Let’s face it: event planners need all the help they can get to make their jobs easier. A smooth transition from event planning to execution requires skilled multitasking, absolute attention to detail, a problem-solving mindset, and a bag full of useful tools and tech.
The problem is that today’s events landscape is swarming with new technology. So how do you know which will solve your specific pain points, free up more time, and drive your event planning to greater success?
In this article, we’ll introduce you to a few critical event planning tools and share other useful tools to help with CRM, project management, communication, and organisation.
Top event planning tools
1. Venue and supplier sourcing
Venue and supplier sourcing can be an uphill task. Just think about all those open tabs as you compare capacities, credentials, and locations.
A sourcing platform like the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN) simplifies the venue-finding process with search filters, RFP templates, and reporting tools to help you find the right event space and manage the entire process in one place.
For example, you can store all previous bids and contracted rates on the CSN platform and use them as leverage when negotiating new deals.
3 benefits of venue sourcing technology
- Shortlist venues that you may not have considered before but still match your criteria. For example, instead of narrowing your search to only five-star hotels, why not also consider unique properties with updated meeting rooms and more competitive day delegate rates?
- Build, clone and send eRFPs directly to venues or your hotel contacts. They can be customised to include bespoke questions, requirements, and necessary clauses so that you’re comparing ‘like for like’ responses and removing the need for back-and-forth communication.
- Apply environmentally friendly tagging and prioritise sustainability within your search. Use the 3D floor plans to limit site visits and the maps feature to identify venues closer to public transport or within walking distance from a certain hotel.
Similarly, you can speed up the process of sourcing suppliers by using technology to create and finetune a shortlist, send RFPs, and compare options.
The Cvent Vendor Marketplace's AI matching technology pairs you with ‘best-fit’ suppliers based on geography, group size, event dates, target audience, and other preferences.
Say you’re hosting a networking event in Lisbon for the first time. You may need a transport provider, production assistance, catering suppliers, or local printer for graphics and brochures. Inputting your needs into the Cvent Vendor Marketplace will match you with the best local suppliers.
2. Event registration
Traditional registration processes can be cumbersome and error-prone, causing frustration for both event planners and attendees.
A tool like Cvent Registration will help you personalise the entire registration experience, including creating specific registration paths based on the type of audience (e.g. VIPs, speakers, or sponsors) and displaying targeted website content.
It will help you capture the right information about your attendees and integrate with your CRM, marketing automation system, and payment gateway.
Cvent Registration will also help you save valuable time and resources by making it easy to build your registration website from available templates, populate it with copy written by CventAI, and publish your event agenda.
3. Budgeting
Managing event budgets can be complex. You may struggle to track unforeseen expenses to stay within budget. Many teams still risk human error by using spreadsheets. But there is another way.
A centralised tool such as Budget Management can help streamline event budget planning and automate your event planning process.
The software provides budget templates and a full view of the ROI of your meetings and events, enabling you to:
- Analyse key aspects of spend, such as production, room rates, and food and beverage
- View actual spending versus estimated cost breakdowns
- Track how credit cards are being used
- Use formulae to calculate savings in a consistent format
- Access at-a-glance reporting with an intuitive summary page
4. Event design
Travelling for multiple initial site visits is neither cost-effective nor sustainable. Plus, collaborating with a chosen venue over room configurations and event design often requires a lot of back and forth.
Technology can help to simplify this process. For example, our Event Diagramming tool lets you view your event space in 3D, share access to your floor plans, and collaborate with your venue in real time.
It also lets you:
- Produce interactive floorplans
- Show realistic 3D depictions of your event space
- Share your plans and get notified of real-time comments and changes
5. Event app
Engaging attendees and providing real-time information during your event is an ongoing challenge without the right tools. The first step to resolving these pain points is to have a mobile event app.
A mobile event app allows attendees to pre-plan their agendas while showing you which sessions interest them the most. You can then increase the room capacity for the most popular sessions or use the information to add or remove content.
When your attendees are on-site, you can send push notifications to tell them what’s coming next, alert them to any changes in the programme, and encourage them to fill out feedback surveys.
A mobile event app also allows attendees to ask your speakers a question, see and upvote other people’s questions, and participate in polls during a session.
By using an event app to facilitate networking, registered attendees can connect beforehand and stay in contact afterwards without swapping business cards. An event app allows attendees to view other attendee profiles, send messages, and exchange contact information.
“The app is also a good tool for letting guests know who the hosts are and encouraging them to go speak with them. It opens the conversation to your products and services without being too salesy. We encourage registrants to download the app by giving the first 30 people a free coffee voucher.”
Charlotte Olivencia, Assistant Team Lead, Marketing Europe, Cvent
💡Check out how we use our own event tech at our events
6. Check-in and badging
Slow and inefficient check-in processes can lead to long queues and leave a poor first impression. The solution? On-demand badge printing.
