I received’t faux I’m an occasion marketer. However my mother has been a director of particular occasions for over 20 years (shoutout to her), so I utterly perceive the significance of fine occasion registration instruments.
I’ve heard her rattle off the numerous duties that must be accomplished earlier than, throughout, and after an occasion. And he or she comes from a small group, so it’s very simple for issues to really feel overwhelming … and rapidly.
So, I did two issues: 1) I sat down with my occasion professional of a mother to speak about her favourite occasion registration software program, and a couple of) I scoured the web to offer you a couple of extra choices to select from.
All I ask for in return? An invitation to your subsequent occasion 😉
Let’s get into it.
Occasion Registration Instruments
- HubSpot Type Builder
- Cvent
- OneCause
- Google Varieties
- Splash
- Whova
- Eventbrite
- vFairs
- RSVPify
- Accelevents
I’ve damaged this checklist into three sections:
- Free Occasion Registration Instruments: You might even see a well-known face right here because it’s one choice that’s all the time free.
- An Occasion Director’s Favourite Instruments: These are a few my mother’s picks based mostly on her expertise working occasions for a big, well-known non-profit for the final 20 years. (Right here’s a touch: Nice futures begin there.)
- Greatest On-line Registration Instruments: These are the entire highly-rated occasion registration instruments that I discovered in my search that supply paid or each free and paid plans.
Professional tip: Earlier than you begin your seek for the right occasion registration software, I’d suggest creating an occasion guidelines in the event you haven’t already. Would possibly I supply HubSpot’s Final Occasion Planning Guidelines? It covers all the pieces you might want to know to seamlessly execute any occasion.
Anywho, blissful searching!
Free Occasion Registration Instruments
1. HubSpot Free On-line Type Builder
Obtain the On-line Type Builder for Free
I do know, I’m tooting our personal horn somewhat bit right here. However HubSpot’s Free On-line Type Builder actually does make it simple so that you can design an occasion registration kind.
The drag-and-drop builder helps you to create, combine, and share types along with your viewers. Plus, the entire attendee contact info is routinely saved in your CRM. Good.
What I like most: There are over 1,000 kind fields and over 12 subject varieties you need to use to customise your occasion registration kind. Plus, it’s versatile and presents plugins with instruments like WordPress and integrations with instruments like Gravity Varieties.
You’ll be able to’t actually go incorrect in the event you use a free software like this for occasion registration (or as your Content material Hub, CRM, Advertising and marketing Software program, Gross sales Software program, or Service Software program, for that matter).
Okay, I’ll cease gushing now.
An Occasion Director’s Favourite Instruments
2. Cvent
Cvent’s occasion know-how permits you to personalize your registration expertise.
You’ll be able to construct automated workflows to gather signups. You too can customise the visitor expertise utilizing focused campaigns and Cvent’s complete library of occasion templates.
I requested my mother, an esteemed director of particular occasions, what she likes most about Cvent, and he or she stated, “the wonderful thing about it’s you are able to do as little or as a lot as you want it to do.”
“The primary 12 months we used it, we had an 800-900 attendee occasion, and we used to do the entire registration manually. Now, we’re in a position to make use of Cvent to print badges and arrange self-registration with minimal involvement from our workers.”
General, she’s a fan of the scalability of the platform and the help it supplies to companies with little to no assets. She notes that this software “has been an enormous assist for her small however mighty useful resource growth group.”
Value: Contact Cvent for pricing.
3. OneCause
OneCause presents a custom-made ticketing and fundraising platform. You’ll be able to create customized ticket varieties, group packages, and promo codes for attendees. So, in the event you work at a non-profit or oversee donor occasions like my mother, this one’s for you.
Much like Cvent, she likes OneCause as a result of it cuts down her handbook work by a ton. She says, “it permits us to promote tickets to attendees and sponsorships to our largest donors.”
Plus, it’s actually good for managing different occasion parts together with silent auctions.
“My group sends the public sale hyperlink to visitors by means of OneCause, and winners get notified on the finish of the evening and pay straight through the platform. It’s tremendous easy, and the backend is simple to navigate,” she says.
Value: Contact OneCause for pricing particulars.
Greatest On-line Registration Instruments
4. Google Varieties
I ship a very good quantity of surveys to my group, and I all the time use the free model of Google Varieties.
It really works nice for private use, however I discovered that Google additionally presents a paid model for groups that comes with better safety and management over your information.
