When you start looking into the nitty-gritty of event management software, there’s a lot more to consider than just the interface that you are working with. There are things such as guest involvement and how you are supported as an event manager. These specific details are some of the factors that you should be looking for in your event management software. Let’s take a look at what else you need to consider!
Automation
Working as an event manager can be incredibly difficult, especially if you are doing everything on your own. Updating lists, resending invitations, collecting surveys, you name it, you’re gonna have to do it! That’s where your software needs to do some of the work for you. Automation is a great way to take a weight off your shoulders, and this also connects to data collection. When everything is automated and collected in one area, this helps you assess your events faster and with greater accuracy.
Types of Event Support
Connections to vendors? Yes, please! Social media connectivity? Perfect! An active help center that supports you during your event? Even better. There are multiple ways that you can look at event support, and the vast majority of features you want to look for are going to be about how you can be helped. Does the program have a support system for guests as well? These are all features that you need to look for that are going to help make the process smooth and make sure that you and your guests are taken care of.
Guest Management
Perhaps one of the largest elements of every event is going to be the guests. How are they taken care of? What interfaces are they working with? How are you contacting them, and do you have a way to track them and their contact information? While much of this can be done with systems like Google Drive, it’s the time spent that you have to look at, and the ease of interaction for your guests. Some of the best event management software is going to have ways to manage your guests with invitations, surveys, and data analysis.
Customization
This is where you have to really dig deep into the options available for any type of event management software: just how much can you customize? It’s fair to say that if you have an event with an outdoor theme, you aren’t necessarily going to want a highly modern and stark invitation. It all depends on the cohesiveness of your theme. The primary concern here is, do you have the capability to make those changes? How much can you customize for your guests? Just how much can be changed to fit your event?
QR Codes and Social Media Connection
Generally speaking, social media connection is as common as the cold. It’s persistent and everywhere, but there are still some event management software programs that aren’t going to have the connectivity that you need to the applications that you need. You want to verify what connectivity there is, as well as the ease of connection with things such as QR codes and easy-to-follow links. One thing you want to avoid when looking into the software is the dreaded paywall that keeps you from adding applications to share, or only limits you to a certain number of posts per day or week. This can be very frustrating and prevent a healthy media presence.
Compatability
As an event manager, there are multiple ways that you need to connect to your information at all times in the event management process. This is where you have to look at the type of software you are researching and see if there is enough compatibility between devices and operating systems. In other words, you don’t want to use an Android device for your software and then realize on the day of the event that your iPads don’t have connectivity with the software. What a nightmare!
Security Features
Event management software has to house a lot of information, and much of that information is private contact information that someone has trusted you with. What types of safety features does the software offer that is going to keep your guests’ data secure? This may be something that isn’t openly apparent, so don’t be afraid to speak with a representative of the company to fully vet the security system that they are using.
Looking Forward
There are so many elements that you have to keep track of with events. Overall, you want your software to make sure that you aren’t losing your mind and are able to get your job done as smoothly and easily as possible. For more information on what you could and should be looking for, check out this article. There are plenty of questions that can help you further vet the event management software you are looking into.