Getting attendees badged up quickly and efficiently when they arrive will also stop you from worrying about last-minute list changes and cancellations, freeing you up to focus on more important aspects of managing your event.
When someone registers, they can download your event app and access their personalised QR code. Let them know that this is the fastest way for them to check in and download their badge on arrival.
With a simple scan of the QR code, their badge will be printed, their attendance recorded, and they’ll be free to enter and enjoy the rest of their day.
💡Check out how to improve your event experience with onsite badge printing
7. Lead management
Manually capturing leads or using a mix of tools can result in you losing data or missing sales opportunities.
It’s easier to use one lead capture tool to collect all of your leads in one place. A tool like Cvent iCapture lets you capture leads by scanning a QR code, name badge, or business card. You can then segment your leads and pass the most promising ones to your sales teams for follow-up.
8. Event surveys
Gathering attendee feedback in an organised and trackable way is the holy grail of post-event surveys. But it’s hard. It involves asking the right questions to the right people at the right time, which is much easier said than done.
Cvent’s survey solutions allow you to automate survey creation and personalise questions for different audience personas, such as sponsors, delegates or exhibitors.
Via badge scans and the app, you can ask those attendees who were in the room to review each session as soon as they have finished. Ask your attendees to rate speakers on a scale of one to five, for example, and review content by asking open-ended questions.
By asking better questions across different audience segments, you’ll get deeper, more comparable insights. Use them to predict behaviours and trends, develop content, and gain a better understanding of your attendees.
9. Reporting
Event teams are under increasing pressure to measure an event’s impact and prove its worth. The only way to achieve this is by having the right data at your fingertips, plus the right reporting software to show performance indicators such as audience engagement, registration conversions, and attendee satisfaction scores.
Ensure your chosen reporting tools provide:
- Actionable points of measurement on how your sessions are performing
- Lead capture data from the show floor
- Tracking data via session scanners and RFID to prove where attendees go and what they engage with
- Registration and check-in metrics
- Comparison reports so you can benchmark across dates, locations, and more
10. On-demand content hub
Maximising all of the content your events generate can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Where do you even start?
One way to get more from your event content is by offering sessions on demand. A tool like Cvent Events+ lets you create an online video library and organise videos into searchable channels.
Next, keep your community engaged by developing a year-round content strategy. Events+ offers auto-generated chaptering, captions and subtitles, translations and a built-in AI writing assistant, so you can clip segments from whole videos and turn them into year-round social content.
Aside from Cvent technology, there are plenty of other tools that make your role easier. Many integrate with Cvent, allowing event data to flow seamlessly between everyday SaaS solutions.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools
11. Salesforce
Using Salesforce's CRM platform, you can manage attendee data, track registrations, and personalise communication through automated emails and reminders.
You can use Salesforce features like customisable workflows, automated communication tools, event registration tracking, and real-time analytics to streamline planning, manage attendee data, and enhance event marketing.
Cvent's Salesforce integration allows you to use both technologies in tandem for greater efficiencies such as automatically adding Salesforce contacts to Cvent invitation lists or updating a member status in a Salesforce campaign if someone cancels their registration.
12. HubSpot
HubSpot CRM lets you organise and track attendees, sponsors, and suppliers for added efficiencies. You can use HubSpot's features, such as automated email campaigns, event registration forms, CRM integration, and detailed analytics, to manage guest lists, track interactions, and optimise event marketing strategies.
Cvent's HubSpot integration lets you use your data to personalise your event experiences for better engagement, build richer more in-depth prospect and customer profiles, and gain better understanding of the impact of your events on sales and revenue.
Project management tools
13. Asana
Asana helps your teams to organise, track, and manage tasks and projects more efficiently. It’s a valuable resource for coordinating every detail, from scheduling and task assignments to deadlines and progress tracking.
You can create project timelines, assign specific tasks to team members, and set priorities, ensuring that all aspects of your event are covered.
Asana’s visual project boards, task lists, and calendar views offer real-time updates on progress, helping you stay on top of logistics and avoid last-minute surprises. Its collaboration features also allow your teams to communicate directly on tasks, share documents, and maintain alignment throughout the event planning process.
14. Monday.com
Monday.com can help you manage daily tasks by providing customisable workflows, timelines and project boards.
You can create detailed event schedules, assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and track progress.
Monday.com’s visual interface allows you to easily see the status of tasks, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
With automation features, you can streamline repetitive tasks like sending reminders or updating stakeholders, freeing up more of your time for creative and strategic planning.
Its collaboration tools also make it easy for your teams to communicate, share files, and stay coordinated throughout the planning process.
15. Wrike
Wrike offers a range of tools to streamline the planning process, including task management, timeline creation, and real-time tracking.
You can use Wrike to break down large events into smaller tasks, assign responsibilities to team members, and set deadlines to ensure everything stays on schedule.
