Event organizers know the drill all too well: You stitch together disjointed tech in hopes of pulling off the perfect event, only to find yourself drained of time, energy, and, crucially, budget. This is a common struggle in an industry rife with fragmented tech solutions.
Now, imagine a single tool that could streamline at least 80% if not more of your event planning tasks. Intrigued? Let’s unpack this potential game-changer.
Navigating the Maze of Disconnected Event Tools
Picture this: your event registration system and your onsite check-in tool are barely on speaking terms, while your lead capture system acts like it's on a different planet from your CRM. It's not just a minor inconvenience; it's a recipe for disaster.
Let's break down why this is a real issue:
- Password Pandemonium: Imagine having to remember a dozen passwords - one for your ticketing system, one for your live streaming platform, one for your event management platform, one for your mobile event app, and another one for your CRM. Now, picture your attendees in the same boat. Not exactly the seamless experience you were aiming for, right?
- Data Drama: With each piece of your tech stack updating in its own little bubble, your event data about as accurate as a dart thrown in the dark. In other words, you'll be making decisions based on disjointed, incomplete and possibly incorrect information, which could lead to unnecessary mistakes and oversights.
- Missed Magic Moments: Here's where it really hurts. Every event has the potential to deliver those unforgettable moments that turn attendees into fans (and fans into evangelists). But if your tech can't talk to each other, creating a cohesive experience is going to be a real challenge.
And here's the kicker: In the event world, you don't get a do-over. There's no "beta test" phase when your event is live, and all eyes are on you. The clock is ticking, the spotlight's on, and it's your one shot to make it count. It’s no wonder event planners are seeking event tech that delivers reliably and consistently when it matters most!
Why Disjointed Tech May Be On Its Way Out
Welcome to the next generation of event planning tools - where every piece fits together like a puzzle. Picture this: your event website or event page builder, speaker and exhibitor management tools, email marketing, online registration forms, check-in and badge printing functionality, agenda organization, attendee engagement tools, and event apps - are all streamlined under one roof, playing nice with each other! This isn't just a pipe dream; it's where modern event tech is headed today, eliminating the headaches of disjointed systems.
Flashback to 2015: Jonathan Kazarian, CEO and Founder of Accelevents, identified a glaring gap in the event technology market. Hosting events himself, he was all too familiar with the frustrations of dealing with disjointed tech and unreliable support. Kazarian's solution? Build Accelevents from scratch, with clarity of purpose: to simplify the lives of event organizers with a unified platform that saves time and slashes stress.
In a recent interview, Kazarian remarked, "Unfortunately, many event software solutions are still really fragmented. What's making things worse is the current trend of acquisitions, where companies are buying others and creating these 'Franken-systems' that are just confusing to use. It feels like event organizers have to juggle multiple companies, even though the tools are supposedly all under one roof. Sometimes, you might even end up with different bills for products from the same company," he explained. “This has led to a huge amount of frustration among event professionals, who are now desperately seeking event management solutions that can offer them - and their attendees - a truly seamless experience."
But does slick, integrated tech mean everything's going to run perfectly? Not necessarily. There's something else just as crucial – having someone to back you up with real-time support when the spotlight's on and you need it most.
Beyond Tech: The Importance of Real-time Support
The importance of reliable and responsive customer support often gets overlooked until disaster hits. Unfortunately, even events with the most seamless tech setup can't escape the occasional hiccup. Whether it's a sudden speaker cancellation or an unforeseen internet outage, Murphy's Law is always looming. That's where immediate, dependable support becomes your saving grace.
Jonathan Kazarian emphasizes: "Events demand a level of urgency unlike any other industry. That's why our team responds in 18 seconds on average. That’s around the clock, every day of the year!" In the fast-paced world of events, timely assistance can mean the difference between a minor setback and a full-blown crisis.
Raising the Bar: Meeting Modern Attendee Expectations
In the highly competitive landscape of today’s events industry, technology alone, no matter how advanced, isn’t enough to capture and retain attendee interest. Even the most sophisticated systems backed by reliable support serve merely as the foundation. The true differentiator? The overall production quality of your event.
