions.

  • Stunning & Memorable Webinars and Events

Whether you're planning a cozy private dinner, a global hackathon, or an organizational town hall, Airmeet has got you covered. The platform is designed to scale as per your needs, ensuring every event, regardless of its size or complexity, is a resounding success.

 

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Webex

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.3 out of 5

 

Webex by Cisco is a robust event management platform, trusted by 95% of Fortune 500 companies. It facilitates end-to-end planning and execution for in-person, virtual and hybrid events. With its suite of event software, hardware and services, Webex aims to provide event professionals the flexibility and tools needed to drive event success and demonstrate ROI.

Key Features:

  • End-to-End Event Management

Manage every aspect of your events with Webex's solutions for event marketing, registration, logistics, onsite management, and data analytics.

  • Flexibility Built-In

Easily pivot between virtual, in-person and hybrid event formats based on your needs with Webex's seamless hybrid event capabilities.

  • Better Results

Access detailed analytics on attendee engagement, ticket sales, sponsors and more to showcase proven event ROI and continuously improve future events.

Hopin

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.5 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 8.8 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 9.0 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 8.7 / 10

 

Hopin, a pioneer in the virtual event space that can support up to an impressive 100,000 attendees, has carved a niche for itself by focusing on authentic connections and immersive experiences. With its innovative approach and state-of-the-art features, Hopin ensures that every event, irrespective of its scale or format, fosters genuine interactions and lasting memories.

Key Features:

  • Authentic Connection

Hopin's products are designed to bring people together in an engaging virtual environment that fosters meaningful connections.

  • Live Engagement

Drive audience engagement through interactive features like live polls, Q&A, virtual networking, and gamification that make events more exciting.

  • Video Technology

Leverage innovations like WebRTC video and adaptive streaming to provide glitch-free high-quality video conferencing at scale.

  • Global Interaction

Host events with attendees from anywhere in the world and enable seamless cross-border participation.

Zoho Backstage

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.3 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 8.9 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 8.8 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 9.8 / 10

 

Zoho Backstage emerges as a comprehensive event management solution, having supported over 50,000 events across 150+ countries. The platform is utilized by more than 20,000 event planners and has reached over 1.2 million attendees. It’s crafted to cater to the modern needs of event organizers. With its blend of user-friendly features and an emphasis on maximizing engagement, Zoho Backstage promises to elevate every event, ensuring organizers can deliver memorable experiences while optimizing their processes.

Key Features:

  • 0% Commission Event Ticketing

Sell event tickets your way with support for 10+ payment gateways, instant payouts, and no platform commissions or fees deducted from your ticket sales.

  • Omni-channel Marketing Tools

Promote your event far and wide with Backstage's website builder, email campaigns, social media assets, and affiliate marketing capabilities.

  • Holistic Audience Engagement

Foster attendee engagement before, during, and after events with Backstage's networking lounges, polls, Q&A, community forums, and post-event feedback surveys.

Bizzabo

 

User Experience on G2:

  • Overall: 4.4 out of 5
  • Ease of Use: 8.9 / 10
  • Quality of Support: 9.0 / 10
  • Ease of Setup: 8.8 / 10

 

Bizzabo, a distinguished name in the event management industry, has powered over 90 events in hundreds of countries, reaching millions of attendees. It brings together an array of powerful tools tailored to optimize every facet of the event experience. Whether you're organizing a small workshop or a grand conference, Bizzabo promises to streamline processes, enhance engagement, and deliver memorable experiences that resonate with both organizers and attendees.

Key Features:

  • Promote and Market Jam-Packed Events

Create branded event websites, launch personalized marketing campaigns, and fill events by targeting attendees at every step of their journey with Bizzabo's marketing automation capabilities.

  • Control It All From The Command Center

Manage events, communications, logistics, staff coordination, and more from one centralized hub. 

  • Keep Attendees On The Edge of Their Seats

Spark meaningful attendee interactions before, during and after events with Bizzabo's community features, live polling, Q&A, gamification, and detailed analytics.

Comparison Table 

This table offers a side-by-side analysis of the top 10 software solutions in the market, focusing on their standout features and critical ratings. 

 

Each software is evaluated by its users on G2, including overall rating, ease of use, quality of support, and ease of setup.

 

Product

EventX

Whova

Cvent

Eventbrite

Eventzilla

Top Features

Tech-First Solutions Generate Attendees and MQLsAttendance Check-InInstant Badge PrintingMonitor the Real-Time Statistics Speaker CenterName BadgesCheck-In & Attendance ManagementOnline Liability Waivers Solution Attendee EngagementSpend and WorkflowActionable Insights Event TicketingReporting & AnalyticsOrganizer App Create a Stunning Event Registration Page in MinutesTailor Your Registration ExperienceSeamless & Secure Checkout Experience

Overall Rating

4.9 / 5

4.8 / 5

4.3 / 5

4.4 / 5

4.4 / 5

Ease of Use

9.0 / 10

9.3 / 10

7.7 / 10

9.0 / 10

8.7 / 10

Quality of Support

9.5 / 10

9.3 / 10

8.7 / 10

8.5 / 10

8.2 / 10

Ease of Setup

8.8 / 10

9.1 / 10

7.3 / 10

8.9 / 10

8.5 / 10

 