Google Varieties permits you to:
- Create and ship occasion registration types for attendees and monitor all sign-ups.
- Drag and drop your kind fields to customise the registration expertise.
- Add photographs, movies, and customized logic to your kind as you see match.
What the G2 rating says: Google Workspace has a G2 rating of 4.6. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations say the software permits you to simply “create a ticketing system for enroll by attendees” and “promote occasions by means of electronic mail advertising and social media platforms.”
- Cons: Others say the “formatting and design of the types may use an improve” they usually’d “love integration with Gmail” and different instruments to allow them to embed quick types throughout the registration course of.
Be aware: Since I don’t have private expertise with most of those instruments, I sifted by means of the G2 evaluations to offer you an concept of what works finest for customers and what doesn’t. I’ll embrace insights just like the above for every software on this part.
What I like most: Since Google Varieties Workspace requires a Google Enterprise Plan, you’ll additionally acquire entry to Google’s different merchandise in addition to extra information storage, wider video internet hosting choices, and added safety and administration controls in your occasions.
Value: Plans vary in worth from $6 to $18 per thirty days.
5. Splash
Throughout my search, I realized that Splash was not too long ago acquired by Cvent, nevertheless it’s nonetheless working as an occasion advertising program for on-line, in-person, and hybrid occasions.
Splash permits you to:
- Design and customise responsive internet pages and emails in your occasion.
- Share registration types and RSVPs to help attendee signup.
- Create good visitor lists, focusing on, and electronic mail advertising options to streamline occasion registration and promotion.
What the G2 rating says: Splash has a G2 rating of 4.4. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations say it’s a “user-friendly platform” that makes it “simple to create touchdown pages and registration types.” They point out you “don’t must be a designer or developer in any respect” to make use of it.
- Cons: Others say that the “web site builder” and “some design facets” are a bit restricted, and the reporting options aren’t “exceptionally versatile.”
What I like most: To me, Splash seems to be the mixing queen. You should utilize Splash along with your advertising automation platform and CRM (hey there, HubSpot) to investigate occasion information and use it to tell your future campaigns and occasions.
Value: Attempt Splash totally free, request a demo, or communicate with a gross sales rep to study the best plan in your group.
6. Whova
Whova is an occasion administration software that comes with some fairly sturdy occasion registration options. I’m speaking branded ticketing experiences, retargeting campaigns, and exhibitor or sponsor tiering.
Whova permits you to:
- Create tickets inside minutes and customise your registration workflows.
- Supply low cost pricing for early-bird or group ticket purchases) and various kinds of tickets (e.g., single vs. multi-day move).
- Ask attendees questions on your occasion throughout registration (e.g., what made them need to attend or what they’re most excited for).
- Obtain early registration payouts to assist cowl your occasion bills.
What the G2 rating says: Whova has a G2 rating of … drum roll, please … 4.8. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations say the platform “simplifies occasion administration” and “solves the backup that happens throughout preliminary occasion registration.” They point out it’s a “one-stop-shop” for occasions and an enormous “time saver.”
- Cons: Others say they acquired “misplaced within the app” given the numerous options, and that Whova in all probability wants “a couple of extra seize factors for guests” on registration.
What I like most: From what I’ve seen, this platform works exhausting for that prime G2 rating. From embeddable registration widgets to real-time attendee monitoring, you will discover absolutely anything you might want to run your occasion from begin to end.
Value: Contact Whova straight for a quote.
7. Eventbrite
I’ve used Eventbrite to register for native meetups in Washington, DC, and area of interest health lessons like pet yoga. On the attendee facet, it’s fairly simple to make use of for registration and to trace my upcoming occasions.
On the occasion administration facet, Eventbrite permits you to arrange your occasion registration in three simple steps:
- Enter your occasion particulars — the who, what, the place, when, and why.
- Create your tickets and choose the worth or kind (e.g., single vs. multi-day move). You too can supply reductions for early-bird and group purchases.
- Open your registration and share the occasion through internet web page or social media.
What the G2 rating says: Eventbrite has a G2 rating of 4.3. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations say Eventbrite presents “a number of kinds of registration setups” and “administration dashboards with good analytics instruments.” Customers additionally like which you could “customise the registration feel and look” utilizing your personal graphics and logos.
- Cons: This one really comes from an occasion guru (my mother, once more). She stated it “doesn’t work properly for big occasions” that require “extra detailed attendee information and monitoring choices.”
