I gained’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 utterly 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 he or she comes from a small workforce, so it’s very straightforward 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 provide 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 Varieties
Splash
Whova
Eventbrite
vFairs
RSVPify
Accelevents
I’ve damaged this checklist into three sections:
Free Occasion Registration Instruments: You may even see a well-known face right here because it’s one possibility 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 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 when you haven’t already. Would possibly I provide HubSpot’s Final Occasion Planning Guidelines? It covers the whole lot you have to know to seamlessly execute any occasion.
Anywho, comfortable shopping!
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 straightforward so that you can design an occasion registration type.
The drag-and-drop builder allows you to create, combine, and share kinds along with your viewers. Plus, all the attendee contact data is robotically saved in your CRM. Good.
What I like most: There are over 1,000 type fields and over 12 discipline varieties you need to use to customise your occasion registration type. Plus, it’s versatile and affords plugins with instruments like WordPress and integrations with instruments like Gravity Varieties.
You may’t actually go flawed when 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
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Cvent’s occasion know-how permits you to personalize your registration expertise.
You may construct automated workflows to gather signups. You may as well 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 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 assist it gives 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 workforce.”
Value: Contact Cvent for pricing.
3. OneCause
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OneCause affords a personalized ticketing and fundraising platform. You may create customized ticket varieties, group packages, and promo codes for attendees. So, when 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 guide 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 components together with silent auctions.
“My workforce sends the public sale hyperlink to visitors via OneCause, and winners get notified on the finish of the night time and pay instantly 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 Varieties
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I ship a superb quantity of surveys to my workforce, 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 affords a paid model for groups that comes with larger safety and management over your knowledge.
Google Varieties permits you to:
Create and ship occasion registration kinds for attendees and observe all sign-ups.
Drag and drop your type fields to customise the registration expertise.
Add photographs, 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 permits you to simply “create a ticketing system for join by attendees” and “promote occasions via e mail advertising and social media platforms.”
Cons: Others say the “formatting and design of the kinds might use an improve” and so they’d “love integration with Gmail” and different instruments to allow them to embed quick kinds through the registration course of.
Notice: Since I don’t have private expertise with most of those instruments, I sifted via the G2 evaluations to provide you an concept 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 Varieties Workspace requires a Google Enterprise Plan, you’ll additionally acquire entry to Google’s different merchandise in addition to extra knowledge storage, wider video internet hosting choices, and added safety and administration controls to your occasions.
Value: Plans vary in worth from $6 to $18 monthly.
5. Splash
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Throughout my search, I discovered that Splash was lately acquired by Cvent, however 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 net pages and emails to your occasion.
Share registration kinds and RSVPs to assist attendee signup.
Create sensible visitor lists, focusing 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 “straightforward to create touchdown pages and registration kinds.” They point out you “don’t should 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: Attempt Splash without spending a dime, request a demo, or communicate with a gross sales rep to find out about the fitting plan to your workforce.
6. Whova
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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 permits you to:
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 acquired “misplaced within the app” given the various options, and that Whova most likely 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, yow will discover absolutely anything you have to run your occasion from begin to end.
Value: Contact Whova instantly for a quote.
7. Eventbrite
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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 straightforward 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 straightforward steps:
Enter your occasion particulars — the who, what, the place, when, and why.
Create your tickets and choose the value or sort (e.g., single vs. multi-day move). You may as well provide reductions for early-bird and group purchases.
Open your registration and share the occasion through net 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 affords “a number of varieties of registration setups” and “administration dashboards with good analytics instruments.” Customers additionally like you can “customise the registration feel and appear” 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 properly for giant occasions” that require “extra detailed attendee knowledge and monitoring choices.”
What I like most: The easy three-step setup looks as if 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 affords each free and paid plans. The Necessities and Skilled plans are free when you host a free occasion. Eventbrite will solely cost you once you promote a paid ticket.
8. vFairs
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vFairs is one other end-to-end occasion platform that helps you handle the whole occasion lifecycle. I seemed via 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 kinds via a self-serve, drag-and-drop module.
Implement if/then situations on the kinds to personalize the information collected based mostly on consumer choice.
Securely acquire funds via widespread cost 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 straightforward 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 instances.
What I like most: With vFairs, you may robotically 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 guide features of my work and play properly with others.
Value: Contact vFairs for a personalized quote.
9. RSVPify
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I poked across the RSVPify platform, and I can inform you it’s designed to deal with occasions of all sizes — the whole lot 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, acquire donations, create customized occasion check-ins QR codes.
Construct an occasion web site with event-specific templates and quite a lot 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 observe of visitor particulars was “seamless and arranged.” They point out the “fashionable interface” and say the platform gives 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 have to host a number of marquee occasions concurrently, an annual gala, or your marriage ceremony, RSVPify has an answer.
Value: There’s a free possibility accessible, and paid choices vary from $19/month (for private occasions) to $39/month (for skilled occasions).
10. Accelevents
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For my part, Accelevents is a good possibility for occasions that require superior coordination. It’s a whole resolution 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: Constructive evaluations communicate 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 total 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 an enormous, huge fan of stellar customer support. As I seemed via the evaluations, I noticed tons of compliments for the Accelevents assist workforce, 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 Straightforward (Nicely, At Least Simpler)
My recommendation for selecting occasion registration software program is that this: Take into consideration the registration options you completely can’t reside with out, and discover a device that does them properly.
Many 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 fitting device to 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 word: This publish was initially revealed in January 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
