Cvent Event Diagramming vs. Microsoft Visio

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cvent Event Diagramming
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Cvent Event Diagramming (Social Tables) is a software application that allows event planners and properties to work together online. Cvent's cloud-based hospitality software positions event properties to increase sales and work more collaboratively and efficiently with their event, and meeting customers. The vendor boasts over 175,000 unique users who rely on Social Tables and state that over 4 million events have been planned within the platform.
$0
Microsoft Visio
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft offers Visio, a diagramming tool for building flowcharts, diagrams (e.g. network diagrams), org charts and floor plans, available online as a subscription and also in enterprise level packages (e.g. Visio Professional).
$5
per month per user
Pricing
Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
Editions & Modules
ESSENTIAL
$0
PROFESSIONAL
$199
per month billed annually
CUSTOM PACKAGE
Contact
Visio Plan 1
$5.00
per month per user
Visio Plan 2
$15.00
per month per user
Visio Standard 2024
$309.99
one-time fee On-premises diagramming solution, licensed for one PC
Visio Professional 2024
$579.99
one-time fee On-premises diagramming solution, licensed for one PC
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
Considered Both Products
Cvent Event Diagramming
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
There are other CAD systems used by my employer. This brings more to the table with allowing us to seat attendees it is not only a CAD program, it seats attendees so we can see who has checked in and who has not. That is something the other CAD systems cant even touch.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
It's accurate - everything else I used is merely a template. Without the accuracy it's all a guess, the accuracy has allowed me to maximize our spaces to fit a client's needs!
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I have not used another software
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
It has similar tools that MeetingMatrix has, but the Collaboration, or allowing vendors access is the feature that I appreciate the most that Cvent Event Diagraming offers that MeetingMatrix did not have. It is also easier to save as a PDF to print and email a version to …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
It's the most comprehensive tool to stay organized, and on top of everything, when planning for large or small events.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I believe my organization has evaluated Eventbrite in the past. I'm not too familiar with Eventbrite and if it is similar to Cvent Event Diagramming. Overall, Cvent Event Diagramming seems rather advanced and a unique type of software. We have had such a great experience with …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
It’s nice because we can use visuals with social tables and easily see our event in front of us. We selected this program because it is the easiest to use. Once you learn how to use it, you can really create a floor plan for any of your spaces and venues.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I have also used another event diagramming software in the past, Meeting Matrix. I believe that program just created simple diagrams that you could export and send to meeting planners. Cvent Social Tables has a much more robust functionality--more than just diagrams. The …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
Cvent Social Tables is easier to use and has second to none customer service. Overall, we found that social tables provides a more lifelike, realistic depiction of the space, which is key when organizing massive show floors. It is also easier to show why certain booths are …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
A2Z Floor Plan Developer is similar to Cvent Social Tables, but I think Social Tables is a bit more interactive. There are more options than just building a floor plan, you can actually assign sponsors, build the AV portion of the event, and color code the floor which is very …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I have used other floorplan platforms before, but Cvent has more options and is much more user friendly.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
We haven't found any.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
  • A specific tool designed for industry requirements and isn’t a generic off the shelf tool.
  • Designed by and for event professionals.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
This is the only program that I have used for room layouts. Otherwise, I would find a manual way within Word.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I have used two other types of event diagramming software previously, including Optimum Settings ii and Meeting Matrix. Both were extremely dated, and the programs looked like they still lived in the late 1990s despite being used in the 2010s. OSGi was out of business and had …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I have not used other products like Cvent Social Tables. We used to make floorplans using PowerPoint. We would use the general outline of the room with circles and squares. Worked almost just as well as social tables, and it was easy for the client to make changes without …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
Caterease is what our team uses, and while it's suitable for putting together menus, it lacks the broad logistics/calendars and timelines that I've seen with Cvent Social Tables.
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
I have never created a floor plan in Cvent Social Tables directly - is it even possible? I think a benefit for Cvent Social Tables would be to create badges via an attendee list, or is it possible, and I don't know about it?
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
The level of training required in Cvent Social Tables is minute compared to a more sophisticated program like Vectorworks or AutoCad 360.

We can get what we need completed in a fraction of the time. The ability to plan ahead and rely on Social Tables in doing so is a real …
Chose Cvent Event Diagramming
In my opinion, Cvent Social Tables is the most user-friendly platform for building floor plans. They also partner with so many venues--that makes it helpful to use. The other platforms listed are more helpful if you are building something like a set from scratch, but take much …
Microsoft Visio
Chose Microsoft Visio
Most other drawing tools were vendor specific and did not cover anything more than their specific products. Saving and exporting for use with other programs were also a challenge or non existent. Trying to find products that covered physical as well as logical were hard to find …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is easier to use compared to the other one
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is a desktop app, while the ones mentioned are browser native apps, starting from here both work differently. Microsoft Visio is a great app for any company whether small, medium or large since there are so many use cases for it, and you can provide individual …
Chose Microsoft Visio
SmartDraw was a program that I used at a prior company before we migrated to Visio. It was not nearly as intuitive to use, and even though it is advertised to be able to offer easy import and export to Visio, when I would export it to a Visio file format and share it with a …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio stacks up against other tools, because it is a professional tool with standard icons and a nice template library for all my needs. The tool provides many diagrams for many engineering purposes, from simple flow charts to more complex diagrams. The usage of …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is familiar, drawings look better, easier to integrate with office
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is somewhat more rigid that the other tools I mentioned, which can definitely be a good thing. Also the cross functional swim diagram in Microsoft Visio is more advanced.
