Holding an event is one of the best ways to connect with both new leads and current customers. It helps you (or your event client, if you’re a professional event planner) generate credibility and trust, build client relationships, and—sooner or later—make more sales. 💰
Yet event marketing requires a huge amount of time and effort. There’s data to manage, logistics to organize, and then, of course, the all-important interaction with clients before, during, and after the event.
To make sure your customers have the best experience—and that you optimize the opportunities the event offers—you’ll need customer relationship management (CRM) for event marketing and planning.
Let’s find out how event management software supports you through the planning process. We’ll also suggest some of the best event management software options available today—because whether you’re running a virtual conference, an in-person event, or a hybrid event with both virtual and live elements, marketing automation is your good friend. 🪄
10 Best CRM for Event Management in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Use a CRM for Event Management
A basic CRM system does just what it says on the box. A CRM platform manages your relationships with clients by keeping track of their contact information, their requirements, and any interactions you’ve had with them. 🙋♀️
A CRM platform for event planners takes that to the next level. Sure, it keeps track of your client information, but it also makes it easy to do so much more. For example:
- Take advantage of event management tools like event planning templates to make sure you’ve thought of everything from event registration to follow-up communications
- Manage your service providers, so you know exactly who’s responsible for what
- Use built-in communication tools to run personalized email marketing campaigns, creating attendee engagement upfront
- Monitor event registration so your event planner or marketing team can adjust your campaign if need be
- Label VIPs, new or loyal customers, and other key participants so you know how to deal with them
- Keep track of when event attendees check in on the day, using a mobile app that updates all your information in real-time
- Follow up after the event directly from your CRM software to build on your success
Essentially, the best event management platforms support you through the entire event project management process.
Benefits of CRM event management tools
An excellent event management platform simplifies both client management and event planning. It saves time and effort for event organizers in many ways.
For example:
- You can segment your customers so you can see exactly who your audience is when you’re planning email and social media marketing campaigns
- With all supplier details in one place, sourcing the best vendors is easy
- Handy pre-built formats like itinerary templates and conference agenda templates give you a customizable structure for the sequence of events
- It keeps track of who’s there and who’s not, simplifying attendee management on the day
- An events platform streamlines your workflow throughout the event lifecycle by connecting with other elements of your tech stack, like your task management system
- It provides post-event stats like ticket sales versus attendance and offers survey functionality to gather feedback so you can improve your process next time
- With all your client information in one place, your sales team has all the client insight they need for successful post-event follow-ups 📞
Summarize this article for me please10 Best CRMs for Event Planners and Client Management in 2024
With everything that a CRM tool for event planning can do for you, it can be tricky to figure out exactly which platform will work best for your in-person or online events. Luckily, we’re here to break it down so you can choose the best event management CRM for your business.
Remember that your goal is to save time and effort while organizing the best event possible for everyone concerned.
With that in mind, here are our 10 best recommendations for 2024. 🏆
1. ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one work platform that simplifies every aspect of your business, including your customer relationship management solutions.
The ClickUp free CRM tool is especially good for small businesses that can’t afford to spend a fortune on a pricey solution. With a range of CRM templates to start with, you can customize your view to show you the exact data you’re looking for, in the format that you prefer.
Then when you’re ready to start planning your event, ClickUp’s event management tools help you arrange every detail. Schedule timelines in a shareable calendar, allocate tasks in the task management system and manage complex to-do lists at a glance.
Save even more time with our other templates. From a simple ClickUp Event Brief Template through to a comprehensive ClickUp Event Management Template, you’ll never have to start your entire event lifecycle from scratch again. 📝
Use dynamic ClickUp Forms to automate attendee registration, simplify lead capture, get sign-off on terms and conditions, and send that information straight to your database. Use Forms to accept proposals from potential vendors so you can quickly compare what they’re offering. Or use them to gather feedback from attendees so you can make sure your next event is even better.
Keep track of it all in real time on an intuitive, centralized dashboard. ClickUp Dashboards are fully customizable so you can build them to give you deep insights into the progress and success of your event. 🙌
ClickUp best features
- Break big tasks down into smaller ones, each with its own start and end date, and show any relevant dependencies
- Control access to specific areas of your workspace for guests and clients
- Set notifications to remind yourself and others of critical tasks
- Make collaboration easy and keep everyone on track with checklists and clear task priorities for the day of the event
- Chat with your team within ClickUp, keeping all conversations in one place
- Use a mobile device to access ClickUp’s cloud-based system from anywhere, including your event venue
- Via the integration with Salesforce, give your sales team access to the information they need to follow up with leads post-event
ClickUp limitations
- There’s so much helpful functionality, it can take a while to get your head around it all
- The mobile app isn’t yet quite on par with the desktop one, but the ClickUp team is working on it
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,700+ reviews)
2. Cvent
Cvent is a dedicated event management platform that automates everything from searching for a venue and planning your timeline to registering attendees and tracking return on investment (ROI). It can be used for large-scale in-person conferences, small workshops, virtual events like webinars—and everything in between. 🧑🏫
With a strong focus on attendee and client engagement, the system helps you create a branded website and personalize all your marketing. You can also manage requests and approvals on the platform, interact with vendors, track your budget, and report back to your stakeholders.
