I received’t fake I’m an occasion marketer. However my mother has been a director of particular occasions for over 20 years (shoutout to her), so I fully perceive the significance of fine occasion registration instruments.
I’ve heard her rattle off the various duties that have to be accomplished earlier than, throughout, and after an occasion. And she or he comes from a small staff, 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 pair of) I scoured the web to present you a number 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 Kinds
- Splash
- Whova
- Eventbrite
- vFairs
- RSVPify
- Accelevents
I’ve damaged this record into three sections:
- Free Occasion Registration Instruments: You may even see a well-recognized 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 operating 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 all the 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 device, I’d suggest creating an occasion guidelines should you haven’t already. May I provide HubSpot’s Final Occasion Planning Guidelines? It covers every part you’ll want to know to seamlessly execute any occasion.
Anywho, comfortable 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 slightly bit right here. However HubSpot’s Free On-line Type Builder actually does make it simple so that you can design an occasion registration type.
The drag-and-drop builder allows you to create, combine, and share varieties along with your viewers. Plus, all the attendee contact data is mechanically saved in your CRM. Good.
What I like most: There are over 1,000 type fields and over 12 discipline sorts you should utilize to customise your occasion registration type. Plus, it’s versatile and presents plugins with instruments like WordPress and integrations with instruments like Gravity Kinds.
You possibly can’t actually go improper should you use a free device like this for occasion registration (or as your Content material Hub, CRM, Advertising 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 expertise means that you can personalize your registration expertise.
You possibly can construct automated workflows to gather signups. It’s also possible to 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 mentioned, “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 yr we used it, we had an 800-900 attendee occasion, and we used to do all the registration manually. Now, we’re ready to make use of Cvent to print badges and arrange self-registration with minimal involvement from our employees.”
Total, she’s a fan of the scalability of the platform and the assist it offers to companies with little to no sources. She notes that this device “has been an enormous assist for her small however mighty useful resource growth staff.”
Value: Contact Cvent for pricing.
3. OneCause
OneCause presents a personalized ticketing and fundraising platform. You possibly can create customized ticket sorts, group packages, and promo codes for attendees. So, should 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 staff sends the public sale hyperlink to company by OneCause, and winners get notified on the finish of the evening and pay immediately through the platform. It’s tremendous easy, and the backend is straightforward to navigate,” she says.
Value: Contact OneCause for pricing particulars.
Greatest On-line Registration Instruments
4. Google Kinds
I ship a superb quantity of surveys to my staff, and I all the time use the free model of Google Kinds.
It really works nice for private use, however I discovered that Google additionally presents a paid model for groups that comes with larger safety and management over your knowledge.
Google Kinds means that you can:
- Create and ship occasion registration varieties for attendees and monitor all sign-ups.
- Drag and drop your type fields to customise the registration expertise.
- Add photos, movies, and customized logic to your type 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: Constructive evaluations say the device means that you can simply “create a ticketing system for join by attendees” and “promote occasions by e-mail advertising and social media platforms.”
- Cons: Others say the “formatting and design of the varieties may use an improve” and so they’d “love integration with Gmail” and different instruments to allow them to embed brief varieties in the course of the registration course of.
Be aware: Since I don’t have private expertise with most of those instruments, I sifted by the G2 evaluations to present you an thought of what works finest for customers and what doesn’t. I’ll embrace insights just like the above for every device on this part.
What I like most: Since Google Kinds Workspace requires a Google Enterprise Plan, you’ll additionally achieve entry to Google’s different merchandise in addition to extra knowledge storage, wider video internet hosting choices, and added safety and administration controls on your occasions.
Value: Plans vary in value from $6 to $18 per thirty days.
5. Splash
Throughout my search, I discovered that Splash was just lately acquired by Cvent, nevertheless it’s nonetheless working as an occasion advertising program for on-line, in-person, and hybrid occasions.
Splash means that you can:
- Design and customise responsive internet pages and emails on your occasion.
- Share registration varieties and RSVPs to assist attendee signup.
- Create good visitor lists, concentrating on, and e-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: Constructive evaluations say it’s a “user-friendly platform” that makes it “simple to create touchdown pages and registration varieties.” 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 features” 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 research occasion knowledge and use it to tell your future campaigns and occasions.
