Planning events can be tricky, especially if you have charts and data all over the place. It’s not easy to create a networking event platform when you use an email service, an Excel spreadsheet, a website building service, an event registration service and other tools to help with the planning process. Wouldn’t it be easier if all of that were in one place?
Recently, companies have created software that helps plan these events, all in one place, so you don’t have data scattered around. But with several options, how do you choose the best one for your needs? Think about problems you’ve come up against in the past when planning these events and then see which solution fits your business.
With all the software options available, ranging from large corporations to small businesses, it’s hard to find the right version for you. However, there are certain criteria this tool should meet in order to be best utilized by you.
Event management software should meet the five criteria listed below.
1. Easy to Use
Hands down, if the software is easy to use, your networking event planning will go much more smoothly than if you require a few user manuals to figure it out. You’ve probably already experienced the difficulty of using several different tools to plan your networking event, so having something that is easy and stress-free is a key factor for your decision. After all, it’s supposed to make your life and planning easier.
2. Customer Support
As with any software, you want to make sure the one you pick offers customer support. Whether that is in the form of tutorials or articles about how to use the tool, or the option to speak over the phone with someone, pick what makes you feel comfortable. You never know when you might run into an issue and having some form of guidance can take a lot of the stress away.
3. Scalability
The last thing you want is to have to pick a new version of software for every new event platform. That’s a hassle you don’t want to deal with, so make sure this management solution can be scaled to future projects. That way, when your next networking event rolls around, you’re all set and ready to go.
4. Trustworthy
Most times, if a company has little to no information about them online, or if they don’t interact with customers on social media, chances are it may not be a reputable company. Or, at the very least, it may not be the best option for you. Look around and see if you can find out information about the company before buying software. It’s always best to conduct a little research before making any decision.
5. Quality Over Quantity
It’s true that you need a decent amount of features for your networking event platform to be managed successfully, but don’t think that quantity trumps quality. In this case, look for the software that offers the most out of every feature. If there’s a good amount of features that have high functionality, you may have found a winner.
Choosing software for your networking event platform is no easy task and you should put a great deal of thought into it. Ask every question. Think of everything that you need out of a tool. Try to find the solution that makes your life easier and can handle any project you throw at it. You may even want to communicate with the company and ask questions regarding the software, although many may have a FAQ page with the answers already listed.
The main thing to remember is that event management software should fit your needs and so you must carefully consider everything that goes into planning an event. Then, and only then, can you adequately choose the best networking event management software for you.