Chose Microsoft Visio
Visio works offline and is the only way to send an editable copy to an external stakeholder. However, I find myself using an Online tool much more frequently due to the ease of use and ability to collaborate, including live drafting and co-creation during meetings. Overall, …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio defaults to more professional looking diagrams and has a simpler UX/UI, however it lacks hugely on the collaboration and engineering design templates side of things.
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is easier to use than MindManager from the user experience. Whilst MindManager is lightweight and supports the browser which make it great with sharing diagrams, its display with information is not always intuitive especially when it becomes too nested. For …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Cost benefit is significant with Microsoft Visio vs Miro, as it is included in the MS 365 Suite. While it has less capability overall than Miro, for flowcharts specifically it is great.
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is a much more improved software. Its technological features are very advanced compared to the ones from other softwares. It makes it easy to create work of quality, to analyze and visualize any process or data and generate ideas of any kind. It is the easiest …
Chose Microsoft Visio
We still use Sketchup for certain things - especially where the library of existing elements and drawings can be more easily grabbed and manipulated for our needs. Vectorworks is used by some of our main clients, and for theatrical lighting it’s the best out there. We also have …
Chose Microsoft Visio
I have personally never used or evaluated other programs similar to Microsoft Visio. I started using it following an indication from a colleague who told me that our University distributes it free of charge to its users. Since I first used it (more or less three years ago), I …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Publisher is more generic and while it is able to do what we need, Microsoft Visio allows us to do the same thing using less time and higher accuracy with features like custom icon sets, ease of linking and maintaining links to denote work flows as well as scaling up without …
Chose Microsoft Visio
I feel like they all can play an important role in your organization's success but for those who are comfortable with the Microsoft suite of tools, I would choose Visio.
Chose Microsoft Visio
Other paid services have rather better aesthetics and template/graphic support compared to Visio. However, Visio is a clear winner being a part of the Microsoft family and the positives it brings along such as collaboration, service, etc.
Chose Microsoft Visio
MS visio has the advantange of having variety stencils across all the OEM, I create the visual reprenstation of exact network design
Chose Microsoft Visio
Visio is easier to use however a smart draw is a wonderful tool with some unique libraries. Visio, however, is a little easier to license, install and manage.
Chose Microsoft Visio
Chose it for the ease of use, the professionalism of the exported visuals, and the quick and easy learning curve. I personally use Adobe Illustrator for some of the more complex graphics needed, as I've been using that platform for years; but training contractors and clients …
Chose Microsoft Visio
We have used Lucid charts in the past, Lucid chart does the job well. Microsoft Visio has more templates and seamless integration with MS word and excel. Both of the software does the diagram and charting pretty well but Visio is costly in comparison to Lucid charts. If you …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is very user-friendly and has many options for the created to use in order to get to their final product. The tool helps to get complex ideas into a visual design, therefore making it easier for other team members to understand the message you are trying to …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Even though it’s a more expensive solution, Vizio is built for the enterprise. Therefore, it integrates perfectly with our existing Microsoft stack, and quite frankly, because it’s such a more mature product, it provides exactly the functionality we need and expect.
Chose Microsoft Visio
Well, I have more than 25 years of experience with all MS products since MS Windows was launched; the user interphase has changed to improve and accommodate the new feature requirements as they come along. Overall, MS Office is coming to have a single experience but separating …
Chose Microsoft Visio
Some comparable products I have used to complete similar tasks would be Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Illustrator. Although both of these are very great programs in their own right, I would say Microsoft Visio is still the best to use, specifically when wanting to create …
Features
Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Cvent Event Diagramming
7.0
Ratings
18% below category average
Microsoft Visio
-
Ratings
Responsive Design for Web Access6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Application7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Cvent Event Diagramming
7.3
Ratings
12% below category average
Microsoft Visio
-
Ratings
Calendar integration6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Meeting initiation7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with social media6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Slideshows7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Event registration9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Cvent Event Diagramming
3.2
Ratings
87% below category average
Microsoft Visio
-
Ratings
Live chat2.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Q&A3.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Cvent Event Diagramming
7.6
Ratings
10% below category average
Microsoft Visio
-
Ratings
User authentication7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Confidential attendee list8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Marketing
Comparison of Online Events Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Cvent Event Diagramming
6.0
Ratings
31% below category average
Microsoft Visio
-
Ratings
Branding options5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration to Marketing Automation5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Attendee list export6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Virtual Event
Comparison of Virtual Event features of Product A and Product B
Cvent Event Diagramming
5.5
Ratings
36% below category average
Microsoft Visio
-
Ratings
Registration, RSVP, and ticketing7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Email marketing7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Audience engagement1.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Networking7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Event analytics3.60 Ratings00 Ratings
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Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
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Score 9.5 out of 10
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Medium-sized Companies
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User Ratings
Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
7.8
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cvent Event DiagrammingMicrosoft Visio
Likelihood to Recommend
It's the best software I've used. It allowed me to collaborate on a huge event with multiple stakeholders to ensure the main planner understood the venue and capacity issues. It's also allowed me to realize the scope of venue needs and abilities. Very helpful in visualizing a space
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If I wanted to produce best-in-class deliverables, particularly for an external-facing document where presentation quality matters, I would use Visio. For an organization that wants to standardize and ensure consistent deliverables across teams, I consider Visio a strong option. However, if I need a quick illustration of a process flow or architecture, I would use another tool to avoid spending more time than necessary.
