In recent years, event professionals have veered away from content-based event planning. Looking for esteemed speakers and establishing an interesting theme is no longer enough to spark the interest of prospective attendees. Most event managers are diverging into a new approach called the experiential approach for attendees. The gist of this type of approach is improving the experience of attendees and keeping them engaged throughout an event. How can event professionals pull this off, exactly? One of the answers is the use of event technologies such as the event management software.
Today, the worth of the event software is higher than ever due to the various features that can be added into it. This type of software does not only improve event planning for event managers. It can also be enjoyed by the attendees themselves through some platforms that are usable from their POV. Here are 7 ways by which an event management software and an event app can significantly improve the experience of your attendees:
- An event pro software supports networking platforms.
Using an event pro software can lead to better networking among attendees. This is an important feature because many attendees come to an event solely for its networking value. If you are organising a business or professional conference, attendees may be very interested to meet other people to start a working relationship with them. For business conferences, for example, they may be able to find new partners or investors through the event. An event software supports networking in a sense that attendees may enjoy straightforward components such as messaging, online communities, and matchmaking solutions with other attendees.
- An event ticket software allows for easier registration.
An event ticket software may also improve one of the most challenging processes in event organisation: registration. Before the rise of technology, event registration and ticketing had to take the paper route. Prospective attendees had to come to offices and pay with cash to purchase an event ticket. Today, everything can now be done through an event website. The website will simply have a registration software integrated into it so that people can simply fill out registration forms and process payments online. There are various online payment platforms that you may integrate into the event software such as payment gateways and staple platforms like PayPal and Stripe.
- An event staffing software may be used for project management.
If you have various activities lined up to improve attendee engagement, an event staffing software may be able to help you specifically with project management. Straight from the event software, you may work with your team members through a project management tool. One of the things that you can bolster through the software is tasks management. You will be able to assign various tasks to your team members, set reasonable deadlines, and basically see progress in real time. If you have activities designed to improve attendee experience such as mid-event Q&A or polls, you may log this as a project so that the right staff members will know what to do on the day of your event.
- An event ticketing software allows easier ticket refunds
For any paid event, an event ticketing software should be able to handle all attendee requests concerning payments. They may be able to request for refunds or modify their order according to how they see fit – as long as it is within the terms of your ticket sales. Since they purchased their tickets online through your event software, they can also log specific requests online. This will allow faster resolution of any issue that involves the money of your attendees.
A chat event software may allow in-platform messaging.
A chat event software allows your attendees to message one another through the event platform. All they need to is log into your event website, see the guest list, and choose a user profile for messaging. If you are currently optimising the event software for mobile applications, your attendees may also be able to do this straight from their phones. In-app messaging will allow them to make meaningful interactions to their co-attendees even before an event has started. They can start introducing themselves and raise various points for collaboration in the future.
- A website event software can be used to make an event website
A website event software may also be used to build an event website. The event website is one of the best platforms that you and your attendees may enjoy. Through this website, your attendees will be able to find out more about your event, register and pay for your event, and participate in various networking platforms as long as they are logged in. It should be noted that you do not need coding skills to create an event website. As long as you have guidance from the software provider, you will be able to choose from various modules and simply construct a good-looking website with straightforward functionalities.
- An event software may allow faster submissions of entries for in-event contests.
Last but not the least, an event management software can be instrumental in the organisation of event contests. One way to engage attendees before an event starts is to present to them a contest which they may participate in. If you are organising an event for photographers, for example, you may run a photo contest and do the awarding on the day of your event. The event software will help in a way that once attendees register, they will have the option to submit their entries as well. If you are using a comprehensive software, you may also allow judges to log into the platform and evaluate all submitted entries. Scores can be added up automatically so that winners will be determined.
Those are only some of the ways that the event software can help you provide a more engaging experience for your attendees. You may want to do an extensive research to see which software provider presents the most suitable software for your specific needs as an event organiser.