Cvent best features
- Plan and promote your event right from the platform
- Get access to a global network of venues and vendors
- Collaborate with your team while on the go via the mobile app
- Check in attendees from the platform and print badges as you need them
- Use Cvent for multiple events at the same time
- Customer support operates 24/7 so it’s always available if you need it
Cvent limitations
- Some users feel that the platform is rather expensive and would prefer a cheaper package option
- It’s a very complex system and can be a little overwhelming if you’re not very tech-savvy
Cvent pricing
- Contact for pricing
Cvent ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (1,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (900+ reviews)
3. Planning Pod
Planning Pod is a customer relationship management tool for professional event planners and venue or vendor management teams. It helps you build an event webpage and set up checklists, itineraries, and project tasks, and it even has built-in online registration forms.
This event management software takes contact management to the next level, allowing you to see which events your customers are attending, any documents associated with them, and their invoices, among other things. Once a lead is in the system, you can manage their sales pipeline, set meetings, and personalize communication. 📤
Planning Pod best features
- Streamline communication through its integration with email and social media platforms
- Embed a customizable web form on your website to capture leads
- Use the system to design your floor plan and seating arrangements
- Take online payments through the platform
Planning Pod limitations
- It’s not always easy for event planners to find what you’re looking for in the system
- The event website component isn’t very customizable, so you’re limited in what you can do
Planning Pod pricing
- Planner: $59/month for unlimited users (billed annually)
- Business: $89/month for unlimited users (billed annually)
- Enterprise 50: $129/month for unlimited users (billed annually)
- Enterprise 75 and Up: Contact for pricing
Planning Pod ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (17 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)
4. EventHub
EventHub functions both as a management platform for live event organizers and as a marketplace for vendors, exhibitors, and sponsors looking for partnership opportunities.
This event management customer relationship management solution offers a range of digital applications, including a documentation system that allows for electronic signatures, live floor plans that help with designing your event layout, and online payment functionality.
It gives you a central view of operations via a user-friendly dashboard, and the whole system is customizable and scalable, so you can set it up to meet the needs of your business.
EventHub best features
- Group your tasks by date or priority using custom filters
- Find vendors and exhibitors, and manage all communication with them through the platform
- Schedule real-time batch updates and notification pushes so everyone involved is always up to date
- Access your event information from anywhere, as the whole system is cloud-based 🌥️
EventHub limitations
- It’s designed primarily for in-person events rather than virtual events
- The mobile app could do with some further improvements
EventHub pricing
- Contact for pricing
EventHub ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (1 review)
- Capterra: No reviews yet
5. EventMobi
EventMobi is an end-to-end event planning platform with a focus on boosting attendee engagement.
It walks you through creating an event marketing website and email invitations with customizable branding. And if your event is virtual, you can apply the same branding to your virtual event space.
Attendees can register online, then you can check them in via the EventMobi platform at the event. A customized mobile event app helps your guests find their way around and keeps them engaged with functionality like gamification and polls, rewarding them for their engagement.
The customer relationship management tool also helps them network with other attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors, and even set up meetings in person or online. 🤝
EventMobi best features
- Manage in-person, virtual, or hybrid events from the EventMobi platform
- Create custom lists of event tasks based on location and priority
- Track all your stats in real-time from a central dashboard, which also makes reporting on your ROI simple
- Use Zapier to create application programming interface (API) connections for integrations with other parts of your tech stack
- This CRM for event planners is available in 23 languages
EventMobi limitations
- Some users find the design options a little limited, for example, the choice of fonts and widgets
- The advanced settings that allow for more customization can take time to understand
EventMobi pricing
- Contact for pricing
EventMobi ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (60+ reviews)
6. Monday
Monday is designed to help you plan for all types of events, from small internal get-togethers and networking meetups to large conferences and online events. 👪
Use the platform to collaborate with your own team, other teams, and vendors during the planning phase and during the event. Plan your promotions and manage your marketing materials, then integrate them with social media to create excitement around the event.
Register your attendees using customizable forms that feed into your workflow. Send out welcome messages, create and manage tasks, and monitor the entire event in real-time.
Monday best features
- It’s fairly easy and intuitive to use
- It makes task management and collaboration simple and helps to streamline workflows
- It updates in real-time so you always know exactly where you and your team are in your process
- It’s cloud-based and scalable so can be used by companies of all sizes
Monday limitations
- Monday is a project management tool that helps you plan and coordinate the event, but it doesn’t allow event planners to book clients or get paid through the system
- Some users feel that the dashboard should be more customizable for their needs
Monday pricing
- Free Forever: Free for up to two users
- Basic: $8/month per user (billed annually)
- Standard: $10/month per user (billed annually)
- Pro: $16/month per user (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Monday ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,100+ reviews)
7. Glue Up
Glue Up is a CRM solution designed to manage engagement within nonprofit organizations and communities. It offers a digital platform to help you understand your members and manage membership processes, plus connect and build relationships.