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Pros
  • Scaling - I love that you can scale a layout in the program, and it tends to be pretty spot on. For example, we could have 20 different measurements for a street, once we type in a single measurement the rest auto fills (and is REALLY close to accurate).
  • Uploading - I love that you can upload images and mark all over them. Particularly, you can upload google earth images for outside festivals, and scale them accordingly.
  • Creating - In the program you can create a diagram based on the size of the room. For example, if you know you have a 40x80 tent, you can make a custom layout and build the whole thing.
  • Setup Templates - These templates make it easy for you to auto fill an entire room with rounds, rectangles or other formations without having to fill them all in individually.
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  • Visio comes with icons that can help differentiate processes within a map. These can be used to be a legend and helps create a visually appealing flow.
  • Visio is user-friendly and allows the user to easily navigate through the different creative options that can be used.
  • Because this is a Microsoft product, Visio works well with other Microsoft products for easy translation.
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Cons
  • A development that would be useful would be the ability to reorder the diagrams to a custom order in one event so that when exported as one document, they are in an order that can be customized to flow well for the meeting planner.
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  • For me personally I cannot highlight anything specific that has any bearing on how I use the product. Everything is very straightforward and clearly signposted including template desgins and categories. The layout is easy to navigate and as it's part of the MS Office ecosystem means there is less to learn as I'm used to a lot of the cross product functionality.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
We use Microsoft Visio to keep our diagrams updated and to that end we will need the subscription to keep using the software. Otherwise we will be left with PDF versions of the diagrams.
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Usability
Cvent Diagramming really does cover the bases for us. It's an easy to use program that anyone can figure out. It's got collaboration features so we can share with clients and they can make their own edits. Venues can send us there floorplans and send directly to us for edits. Overall: their templates, table numbering feature, measuring, scaling and shape/object tools make building floorplans easy
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You need to really understand what you are trying to communicate and deliver with this software package. It allows you to get as simple or as complex (depending on your intended audience) and with the capability of integrating with other Microsoft products like Word, you can deliver a very polished document on a project that would very easily address all aspects from beginning to end.
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Support Rating
The support was exceptional, and they remained an arm's reach away for when we ran into any questions after we began using the tool. Overall, we experienced phenomenal customer service. We also had more than one web-based call where their team would walk us through examples and answer any questions we had.
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Overall, I feel that Microsoft's support is weak. They are now such a behemoth that their model of putting documentation online for their users to sift through is totally outgrown. Given the amount of money you pay for these licenses, Microsoft should provide easy one-on-one support for their products via email or chat. The idea of paying their rates for support incidents is ridiculous. If you have an enormous amount of time on your hands, use their support websites and you will eventually find a solution most of the time.
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Alternatives Considered
It has similar tools that MeetingMatrix has, but the Collaboration, or allowing vendors access is the feature that I appreciate the most that Cvent Event Diagraming offers that MeetingMatrix did not have. It is also easier to save as a PDF to print and email a version to vendors as well
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SmartDraw was a program that I used at a prior company before we migrated to Visio. It was not nearly as intuitive to use, and even though it is advertised to be able to offer easy import and export to Visio, when I would export it to a Visio file format and share it with a colleauge, they would always tell me that something would look off with the diagram I sent them. We eventually migrated to Visio at my prior company and thankfully my current company used Visio from day 1.
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Return on Investment
  • Has saved us 10+ staff hours per event.
  • Has streamlined our registration and check-in process, saving us an hour+ on-site, plus ensuring a safer and more enjoyable experience for staff and attendees.
  • Has saved us up to $1,000+ for signature events when managing F&B budget items.
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  • It has allowed us to speed up the creation of flowcharts and organizational charts significantly.
  • Microsoft Visio has enabled us to be more effective with our customers by using diagrams to describe our businesses.
  • It allows us to organize work with our students more easily.
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ScreenShots

Cvent Event Diagramming Screenshots

Screenshot of Diagramming SoftwareScreenshot of Check In and Attendee ManagementScreenshot of Photo-Realistic 3DScreenshot of Seating and Attendee ManagementScreenshot of Sales & Catering CRM Software