A recent study on the uses of event software in the event management industry shows that event organizers are embracing the use of various technologies to help plan and manage their events. The research was conducted online, during the month of November 2009. Participants were asked to rate what kind of event software they regularly use. The four most popular tools were:

– Junk mail

– Online registration

– Online surveys

– Report and analysis of events

13% of respondents said that the use of email marketing was now one of the main event software tools used to help manage their events. This increase in use can be attributed to the advancement in sophistication of such tools, as well as their ability to provide a cost-effective method of promotion during the current recession.

Email marketing can be used to promote an event in advance, to send specific personalized invitations, and to administer surveys to delegates after the event has occurred. Email marketing software can now track how many emails are opened, deleted, which links were clicked, whether the email was forwarded to someone else, and many more measurements. This allows event managers to learn from their past campaigns, helping shape future promotions into more profitable and efficient campaigns.

Linked to a database or CRM system, email marketing helps make targeting / delegates even easier. The database can be segmented into multiple groups, with the message in the email invitation adapted accordingly. Integration of the email software tool with a CRM system also means that contact details will remain up-to-date and up-to-date at all times, automatically updated as contact information changes.

Since email marketing saves printing and shipping costs, it is now also becoming the method of choice for those organizations that want to reduce their event costs, as well as providing a more ethical and less expensive event promotion option. carbon emissions.

Once the event has occurred, event managers can use their email marketing tool to send follow-up surveys. These can be customized based on the delegate and can be generated automatically after the event. A link in the email will take the delegate to a web page where they can complete an online survey. Event managers can easily track who has completed the survey and who has not even read the survey email; allowing them to make their follow-up calls more productive.

More than half of all survey respondents (56%) also stated that the ability to allow delegates to register online was also an important part of modern event management. Online event registration allows delegates to manage their own registration process; By removing event managers from this stage, you allow them to focus on more productive areas. Online registration forms can be customized for the individual event, ensuring that the specific data required from delegates is easily obtained. Registration forms can also be saved as a template, allowing for easy replication for future similar events.

Directing delegates to the host website to sign up also helps drive website traffic and can be used in conjunction with online promotions to help increase website visitor numbers and online conversions in other areas.

The use of event software to help manage part or all of the event management process can be further extended to cover post-event analysis. Ensuring that events provide a high ROI is one of the key metrics by which event managers measure themselves. Being able to effectively measure ROI and other KPIs quickly and efficiently is now required by event planners. Using event management software to quickly and accurately create post-event reports means that event organizers can effectively assess the success of their events.

Used in conjunction with the email surveys mentioned above, event software reporting tools can measure event metrics such as:

Attendance vs. Delegate records

Relationship between expenses and income

Conversion rate of sent invitations vs. delegate records

Quantity and quality of delegated leads

Opportunities and sales cycle

Automatic import of survey results by email into event management software allows the user to create custom, event-specific reports. The software can perform these automatically and has the ability to drill down to the smallest details. Very often, the post-event reporting process can be a time-consuming job; however, the use of event software to help manage this activity means that event managers can quickly and easily view the results of their events.

Event software is now one of the fastest growing areas in the event management industry. Harnessing the benefits of automation and online software tools is helping keep the events industry afloat during this recession. Increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost of event management helps increase the return on investment provided to both the delegates and the event hosts. Many event managers are choosing to use an end-to-end event management software solution that encompasses:

– Website registrations

– Email marketing for promotions, invitations and post-event surveys.

– Automatic badge production

– Resource management

– Online payment facilities

– Sophisticated report suites

Investing in a total event solution that offers all the event management features required for event planning can help make the difference between a poor event and a successful event.