What I like most: The easy three-step setup looks like it might work nice for smaller-scale occasions and newer occasion entrepreneurs. Plus, Eventbrite is recognizable. As a shopper, I belief the platform as a dependable supply to search out occasions close to me.
Value: Eventbrite presents each free and paid plans. The Necessities and Skilled plans are free in the event you host a free occasion. Eventbrite will solely cost you once you promote a paid ticket.
8. vFairs
vFairs is one other end-to-end occasion platform that helps you handle all the occasion lifecycle. I seemed by means of the software program suite, and it consists of check-in and badge printing software program, digital occasions software program, occasion ticketing and registration software program, and extra.
vFairs permits you to:
- Create a branded occasion touchdown web page to advertise your occasion and seize registrations.
- Customise your registration types by means of a self-serve, drag-and-drop module.
- Implement if/then circumstances on the types to personalize the info collected based mostly on consumer choice.
- Securely accumulate funds by means of standard fee platforms like Stripe and PayPal.
What the G2 rating says: vFairs has a G2 rating of 4.7. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations say the platform is “extraordinarily simple to make use of” and “extremely consumer pleasant” with little to no technical points upon implementation.
- Cons: Others say the platform is strong, however “some options may gain advantage from extra customization choices.” And since it’s very complete, it may be “complicated to navigate” at occasions.
What I like most: With vFairs, you possibly can routinely set off electronic mail workflows for various consumer segments each throughout the platform and thru integrations along with your CRM. I all the time love when instruments take away the handbook facets of my work and play properly with others.
Value: Contact vFairs for a custom-made quote.
9. RSVPify
I poked across the RSVPify platform, and I can let you know it’s designed to deal with occasions of all sizes — all the pieces from informal occasions to enterprise {and professional} conferences.
RSVPify permits you to:
- Leverage customizable and responsive occasion registration and setup instruments.
- Streamline ticket gross sales, accumulate donations, create customized occasion check-ins QR codes.
- Construct an occasion web site with event-specific templates and a wide range of integration choices.
What the G2 rating says: RSVPify has a G2 rating of 4.6. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations say the method for retaining monitor of visitor particulars was “seamless and arranged.” They point out the “fashionable interface” and say the platform supplies a “simplified expertise” for each admin and attendees.
- Cons: Others say there’s a “lack of customization for occasion emails and touchdown pages” and that added options like low cost codes “weren’t simply accessible.”
What I like essentially the most: It’s the flexibility for me. Whether or not you might want to host a number of marquee occasions concurrently, an annual gala, or your marriage ceremony, RSVPify has an answer.
Value: There’s a free choice out there, and paid choices vary from $19/month (for private occasions) to $39/month (for skilled occasions).
10. Accelevents
In my view, Accelevents is a superb choice for occasions that require superior coordination. It’s a whole answer with ticketing and registration options like assigned seating, pre-registration, and the power to promote add-ons like merch or subscriptions.
Accelevents permits you to:
- Design a customized registration expertise for in-person, digital, or hybrid occasions.
- Create customized flows with conditional logic, attendee segmentation, embeddable widgets, and distinctive hyperlink monitoring.
- Construct customized API integrations or natively combine along with your CRM and advertising automation instruments.
What the G2 rating says: Accelevents has a G2 rating of 4.7. Right here’s what customers suppose:
- Professionals: Optimistic evaluations communicate volumes about their chat help, citing that customer support is “SO FAST” and “10 seconds away and all the time prepared to assist.” In addition they point out it has the “finest worth for total options and customization.”
- Cons: Others say the cell app was “a bit cumbersome” they usually ran right into a “few bugs“ and “minor points” whereas utilizing the platform.
What I like essentially the most: I’m an enormous, large fan of stellar customer support. As I seemed by means of the evaluations, I noticed tons of compliments for the Accelevents help group, and I feel that’s an enormous win — particularly for tech merchandise.
Value: Contact Accelevents for a free trial and to schedule a demo.
RSVPs Made Simple (Nicely, At Least Simpler)
My recommendation for choosing occasion registration software program is that this: Take into consideration the registration options you completely can’t dwell with out, and discover a software that does them properly.
A lot of the instruments on the market (and on this checklist) are complete, however some are higher than others in sure areas. Do the analysis, and select the best software in your particular wants.
In the meantime, I’ll be right here rooting for the second you possibly can sit again and watch all of these hard-earned attendee sign-ups roll in.
Editor’s word: This publish was initially printed in January 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