Running offline or online events for members or potential members is simple, as the platform helps to streamline your workflow. You can create event pages, offer different levels of pricing for members and nonmembers, and choose payment options.
Attendees can then register and pay online, and you can use the built-in ticket scanner to check them in if the event is live. 📱
Glue Up best features
- Generate buzz around your event and grow your membership with drag-and-drop email campaigns
- Sign up new members with customizable digital application forms, which also add them directly to your membership database
- Send an automatic email reminder via the system when membership fees are due
- Set up and measure your event key performance indicators on the system
Glue Up limitations
- This CRM platform is quite complex, with many features, which means there’s a learning curve
- Some users find Glue Up a little expensive, especially for small organizations and nonprofits
Glue Up pricing
- Contact for pricing
Glue Up ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (110+ reviews)
8. Stova
Aventri was recently merged into Stova, which describes itself as “the definitive event technology ecosystem.” This event management CRM is extremely flexible and scalable so can be used by all types of businesses, as well as individual event planners.
Manage your event planning meetings, venue bookings, vendor bids, and budget and spend, all from the Stova platform. You also have access to templates to help you build your event website and can create your own email templates to use over and over.
The online attendee registration process flows seamlessly into the travel and hotel booking process, and you can print badges, invitations, and certificates from the system. 📃
All your event data is centralized, making monitoring and customized reporting a breeze.
Stova best features
- Collaborate with all your planning teams via the Stova system
- Leverage advertising and sponsorship with management tools and a mobile app that shares sponsored content with attendees
- Integrate with other useful software solutions, like Salesforce or Marketo, using built-in APIs
Stova limitations
- Pricing is aimed at the high end of the market
- Many features come at additional cost, and choosing what you need can be overwhelming
Stova pricing
- Contact for pricing
Stova ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (160+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (80+ reviews)
9. Zoho CRM
Zoho’s CRM solution is part of the wider Zoho ecosystem, and it’s well-suited for event planning, too. It allows you to keep track of several different events, all in one place.
Use custom criteria to create a list of targeted contacts from your existing database and mail them directly from the platform. You can set up automated responses so that when those contacts sign up to attend, they receive confirmation and follow-up emails to keep the conversation going. 📨
During the event, a scanner app that can read 17 different languages gathers data directly from business cards. New leads from the event are then automatically added to the database—with a tag for that event—to grow your audience.
Zoho CRM best features
- Monitor social media mentions by attendees so you can see your reach and respond to posts directly
- Filter all your data to analyze and report on the information you need
- Gauge the success of your event by measuring the sales that come from your new leads
Zoho CRM limitations
- The user interface can seem complicated when you first start using it
- Some users have complained that the customer support team isn’t effective in solving their issues
Zoho CRM pricing
- Standard: $14/month per user (billed annually)
- Professional: $23/month per user (billed annually)
- Enterprise: $40/month per user (billed annually)
- Ultimate: $52/month per user (billed annually)
Zoho CRM ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.0/5 (2,400+ reviews) – for Zoho CRM
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (6,300+ reviews)
10. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a CRM for event planners and managers, and it can be used for online or hybrid events. Project management tools and shared calendars help you plan and organize your logistics. 🗓️
Then, once you’re ready, you can connect with existing contacts on your database or start to gather data on potential new leads who might like to attend your events. It also lets you manage your vendors, storing information on their services and rates.
Marketing tools make it easy to connect with your contacts via email or phone calls. And the 360-degree contact profile view gives you detailed insight into the relationship history with each customer, adding depth to your engagement.
Bitrix24 best features
- Take advantage of the unlimited number of records allowed—with multiple custom fields—on their cloud-based CRM
- Import or export CRM data from or to an Excel or CSV file as needed
- Use the Bitrix platform via a browser or as an app on your desktop or iOS or an Android mobile device
Bitrix24 limitations
- There’s a steep learning curve for new users, and it can take some time to get comfortable with the system
- The user interface is quite complicated and isn’t very intuitive
Bitrix24 pricing
- Basic: $49/month for a team of up to 5 users
- Standard: $99/month for a team of up to 50 users
- Professional: $199/month for a team of up to 100 users
- Enterprise: $399/month for a team of up to 250 users (additional charge for more users)
Bitrix24 ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.1/5 (500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.2/5 (750+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseStreamline Your Event Planning With the Best CRM Solution
Planning an event requires meticulous attention to detail, processes that work, and collaboration with your entire team. From figuring out the logistics, setting up an event website, and taking online registrations to check people in on the day, keeping them engaged, and then following up afterward, there’s a lot to do.
Event management CRMs automate many of these tasks, streamlining your workflow and leaving less room for error. It also gets things done faster, giving you more time to spend on your true goals for the event: generating leads, building relationships, and—ultimately—making sales that boost your bottom line. 📈
ClickUp is your one-stop shop for event management. With project and task management tools, a built-in CRM system, and templates for every aspect of event planning (plus so much more), it offers you all the support you need.
Sign up for free with ClickUp today—and create an event that’s spectacular in every way. 🎆
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