The Advantage of Specialized Event Management Software: Ditch the Spreadsheets
Your organization has a lot riding on a successful event, whether it’s the acquisition of new partners, increased respect in the industry or bottom-line return on your investment. Not only does the planning and physical event need to be smooth and structured, but there also needs to be a cohesive process from start to finish, whether you are accepting vendor applications or selling tickets. With so many variables that can negatively impact your event all throughout its lifecycle, it’s important to move past outdated tracking and spreadsheets and improve efficiency with specialized event management software.
Review Your Options for Event Management
If your organization has taken advantage of Excel or Google Sheets to help with event planning, you’re not alone. For a long time, spreadsheets have been a go-to platform for helping organize information for businesses of all sizes and across all industries. Considering the alternatives previously available, this option made sense for many organizations.
However, thanks to specialized software, you now have a better choice for event planning. Though it’s possible to still use spreadsheets for organizing a large event, you can streamline your workflow and work more efficiently with softwares like EventHub.
Realize the Disadvantages of Excel and Google Sheets
Though Excel has some useful features, one of its significant disadvantages is the lack of seamless integration between event planning components. For example, you need one spreadsheet to track registrations, another for a timeline for the event, another for speakers or vendors, and so on. The more complex your event, the greater the number of spreadsheets. Multiple spreadsheets for a single event can get chaotic, and you are limited in access and updates.
On the other hand, Google Sheets makes it easier to share access to working spreadsheets, it also allows multiple people to make changes to the event information. While having multiple team members working off the same cloud document works in theory, in practice, it can lead to multiple versions and typing errors. Google Drive isn’t the best for mobility and calendar integrations, either. You don’t have the benefit of automated task reminders or branded event templates or documents.
Although Excel and Google Sheets have been a long-time favorite, these programs were not built for event planning. Without event management software, you run the risk of leaving crucial parties out of the loop or overlooking vital details or information.
Explore the Many Benefits of Event Management Software
Event planning involves a lot of people and details. The only way to successfully navigate these elements is through organization and efficiency. By upgrading away from the individual, limited components of Excel and the negatives of Google Drive, you give your organization the ability to take event planning to the next level.
Event management software streamlines the entire process, catering to the specific needs of event planning. You aren’t trying to force an unsuitable program to work with your event planning process; instead you can quickly integrate your resources and tasks into software designed with event planning in mind.
Streamline Paperwork Processes
Managing attendees and vendors involves a lot of paperwork, and usually each category of individuals involved with the event has its own unique paperwork process. In addition to needing multiple forms sent, you also need to organize and validate the paperwork these individuals return. Trying to communicate over email in order to exchange and receive the right forms presents both a time delay and the opportunity for errors.
With a program like EventHub, these exchanges are eliminated. Our online platform hosts the documents and applications needed for the event and tracks paperwork that is incomplete.
Digitize Applications
Event management software can make things easier for exhibitors or organizers by providing a digitized application process. By creating a custom application that is digitally accessed and filed, both organizers and participants save time when preparing for an event.
EventHub has digital applications capable of including social media links for the exhibitor as well as pictures, a logo and booth information. These applications are stored and can be accessed at future events, with the ability to edit the information as needed. Organizers can alter the applications as necessary, updating contacts or creating new dates. The information on these applications is also a convenient way for an event planner to develop a vendor or exhibitor network.
Manage Logistics
Google Sheets or Excel can’t show your exhibitors and/or vendors the event space and booth setup. Through an online platform like EventHub, vendors receive a visual of the floor plan, giving them a clear picture of where their booth will be and the traffic it should receive. Vendors and exhibitors appreciate the additional insight that comes from this logistical information, and organizers can quickly dispatch communications to one vendor or any number of others by sending batch messages using order tags or exhibitor subgroups.
Organizers can also upgrade the service to provide an interactive floor plan. Plus, you benefit from mobile access when you are managing your event while out of the office.
Simplify Payments
How you manage payments for your event plays an important role in the revenue stream for the event. While the registration and payment systems are a part of creating a good first impression for your brand and the event as a whole, a streamlined, organized process relying on event management software reduces administrative costs and increases revenue. Online payments offer several advantages for your event:
- Safety and security to reduce errors and fraud
- Digitized payment tracking and record-keeping
- 24/7 registration or ticketing accessibility
- Faster access to funds
- Frictionless, efficient payment for registrants and participants
By creating a secure payment option, you can improve your event’s attendance and overall revenue. Excel or Google Sheets don’t have this option, creating more work and increasing the probability of errors when payments are manually handled. You also benefit from the integrated registration information across your event planning elements.
Make the Right Choice for Event Management Software
Organization is key to event planning, which makes it more important that you create and manage an efficient system right from the start. EventHub can get you started on the right track with our vendor management software. Improve revenue, satisfy your participants, and reduce your workload by working with our specialized software. See what our platform can do for you.
Sources:
https://www.softwaresuggest.com/us/event-hub
https://www.softwareadvice.com/event-management/event-hub-profile/reviews/
Additional sources: https://events.com/blog/what-is-event-management-software-and-why-do-you-need-it/, https://www.aventri.com/blog/why-you-need-a-fully-integrated-event-management-platform, https://www.socialtables.com/blog/event-technology/event-app-trends/, https://blog.thymebase.com/the-good-and-the-bad-of-event-planning-with-excel/