Product

Airmeet

Webex

Hopin

Zoho Backstage

Bizzabo

Top Features

Unparalleled and Attractive EngagementTimely and Actionable Intent DataStunning & Memorable Webinars and Events End-to-End Event ManagementFlexibility Built-InBetter Results Authentic ConnectionLive EngagementVideo TechnologyGlobal Interaction 0% Commission Event TicketingOmni-channel Marketing ToolsHolistic Audience Engagement Promote and Market Jam-Packed EventsControl it All from the Command CenterKeep Attendees on the Edge of Their Seats

Overall Rating

4.6 / 5

4.3 / 5

4.5 / 5

4.4 / 5

4.4 / 5

Ease of Use

8.8 / 10

N/A

8.8 / 10

8.9 / 10

8.9 / 10

Quality of Support

9.2 /10

N/A

9.0 / 10

8.8 / 10

9.0 / 10

Ease of Setup

8.5 / 10

N/A

8.7 / 10

9.8 / 10

8.8 / 10

 

Key Features to Look for in Event Management Software

Here's a breakdown of the most critical features to look for when considering an event management software solution:

Registration and Attendee Management

The attendee's journey begins with registration. A seamless registration process sets the tone for the event, ensures optimal attendee satisfaction, and drives event attendance.

  • What to look for:
    • Customizable registration forms to tailor the process to your event's unique needs.
    • Features like confirmation emails and name badge customization to enhance the attendee experience.
    • Waitlisting capabilities to manage event capacity effectively.

Event Scheduling and Calendar

Efficient scheduling is the backbone of any successful event, ensuring all activities flow smoothly.

  • What to look for:
    • Calendar management tools that facilitate the scheduling of sessions, speakers, and meetings.
    • Intuitive drag-and-drop calendar formatting for easy adjustments.
    • Features that allow in-depth session customization, catering to various event formats.

Event Marketing and Promotions

A great event deserves maximum visibility. Effective marketing tools not only amplify your event's reach but also help you find more attendees, ensuring an optimal turnout.

  • What to look for:
    • Built-in email marketing tools for targeted campaigns.
    • Virtual marketing features that utilize the power of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for advertising.
    • Customizable registration links to drive traffic effectively.
    • Promo code generation for special offers and discounts.
    • Analytics capabilities to measure and refine marketing strategies.

Budgeting and Cost Tracking

Event budget planning ensures your event is not only successful but also profitable.

  • What to look for:
    • Comprehensive tools to track every expense, from venue rentals to catering.
    • Features that capture all revenue streams, including ticket sales and sponsorships.
    • Robust reporting capabilities to monitor financial condition and ensure you stay within budget.

Reporting and Analytics

Post-event insights can offer a treasure of information, guiding improvements for future events.

  • What to look for:
    • Detailed analytics on diverse metrics, including registration trends, attendee demographics, and engagement levels.
    • Customizable post-event reports providing in-depth feedback insights.
    • Revenue analysis to evaluate the financial success of the event.

Integration with Other Tools

In today's interconnected digital ecosystem, seamless integrations can amplify the software's utility.

  • What to look for:
    • Built-in integrations with critical platforms like payment systems, email marketing tools, CRM systems, and accounting systems.
    • Open API capabilities, ensuring the software is future-proof and can accommodate further custom integrations.

Tips for Choosing the Right Event Management Software

Selecting the right event management software goes beyond just checking off feature boxes. It's about understanding how those features align with your specific goals and objectives, the scalability of the solution, and the overall user experience. Here are some expert tips to guide you in making an informed decision:

 

  • Assess Your Needs:

Before diving into the ocean of options, take a moment to outline your event's specific needs. Are you organizing large-scale conferences or intimate workshops? Does your event have complex ticketing tiers or straightforward single-ticket access? Understanding these nuances can help you narrow down your choices.

  • Prioritize User Experience:

A feature-rich software that's difficult to navigate can be counterproductive. Prioritize platforms that are known for their intuitive user interfaces and offer hands-on demos or trial versions to get a feel for the user experience.

  • Consider Scalability:

Your events might grow in size or complexity. The software you choose should be scalable, ensuring it remains a valuable tool as your needs evolve.

  • Seek Recommendations and Reviews:

Talk to peers in the event management industry or read online reviews on platforms like G2.com. Real-world feedback from sites like G2 can provide insights that you won't find in product descriptions, helping you make a more informed decision.

  • Understand Pricing Plans:

Some platforms might have per-event pricing, while others might offer unlimited events under a subscription model. Also, watch out for hidden fees or costs related to specific features.

By following these expert tips and conducting thorough research, you'll be well-equipped to make a choice that aligns perfectly with your event management aspirations.

Conclusion

In today's fast-paced digital era, the right event management software can be the difference between a good event and a great one. As we've delved into the top 10 software solutions in this guide, it's clear that each brings its unique strengths to the table, catering to a diverse array of needs. By choosing the right software, you're not just organizing an event; you're crafting memorable experiences. Here's to successful events and the technology that powers them!

Frequently Asked Questions; FAQs

What is the purpose of event management software?

Event management software aids in planning, organizing, and executing events by providing tools that streamline the process, enhance attendee engagement, and offer valuable insights.

How do these event management softwares enhance attendee engagement?

Features like live engagement, video technology, and authentic connection tools in such softwares ensure attendees are actively participating and connecting.

How do I choose the right event management software for my needs?

Consider your event's scale, format, and specific needs, then compare features, pricing, and reviews of various platforms to make an informed decision.

Can I integrate other tools and softwares with event management platforms?

Many event management solutions offer integrations with popular tools like payment gateways, CRM systems, email marketing platforms, and more, enhancing the platform's utility.