Value: Strive Splash totally free, request a demo, or converse with a gross sales rep to study the suitable plan on your staff.
6. Whova
Whova is an occasion administration device that comes with some fairly strong occasion registration options. I’m speaking branded ticketing experiences, retargeting campaigns, and exhibitor or sponsor tiering.
Whova means that you can:
- Create tickets inside minutes and customise your registration workflows.
- Provide low cost pricing for early-bird or group ticket purchases) and several types 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: Constructive 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 obtained “misplaced within the app” given the various options, and that Whova in all probability wants “a number 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’ll find absolutely anything you’ll want to run your occasion from begin to end.
Value: Contact Whova immediately for a quote.
7. Eventbrite
I’ve used Eventbrite to register for native meetups in Washington, DC, and area of interest health courses 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 means that you can 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 value or kind (e.g., single vs. multi-day move). It’s also possible to provide 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: Constructive evaluations say Eventbrite presents “a number of kinds of registration setups” and “administration dashboards with good analytics instruments.” Customers additionally like you could “customise the registration feel and look” utilizing your personal graphics and logos.
- Cons: This one truly comes from an occasion guru (my mother, once more). She mentioned it “doesn’t work nicely for big occasions” that require “extra detailed attendee knowledge and monitoring choices.”
What I like most: The easy three-step setup looks as if it could work nice for smaller-scale occasions and newer occasion entrepreneurs. Plus, Eventbrite is recognizable. As a client, I belief the platform as a dependable supply to seek out occasions close to me.
Value: Eventbrite presents each free and paid plans. The Necessities and Skilled plans are free should 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 your complete occasion lifecycle. I appeared by the software program suite, and it contains check-in and badge printing software program, digital occasions software program, occasion ticketing and registration software program, and extra.
vFairs means that you can:
- Create a branded occasion touchdown web page to advertise your occasion and seize registrations.
- Customise your registration varieties by a self-serve, drag-and-drop module.
- Implement if/then circumstances on the varieties to personalize the info collected based mostly on consumer choice.
- Securely accumulate funds by in style 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: Constructive 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 powerful, however “some options may gain advantage from extra customization choices.” And since it’s very complete, it may be “complicated to navigate” at instances.
What I like most: With vFairs, you may mechanically set off e-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 features of my work and play nicely with others.
Value: Contact vFairs for a personalized quote.
9. RSVPify
I poked across the RSVPify platform, and I can inform you it’s designed to deal with occasions of all sizes — every part from informal occasions to enterprise {and professional} conferences.
RSVPify means that you can:
- 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: Constructive evaluations say the method for preserving monitor of visitor particulars was “seamless and arranged.” They point out the “trendy interface” and say the platform offers 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 probably the most: It’s the flexibility for me. Whether or not you’ll want to host a number of marquee occasions concurrently, an annual gala, or your wedding ceremony, RSVPify has an answer.
Value: There’s a free choice accessible, and paid choices vary from $19/month (for private occasions) to $39/month (for skilled occasions).
10. Accelevents
For my part, Accelevents is a superb choice for occasions that require superior coordination. It’s an entire answer with ticketing and registration options like assigned seating, pre-registration, and the flexibility to promote add-ons like merch or subscriptions.
Accelevents means that you can:
- 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: Constructive evaluations converse volumes about their chat assist, citing that customer support is “SO FAST” and “10 seconds away and all the time prepared to assist.” Additionally they point out it has the “finest worth for general options and customization.”
- Cons: Others say the cell app was “a bit cumbersome” and so they ran right into a “few bugs“ and “minor points” whereas utilizing the platform.
What I like probably the most: I’m a giant, massive fan of stellar customer support. As I appeared by the evaluations, I noticed tons of compliments for the Accelevents assist staff, and I believe that’s an enormous win — particularly for tech merchandise.
Value: Contact Accelevents for a free trial and to schedule a demo.
RSVPs Made Simple (Properly, 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 device that does them nicely.
A lot of the instruments on the market (and on this record) are complete, however some are higher than others in sure areas. Do the analysis, and select the suitable device on your particular wants.
In the meantime, I’ll be right here rooting for the second you may sit again and watch all of these hard-earned attendee sign-ups roll in.
Editor’s notice: This publish was initially printed in January 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
