Making a Business Case for Event Management Software

As an analyst or consultant to an event management company, you may find yourself needing to justify the expense of purchasing event management software. How do you justify in your business case, the main benefits of the software? One way to do this is by focusing on the mistakes the software can help you avoid.

The duty of an event manager is multifaceted and if he fails to complete even one task, the event can fail miserably. Event management organizations handle multiple projects every month and usually, these projects are completely different from one another. It may be a fashion event one week and an annual meeting the next.

The success of an event depends on several factors, which are interconnected. The event manager has to oversee decorations, send timely invites, promote the event in media, and most importantly, organize the entire process swiftly so that participants and viewers are comfortable throughout the event.

Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. Sometimes, things simply go wrong and everyone blames the planner for the sad outcome. You can make a business case for purchasing an event management solution by highlighting the mistakes the software can prevent:

Mistake #1 - Bad Planning

This is the most common mistake. You accept a project and start working on it without any proper planning. Nobody in your team knows their duty, and as a result, the same work is either done twice, or worse, not done at all. It’s possible that people were not aware of the event because it was not advertised in different media channels, causing tickets to stay unsold.

Way Out

Make a plan! Break the entire project in small parts and assign duties. Let the team know what is expected of them and how much time they have in hand to complete the small but vital tasks. Your team members should be able to post their progress in the software so that you can check how much work is still left and resolve any issues that crop up.

Mistake #2 - Inadequate Event Promotion Efforts  

The success of an event hugely depends on promotion. You may have Bill Gates as the chief guest but if the public who will pay for the tickets is not aware that Bill Gates is coming to town to share his business strategies, the seats in the auditorium will remain empty. Sometimes, event managers are so busy inviting who’s who of the society that they place a lesser priority on letting the wider audience know about the event.

Way Out

Advertise the event across all the media channels (print, internet, TV etc.). You can use event management software to handle internet marketing. For example, some event management solutions let you create customized e-mails and send those mails to prospective ticket buyers. Personalized emails not only inform the target audience about the occasion but also give them an option to spread the news among friends and relatives by clicking the “forward” button.

Mistake #3 - Limited Ticket Purchase Channels

In a world where almost everything operates online, if you decide to sell tickets offline only, you will never be able to reach a large web-savvy audience. Those who want to see a fashion show or a music concert want all the information about the show and to be able to purchase their tickets in one place.

Way Out

Offline ticket selling is a good idea but you should offer an online option as well. Install event ticketing software that lets you sell tickets via the internet, comes with an online credit/debit card payment gateway and allows users to print their tickets conveniently.

Mistake #4 – Not Considering Mobile Users

Millions of people across the world use smartphones with apps to accomplish almost everything. People read newspapers, purchase goods, get weather updates and do a lot more these days via apps. Therefore, it’s important to provide an app to consumers so that they can book tickets using their smartphones or tablets.

Way Out

Invest in event management software that provides two different apps: 1) for common people and 2) for the event manager. This way, you will be able to keep track of all event activities and manage your tasks from mobile phones or tablets, and the target audience will be able to check the event schedule and register to buy tickets through their mobile phones.

Sometimes, event mangers invest money in the costliest solution available in the market only to realize later on that the event registration process and associated functionalities are not as simple as they should be. To avoid this, companies should install a demo product before purchasing the system. Scrutinize all the features such as registration, ticket selling, email marketing and anything else that seems important to you. Always remember that usability is the ultimate concern, not the brand name.

Take note of these mistakes and select a reliable and feature-rich event management software to automate all your important event management tasks.

AUTHOR BIO:

Monik Makadiya is associated with IVVY, an online software event management which gives wings to your event management capabilities. You can contact him on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ .