Event management software is a tool that helps event organizers plan, execute, and measure live and virtual events. This type of software can automate various processes, assist in project management, and provide functionality for many tasks involved in event planning.
Choosing the best event management platform for your organization is crucial for event organizers and their teams. It will make or break your ability to execute events and can impact the overall attendee experience.
Cvent is one of the most tenured event platforms for event marketers. It offers beneficial features to event organizers creating complex events or conferences. But there are limitations to consider if you’re evaluating Cvent as a marketing platform, like pricing complexity, flexibility, and ease of use.
While searching for an event management software, and Cvent is on your list, it’s worth considering these Cvent alternatives.
Event organizers should consider Cvent alternatives primarily because of how their product pricing structure works. Figuring out registration costs on Cvent is complicated. Not only do you have to pay a fee per event attendee, but you also have to pay for registrations for large events upfront. Which means you get charged for attendance whether they attend or not.
Although Cvent’s core license may look reasonably priced initially, prepare to write some big checks for essential add-ons, like integrations, advanced badge printing, and event check-in options.
Consider other event software solutions if you’re searching for an event management platform that can effectively support more than conferences. Since Cvent focuses so heavily on conferences, their functionality around virtual events is lacking, and users often complain about difficulty creating and hosting virtual events.
Beyond the challenges of managing virtual events, if your team runs lots of smaller events (dinners, happy hours, product trainings) you may struggle to do this effectively on Cvent.
If you choose Cvent as your event management software, prepare for a struggle to keep your branding consistent across touchpoints. Their varying functionalities are better suited for large and complex conferences, which makes it a clunky tool for a marketer who needs to create frequent, smaller events like VIP dinners.
Many Cvent users complain that the platform is challenging to set up and create events. Often, users are required to rely on Cvent experts to explain problems in the platform. Where other event management software makes it easy to get started fast and empowers your whole team to create events, Cvent makes it difficult to create a digital experience that represents your website and creates excitement. If you use Cvent for events, expect your team to need to dedicate a lot of bandwidth to setting up, running, and maintaining Cvent.
If your team values their time, energy, and streamlined workflows, consider Cvent alternatives.
So, what should you be looking for in an event management platform? Before we dive into our recommendations for Cvent alternatives, here’s a helpful list of features you’ll want to add to your checklist.
As a top-tier event management solution, Splash empowers organizers to create and execute beautifully on-brand and repeatable events. Splash’s comprehensive suite of tools efficiently streamlines the event planning process, resulting in a stellar attendee experience and valuable data and insights for future event success. With Splash, customers are typically up and running in as little as a couple of hours.
Eventbrite is a simple event management platform with various features. It includes an online event registration and ticketing solution, CRM integration to enhance event organization, discoverable event pages for the public through their platform, and a user-friendly mobile app for on-site event management.
Eventbrite is best suited for small businesses selling tickets for events or teams who don't have the headcount or resources to execute a full-scale event program.
Regarding pricing, Eventbrite charges a service fee for every paid ticket and add-on you sell. If your tickets are free, you don't pay any ticketing fees. And depending on your payout country and payment method, there may be additional fees for payment processing.
Whova is an event management solution that supports both virtual and hybrid events. Features like event reminder notifications and integration into Salesforce and other CRM tools make Whova an OK option for event organizers.
Some users may find Whova’s customization capabilities limited compared to more flexible event management platforms, and users report that the mobile app can be challenging to navigate. Their pricing is only accessible upon request.
Bizzabo is a top event management system that aids organizers in creating, managing, and promoting professional events. It offers various functionalities like event registration, ticketing, CRM integrations, guest management, email marketing, and promotion tools.
Although Bizzabo might work as an event management solution for some, it has limitations in event page editing and lacks automation in areas like email follow-up. With only five templates available, Bizzabo would work best for teams with dedicated resources with CSS and HTML expertise.
Bizzabo’s pricing starts around $15k, but plan on paying even more if you need add-ons such as integrations or registration credits or if you want to unlock virtual events.
Stova (formerly Aventri and Meetingplay) is an event management software with features to help event organizers plan and execute their programs. Its functionalities include:
Although Stova has features like exhibitor management and onsite capabilities, users have reported that the platform tends to be slow and not intuitive. Stova’s pricing is not publicly accessible on their website.
Hubilo is an event management platform supporting virtual and hybrid events, with functionality including real-time analytics for tracking participant engagement.
Hublio users have commented on a few downsides, including limited options from pre-made templates and issues with Hublio’s email manager. Hublio offers a custom pricing model based on specific event needs.
Eventzilla is a platform for event organizers, offering tools for creating branded websites, ticket sales, payment processing, attendee management, online promotion, and more. Eventzilla says they support and help streamline in-person, hybrid, or virtual events.
Some Eventilla users have mentioned limited reporting features in the platform and a pricing structure that only makes sense for high-cost event ticketing sales or free events.
Hopin is a primarily virtual event management platform with engagement tools like live streaming and interactive features, and it includes a free plan option. However, a few major drawbacks are that event organizers do not own the guest contact info outright, Hopin assesses extra charges for large events, and they have limited options for emails and event templates. It's best suited for businesses not interested in in-person events and teams able to write their own custom CSS, HTML, and Java.
Finding the right event management platform is essential for event organizers. It can make or break your event program, brand trust, and overall participant experience. An event management platform that aligns with your brand and team's specific needs can streamline every step of the process and impact pipeline and customer retention for your business.
Before choosing an event management platform, it's helpful to trial and demo various options, read user reviews, and make a checklist of non-negotiables for your business. This research can help you make an informed decision that best meets your unique event needs and expectations.
There are many event management software options out there, but only some will meet all your event program's requirements.
Since Cvent requires you to sign a multi-year contract, it's essential to take your time to decide if any of the Cvent alternatives listed in this article would be a better fit. The last thing you want is to get stuck with an event management platform that isn't easy to use and is incredibly expensive – in more ways than one.
Splash stands out as a top-tier, user-friendly event management platform that empowers organizers to create on-brand and repeatable events. It's a comprehensive management platform with robust features, including beautiful, simple event pages and email designs, easy-to-use email management, real-time event analytics, guest list management, and integration with popular marketing tools like Salesforce, Marketo, and HubSpot. Splash's no-code structure enables easy customization for branded events.
Because of how we designed the platform, Splash users report saving hours of their time on event setup and reporting, making events more effective and impactful for their organizations. If you’d like to learn more about Splash, you can join our weekly live demo or request a personalized demo here.
