What is Event Registration Software?
Event registration software helps event organizers invite, register, and communicate with event attendees.
Organizing a large event can be complicated. Organizers must advertise their event to potential attendees. Event planners also need ready access to attendee contact information. If the organizers charge a fee for entry, they must ensure that each attendee has purchased a ticket.
Event registration software aims to address these problems by creating a single platform for advertising, registration, ticketing, and messaging. The software hosts a public-facing registration portal. When attendees register through this portal, their information is saved in a database. The software also processes any registration fees.
Event registration software allows event planners to access and manage the attendee database. Often, the software also includes mass communication tools, allowing organizers to contact their attendees from within the application. The software may also generate reports to help organizers understand the reach, cost, and effectiveness of their event.
Some vendors include event registration software as part of comprehensive event management solutions. These platforms offer more tools to assist organizers, staff, and attendees before, during, and after the event.
Event Registration Software Features
Most event registration software vendors offer:
Event marketing tools
Online registration
Payment processing
Messaging tools to contact attendees
Digital event guides for attendees
Report generation tools
Post-event surveys for attendees
Attendee data management, including customizable permissions
For some software, the availability and capability of these features may depend on your subscription tier.
Event Registration Software Comparison
Before investing in an event registration platform, consider the following key factors:
Ease of use: Will the new platform you’re considering purchasing be user-friendly for both you (the event organizer) and the attendees? Having an easy-to-use product that attendees can use to stay plugged into the different event activities is critically important. It’s also important for you as the event organizer to be able to easily send messages to all attendees through the platform. Doing a free trial of the software is a great way to evaluate how user-friendly the product is before purchasing it.
In-person vs. online: Do the event registration platforms you’re considering allow you to organize both in-person and online events? Hybrid events that blend both in-person and digital sessions are becoming more common. Make sure to invest in an event registration platform that can support both types of events if your organization may be hosting future hybrid events.
Scope: Are you looking for a stand-alone event registration tool or a more comprehensive event management platform? Event registration point solutions may be a better fit for small businesses or individuals hosting smaller events. On the other hand, midsize and enterprise organizations may require an event management solution with more robust event management and analytics capabilities.
Pricing Information
Some vendors offer a free version of their software with limited features. To recoup costs, these vendors may run advertisements on event sign-up pages or charge registrants a booking fee. These tiers are intended for personal events or infrequent small business events.
Pricing for event registration software varies. Many vendors offer tiered per-month subscriptions. Paid tiers start at approximately $10 per month. Depending on the vendor, the most expensive tiers may range from under $100 per month to over $1,000 per month. Vendors may also offer discounts for non-profit organizations.
However, the pricing model can vary depending on the type of software too. Certain event registration platforms may charge a small fee per attendee (anywhere from $1-$4), or take a small percentage (between 1%-4%) of ticket payments collected. Most platforms that allow users to collect payments also have a small payment processing fee.
