Event planning is exciting, but let’s be honest, it can also be overwhelming. Running an event manager business means juggling vendors, tracking RSVPs, staying on top of budgets, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. Unsurprisingly, event coordinators are often ranked among the most stressful jobs, right up there with airline pilots and firefighters.
The good news? Event tech has come a long way. The right tools can help you stay organized, save time, and control the chaos. But with so many options out there, figuring out which ones help can feel like another full-time job.
That’s where we’ve got you covered! We’ve rounded up 10 essential tools to simplify planning, enhance the attendee experience, and keep your events running seamlessly. Whether you’re organizing a corporate conference, a wedding, or a virtual meetup, these tools will make your job easier and your events even better.
Event tech is all about making your life easier. From planning and managing to tracking every little detail, the right tools can take a lot of stress off your plate. Whether you’re hosting an in-person event, a virtual gathering, or a mix of both, the tools you need will depend on the experience you want to create.
Say you’re organizing a church conference! You’ll need a registration platform to handle sign-ups and keep track of attendance. Running a virtual event? Live streaming and engagement tools are a must to keep attendees involved. And for hybrid events, you’ll want a combination of both to ensure in-person and online guests can interact seamlessly.
Let’s keep everything smooth and stress-free with the right tools, regardless of what types of events you’re managing, whether in-person, hybrid, or virtual. Here’s your list of essential tools to make your event planning easier.
Handling ticketing, registrations, and attendee access is a must. A sound system helps manage contact details and track event performance with real-time reporting. We’d like to pick Eventbrite as one of the most widely used event registration and ticketing platforms. It lets you create events, manage payments, and track attendance with zero hassles.
A strong marketing strategy ensures people show up. You need a website, email marketing, and promo track to reach the right audience. Mailchimp is one of the strong contenders for email marketing. It’s a top email marketing tool that helps create automated email campaigns, track responses, and engage attendees.
And if you run an event manager business, our Simple Calendar plugin is a great way to sync Google Calendar events (both public and private) on your WordPress site, helping attendees keep track of real-time schedules. You can also enhance its functionality with our Booking Appointment add-on to make attendee registrations seamless.
Content is the backbone of every event. Attendees need an organized agenda, detailed session info, and explicit speaker content. You can use Sched here as an all-in-one event planning tool. It’s an advanced and dedicated event management tool that helps event planners create detailed schedules with speaker bios, session topics, personalized attendee agendas, and more.
People attend events to connect. Meeting the right people, setting up one-on-one chats, and scheduling meetings can make a big difference.
Brella is an excellent tool for this. It matches attendees based on shared interests and helps them set up meetings easily. Simple Calendar’s appointment booking add-on is a fantastic option if you prefer a simple way to schedule meetings directly from your WordPress site. It keeps everything organized and makes scheduling quick and hassle-free.
An engaged audience is a happy audience. Live polls, chat features, and virtual applause keep attendees active and involved. Slido is the best tool for this purpose. It’s a widely used tool for live Q&As, real-time polling, and interactive engagement. It works with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and other event platforms.
For anyone running an event manager business, in-person events need fast check-ins, badge printing, and smooth entry management. Cvent OnArrival is an excellent solution for this. It’s a reliable tool for self-check-in kiosks, badge printing, and real-time attendee tracking. Plus, it offers onsite support features to help event organizers resolve last-minute registration issues and monitor attendance effortlessly.
Broadcasting tools help record, stream, and share event sessions so attendees can watch anytime. Whether you’re hosting a virtual, hybrid, or in-person event, high-quality broadcasting enhances the attendee experience and extends the event’s reach.
A top choice in this category is Hopin (now RingCentral Events). It’s a globally used event platform with built-in live streaming, session recording, and video-on-demand (VOD) capabilities. It lets you stream keynotes, workshops, HD panel discussions, and more.
Wearable tech enhances event access and networking. For instance, smart badges and RFID wristbands allow fast, touchless check-ins while reducing wait times at entry points. They also facilitate a smoother experience with cashless payments at food stalls or merchandise booths.
Sponsors want visibility and meaningful connections. A good tool helps them track leads and measure ROI. Swapcard is an ideal candidate for this purpose. It’s an excellent platform for managing sponsors, monitoring engagement, and collecting attendee interactions.
Data helps you improve future events. Tracking registrations, engagement, and networking activity gives insights into what worked and what didn’t. Simple Calendar makes a perfect fit here. It helps sync Google Calendar events directly on your WordPress site. Its Book an Appointment add-on makes attendee sign-ups easy while preventing double bookings.
Running an event manager business can be stressful, but the right tools make a huge difference. A sound system helps you stay organized, keep attendees engaged, and manage everything smoothly, from registrations to promotions.
Simple Calendar is an excellent choice if you need an easy way to handle event management on WordPress. It lets you sync Google Calendar events directly to your site, keeping everyone updated in real-time. Want to make scheduling even easier? The Booking Appointment add-on helps streamline attendee sign-ups.