Cvent Event Management vs. Splash Event Marketing Platform

Cvent Event Management has streamlined our processes, allowing a
small staff to manage our events effortlessly. From event set-up through
feedback, the software integrates all elements, reducing duplication of effort.
Our contact database tracks our membership, allowing us to charge the
appropriate registration cost and send event emails based on registration type.
Using the Attendee Hub App, we have eliminated the paper program and
communicate instantaneously with our attendees. Printing the badges onsite has
allowed us to keep registration open longer and gain more attendees.

Compared to platforms like Eventbrite, I have a hard time recommending Splash to anyone and think if we weren't forced into using it because of our involvement with Hubspot User Groups, we would not be using it. I think if the usability and other bugs could be improved along with support, then Splash could be great for small to mid-sized businesses that occasionally run events that they need 1) hosted all in one place and 2) consistent, custom branding. Or if you're running small events where you simply need a custom designed sign-up page, a reminder email and a check-in app, Splash could work for you. While they're not transparent about their business pricing, I'd have to see that before deciding whether it is truly worth it for this purpose.

Incentivized

• Registration platform can handle nearly any need.
• Event websites are easy to build and support customization.
• Support is available in multiple formats should you run into issues.
• There is a large user community where you can reach out for ideas and help.

Incentivized

• Branded Templates: With the Pro account, Splash takes your brand guidelines, fonts, logos, colors and creates customized event templates for your most frequent types of events making it easy to create new events that align with the experience of your brand.
• Customer Service: Any time I have a problem, my Account Manager (Matt!) always has a solution. Whether it be a glitch in the page, an integration problem, or suggesting new ways to use the system. I'm never left stranded, which when you work in eight time zones, matters.
• Ease of Backend Use: I've used other start-up event management softwares which are painful to use on the back end, buggy, and not intuitive for a non-coder. Splash is extremely easy to use and customize, which makes working with the system enjoyable.
• Low Ticketing Fees: One of the main reasons we decided to upgrade to the Pro account is because we were hosting more ticketed events. As a non-profit, ticketing fees make a difference to our donations. Not only did Splash provide the other benefits mentioned above, they were the most competitive on credit card fees and integrated into our donation software system.

Incentivized

• Allowing more in depth paths for registration questions (i.e. drill-down questions as needed)
• Hotel widget does not model in a user-friendly way, allowing for customer confusion and cumbersome work-arounds
• Flex Email customization widgets need to integrate into the emails more smoothly and be able to customize to have the same look, feel, font of the written text. At this time it does not allow for the same level of customization.

• When designing a landing page for an event, the functionality of the layout page is quite finicky. I would love to see the ability to add features to certain text boxes become more fluid.
• The formatting across the layout page is not always consistent, specifically text sizing.
• I had an issue with an account, and the support team took an extremely long time (2+ months) to produce a remedy for the issue I was experiencing.

Incentivized

We are very pleased with the features that Cvent gives us. The ease of use and the immediate support when something does stump us. Cvent provides us with everything that we need to run a successful event. The only reason I did not Rate Cvent as a 10 is the cost

Incentivized

Overall, Cvent Event Management is a highly usable platform, with a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features and tools to help plan, promote, and manage events. The platform is designed to be intuitive, allowing users to easily navigate and access the various features and functionalities. One of the key benefits of Cvent Event Management's usability is its high level of customization. The platform offers a range of customization options, allowing users to tailor the platform to their specific needs and branding. This can include custom registration forms, event websites, email communications, and more. Additionally, Cvent Event Management provides robust data analytics and reporting, enabling users to gain insights into attendee behavior, event performance, and ROI. The platform also offers real-time reporting, which can be particularly useful during an event, allowing organizers to monitor attendance and event progress. While there may be a learning curve for some of the more advanced features, overall, the platform is highly usable and intuitive and we have had positive experiences with the platform's usability, citing its ease of use, customization options, and comprehensive feature set as key benefits.

Incentivized

Cvent does go down pretty frequently. And while it often doesn't impact day to day use usually, if it does go down at the wrong time, you may not be able to access very important event information when you need it. Usually outages do not last very long, but it could still be a very bad situation if this happens at the wrong moment

Incentivized

When pulling reports and it can sometimes lag a bit and that can be frustrating when you are trying to get things done on a timeline

Incentivized

I have very rarely needed support, but when I did, it seemed that there was an underlying push for a webinar, training session, or multiple phone calls. If I have a question or a need, that should be addressed nothing else.

Incentivized

We love working with our account manager and priority support to answer questions efficiently and speedily. Our account manager works with us on larger and bigger picture initiatives for our instance, where the priority support is always there when you're stuck with a feature or setup, it's been great to share this resource with our global network of hosts internal and external to the company.

Our on-site trainer was very knowledgeable in the product and gave us very important pointers on best practices and how to perform tasks in the simplest manner

Incentivized

I have used the webinars and cvent community a lot to gain more knowledge. I am usually always able to find the answers I need

Incentivized

It would have been nice during implementation if we had received more pointers on how to organize our parked report folders, libraries, etc. to avoid the mess we find ourselves in today. If we had known ahead of time the limitations we could have planned better.

Incentivized

Eventbrite is not able to handle the complex registration forms that Cvent can. It does not collect as much information, cannot produce the save level of reports, and does not allow for multi-leveled and/or multiple registration types within one form. Being able to offer, and compare, those is vital to determining our ROI and event planning efforts. Additionally, Eventbrite does not provide as many customizable options or branding opportunities.

Incentivized

[We selected Splash based on] Looks and functionality. It's the best of both worlds. Every other tool we found was good at one but not the other. I hope Splash stays on the path it's on as it really makes all the right improvements to be such a powerhouse tool.

Incentivized

We use Cvent for many different clients and events. It's very easy to customize the experience for the event that you need

Incentivized

• Positive ROI: See which registrants [participated]
• Positive ROI: See survey results from the feedback survey pushed at or after an event
• Positive: Helps us lessen time spent setting up an event, emailing, or capturing data for event staff-- which in turn means MORE events!

Incentivized

• It helps me manage a number of events that I would not otherwise be able to make invitations for, manage rsvps, and do check ins. We used a more expensive product previously but it had fewer features so this is definitely an upgrade.
• Using Splash saves me time from needing to follow up with guests. I also love the "send later" feature for email.
• The support staff make this product super valuable as I am able to accomplish more with their help.

Incentivized