16. Trello
Trello is a visual project management tool that helps your teams organise and track tasks through customisable boards, lists, and cards.
You can break down the event management process with cards representing specific tasks and steps, such as booking a venue, arranging catering, or managing guest lists. The cards can be moved across lists that track progress from ‘To Do’ to ‘In Progress’ to ‘Completed.’
17. ClickUp
ClickUp provides a central hub where you can organise every aspect of an event, from creating task lists and timelines to tracking progress.
With features like templates for recurring events, automation for routine tasks, and real-time reporting, ClickUp saves you time and minimises errors.
Its collaboration tools - including file sharing and in-task comments - enable your teams to communicate and coordinate seamlessly.
Communication tools
18. Slack
Slack keeps everyone on the same page during the planning and execution of events. You can create dedicated channels for different aspects of your event, such as logistics, suppliers, or marketing, ensuring that communication is focused and organised.
Slack’s integration with other tools like Google Drive, Trello, and Zoom enables you to share documents, track tasks, and hold virtual meetings seamlessly within the platform.
With direct messaging, notifications, and the ability to quickly search previous conversations, Slack helps your teams collaborate efficiently, respond to last-minute changes, and stay connected throughout the process.
19. Microsoft Teams
With Teams, you can create dedicated channels for different aspects of your event, such as scheduling, logistics, and supplier management.
The platform's integration with Microsoft Office tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint allows you to collaborate on documents, track budgets, and manage timelines.
Teams also has video conferencing capabilities, making it easy to host virtual meetings with your clients, suppliers, or team members. Its real-time chat, file-sharing, and task management features streamline collaboration, ensuring that all event details are handled efficiently, with fewer delays or miscommunications.
20. Zoom
Video conferencing tool, Zoom enables virtual meetings with your clients, suppliers and team members, making coordination and decision-making more efficient, regardless of location.
For virtual events, Zoom provides features like breakout rooms, screen sharing, and live polls, allowing for interactive sessions and networking opportunities.
You can also record meetings or events, ensuring content is available for future use.
With its scalability and integration with other planning tools, Zoom helps you deliver virtual experiences while staying organised throughout the event planning process.
Tools for ideas and organisation
21. Evernote
Evernote is a versatile note-taking tool that helps you manage ideas, tasks, and information efficiently.
With Evernote, you can create detailed notes for each event, such as brainstorming ideas, guest lists, supplier contacts, and meeting notes, all in one central location.
Its ability to store documents, images, and web clippings makes it easy to gather and organise important event materials. Evernote's search function allows you to quickly locate specific information, even within scanned documents or handwritten notes.
The platform’s ability to sync across devices ensures that you have access to shared information anytime, anywhere.
22. Calendly
Calendly is a scheduling tool that helps you streamline meetings and coordinate schedules.
By allowing you to share your availability through a link, Calendly eliminates the back-and-forth of scheduling with your clients, suppliers, and team members.
Invitees can easily choose a time that works for them, automatically syncing with the your calendar and preventing double bookings.
You can also set parameters, such as buffer times between meetings or limits on the number of bookings per day.
Integration with Google Calendar and Outlook ensures that all appointments are seamlessly organised. This efficiency saves you time, helps you manage your time effectively, and allows you to focus on more important aspects of event planning.
23. Otter.ai
Otter.ai is a transcription and note-taking tool that helps you capture and organise information from meetings, interviews, and presentations.
By automatically transcribing audio in real-time, Otter.ai allows you to focus on the discussion without worrying about taking detailed notes. It is especially useful during brainstorming sessions, client meetings, or supplier calls, where key details need to be documented accurately.
You can also share transcriptions with your team members. This tool not only saves time otherwise spent on note-taking but also ensures that all conversations are recorded and easily accessible, improving communication and coordination throughout the event planning process.
24. ChatGPT
The latest version of ChatGPT (4.0) offers enhanced capabilities that can aid your planning by providing sophisticated and context-aware assistance.
Its advanced natural language processing allows for more accurate and nuanced responses, helping you with tasks like crafting itineraries, generating promotional content, and formulating plans.
ChatGPT can also assist you with real-time problem-solving and customer service by helping craft responses to attendee enquiries.
💡 To learn more, download Mastering AI for Events: A Handbook for Event Planners and Marketers
25. AudioPen
AudioPen is an AI-powered tool designed to convert spoken content into structured text, making it a valuable asset when you need to capture and organise information efficiently.
By recording and transcribing meetings, brainstorming sessions or interviews, AudioPen helps you document important details without a need for manual note-taking.
Technology in action
Whether it’s Cvent’s event planning tools or the variety of other available tech for organising, communicating or project-managing events, the only way to know what works for you and your particular pain points is by experimenting and keeping up with new technological developments.
Wondering why Cvent is a top choice for event and marketing teams? Watch our on-demand demo to explore some of the tools we covered in this article.