Today's events aren't just competing with each other - they're up against the immersive, fast-paced social media worlds of TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. This digital shift has catapulted attendee expectations to new heights. Modern event goers are looking for more than just information; they crave a variety of visually engaging, well-crafted, and interactive event experiences. These elements are no longer just nice-to-have; they're crucial for igniting interest and ensuring attendees return to your events, time and again.
All-in-one platforms are uniquely positioned to meet these varied expectations by allowing organizers to design a smorgasbord of experiences in multiple formats - from virtual and hybrid to strictly in-person events.
Within each event, these platforms can facilitate an assortment of activities such as keynotes, sessions, workshops, seminars, breakout sessions, and games, providing numerous opportunities for engagement and networking.
By leveraging such a platform, organizers can craft experiences that not only meet but exceed the modern attendee's craving for variety and interaction.
The Future's Looking Bright (and Way Less Complicated)
The outlook for events? Brighter, and way simpler too. Soon, event profs will be able to say goodbye to the headache of managing a bunch of different event tools that just don't want to cooperate. With all-in-one event management systems making waves, there's a whole new approach to planning and executing events on the horizon.
And here's the thing: unified event platforms are not just about making things more convenient. This shift represents something larger. It's an opportunity for event professionals to zero in on what truly counts - not troubleshooting tech issues, but crafting seamless, captivating, and unforgettable experiences that exceed the expectations of modern attendees.
Interested in learning more? Contact us to discuss your event planning process. We’d be happy to give you a tour of our features as well!
FAQ
What is all-in-one event management software?
In a nutshell, it’s a set of event management tools that is built to function seamlessly across the entire lifecycle. That’s why another term for an all-in-one event management platform is end-to-end event management software. Typically, all-in-one solutions also cover all event formats. That would be your virtual events, hybrid events and in-person events.
How do all-in-one event software solutions differ from one another?
Some all-in-one platforms like Cvent or Rainfocus are focused on serving very large events, meaning that their complex features may be too time-consuming to learn or set up for small events like a dinner or workshop series.
Conversely, simple solutions like Eventbrite may be “all-in-one” for simple events, but too limited if you are thinking of scaling up to a large-scale event like a global conference or a hybrid tradeshow.
If your aim is to offer attendees a portfolio of experiences that encompass different types of events, in other words, you’re eying everything from basic webinars to conferences, then your best bet is to go for a platform like Accelevents, which is built to maximize the attendee experience across your entire event offering.
What features are typically included in all-in-one event management solutions?
Here’s a list of what’s offered at Accelevents. It’s pretty reflective of what is included in other comprehensive platforms as well. The main difference with competing solutions is that everything we design is purposefully built to function as a whole.
With Accelevents, you can:
- Create an event website from scratch or use customizable event templates.
- Create event marketing campaigns using branded emails.
- Configure powerful event registration and event ticketing workflows.
- Offer add-ons such as courses or experiences to your ticket sales.
- Offer various payment methods, from online payment processing to invoicing.
- Build an agenda that automatically integrates speakers and sessions.
- Check attendees in or have them self-check in and print their badges in kiosk mode.
- Provide attendees with a mobile app that keeps them informed and engaged. Our event app offers push notifications, a customizable agenda, floor plans, built-in live streaming, and much more.
- Track attendance via session check-in and checkout.
- Establish a Virtual Hub featuring keynote sessions, regular sessions, breakout rooms, and lounges. Host it as a standalone online event or integrate it into your in-person gathering for a hybrid experience.
- Broadcast live content via our broadcast studio or a preferred A/V provider.
- Automatically onboard exhibitors and sponsors.
- Help exhibitors capture leads and monitor booth performance.
- Amplify attendee engagement with AI-driven networking and gamification.
- Set up event polls, Q&A sessions, and surveys.
- Run event analytics.
- Build native integrations with your CRM or marketing tools.
- Connect your favorite tools via our API.
Caveat: We don't provide project management tools. For task management across timelines, we recommend using Asana, ClickUp, Monday.com, or a similar solution.
Interested in exploring our tools? Contact us here for a demo and pricing information.
What event types does Accelevents support?
Our cloud-based event platform is designed to support your entire event strategy. Whether it's breakfast meetings, fundraisers, workshops, conferences, trade shows, field events, career fairs... You name it, we’ll host it. Our comprehensive event planning software is tailored to handle all your future events, regardless of size, format, or type, allowing you to seamlessly manage every aspect of your event plan in one place.
