Tips For Selecting Your SaaS Event Management Software

If you’re new to the world of event management, you’re probably asking yourself, “why should I care?".  Analysts manage small events on their own ranging from workshops and focus group sessions to business meetings. Imagine you’ve been employed by an organization where organizing seminars, events and training among stakeholders is a big deal. Event management technology would certainly be one piece of technology you would want to know about. It can definitely take a load of stress off you and your stakeholders.

If a department within your organization is responsible for managing company events, the event management software can allow attendees confirm attendance, download tickets, retrieve conference information packs and collaborate in real-time. Event management software can also be used to manage conference attendees, promote events, analyze event data and provide visibility before, during and after the event. The benefits of cloud-based SaaS applications are far-reaching. Regardless of where stakeholders are, all they need is a computer and internet connection to use the desired services.

So, what if you’re an analyst charged with selecting an event management solution. How do you select among all the applications available? Which features would you look out for while choosing the SaaS application?

Here is a list of requirements you should consider to help you along:

1. Intuitive Online Registration Interface

SaaS or cloud applications for event management are integrated with a registration interface to enable easy handling of registration for event managers. Online registration will help stakeholders identify or calculate the total number of people attending the event.

2. Integrated Online & Secure Payment

Not all events are free and some of them will require payment either at the time of registration or at a later date. Having a secure online payment system will help ease instant payments from interested attendees without physical bank visits or any hassles. Ensure you verify what types of payment gateway are available with the application.

3. Integrated Reporting & Analysis

Most event management systems offer integrated reporting and analysis options or tools on registered attendees and attendee reports. Does the application provide information on performance management, trends and budget? Can it generate email marketing reports? Does it include reporting features like invoice management, Google analytics integration, bounce management, multi-office reporting and contact history?

4. Security

Security is one of the major concerns of event managers, especially with rampant phishing scams online. Ensure that the application has enough security features to protect user data.

5. Event Marketing

Without marketing and promotion, stakeholders would find it difficult to gain the attention of their target audience. Does the application support diverse event marketing channels? Does it allow you to place links on your website? Ensure that the application offers an email & SMS marketing platform.

6. Event Survey

The event survey feature lets you gather information during and after the event. It enables the attendees of your event to provide valuable feedback. Make sure the application you choose offers a wide range of event survey tools, which are useful in validating user responses.

7. Compatibility

Don’t forget to verify if the SaaS application is compatible with the available platforms, which could be smartphones, tablets, laptops or desktops. It is advisable to choose an application that has ample compatibility with multiple platforms.

8. Management of Speakers, Sponsors, Sessions, Rooms & Venue

Make sure you choose an event management system that brings effective and powerful resource management for your events. It should help you manage speakers, sponsors, sessions and tons of other details easily. Moreover, it should help you manage various details about the rooms and event locations on the go.

Keep in mind the points discussed in this post when choosing an event management SaaS application. Choosing the right kind of SaaS application will definitely simplify your event management endeavours.