8 Challenges of organising events which can be overcome with software solutions
Here are eight challenges of organising events and how event software platforms can help with each one.
Leading and organising events can be challenging, especially when you’re responsible for an event that draws thousands of attendees. There are many moving parts and multiple stakeholders to coordinate with, not to mention the stress of preparing everything in time.
According to a report by Splash, 52% of CEOs agree that event marketing brings a higher ROI than any other marketing strategy or channel. Professional events can be a great way to show off your skills, boost your company’s brand, and gather new clients or customers.
But again, organising events can be tough. From scheduling speakers and meals, to calculating costs and collecting payments, you’ll have to deal with so many tasks that can easily overwhelm you. Luckily, the right software solutions can keep your events running smoothly by keeping track of all those little details you don’t have time for! Here are eight challenges of organising events and how event software platforms can help with each one.
1. Finding venues
The biggest challenge for organisers is finding venues that can accommodate attendees and any number of VIPs. No matter how many guests your guest list ends up with, having an event planner app or online event management system makes searching a breeze.
This survey by Sweap, found that 43% of event organisers manage their site searching with digital software. Having all your options in one place also means there’s no more forgetting to call other nearby venues or combing through complicated websites—saving you time, hassle, and money.
2. Ensuring compliance
Is your event planning software helping you stay in compliance with all those red-tape regulations? Examples of invoicing software that’s commonly used by businesses include Xero, Quickbooks, Freshbooks, and other online accounting software. Invoicing software can be extremely helpful for businesses that want to generate automated and accurate invoices for their clients.
Event planners can also use invoicing software to automatically send invoices to customers via email. An invoice is a legal document that states what services have been provided and at what price. If you don’t send an invoice to your client after they’ve paid for services rendered, it’s possible that they could claim they haven’t received any services or products from you, even if they’ve already paid for them!
Event management software helps ensure that event planners keep up-to-date records of their financial transactions so they can provide receipts to their clients when needed.
3. Getting volunteers
Another big challenge for event organisers is getting and managing volunteers. Organising an event with many people can be frustrating if you don’t have a robust app to manage it all.
Good event management apps include a functionality that can make getting and managing volunteers—and other resources—easier. For example, one app lets you organise events and has lots of valuable features that make it a good platform for overall event organisation. There are also specific software solutions for nonprofit and for-profit events.
4. Sourcing catering
If you’re sourcing food and drinks for your event, booking a venue, managing logistics, and coordinating everything else under one roof is pretty much impossible. You need an event management platform to help. These programs can handle all your logistical needs from guest lists to location details and menu planning.
They can even manage the payments, bookings, or acceptance of RSVPs from guests. And if you have any events coming up that require catering, the best event management platforms offer online ordering to help streamline things even further.
5. Selling tickets, merchandise, and sponsorships
Organising an event is a lot like running a small business. One of your key objectives will be to attract sponsors who will help cover costs. You’ll also need to think about selling tickets and merchandise to offset expenses.
If you opt for a ticketless system where attendees register via their smartphone or other devices, you won’t have to deal with printing and shipping tickets. Your software solution will do all the work for you.
Moreover, if you don’t want to sell physical items on-site, your event software and tools should be able to seamlessly integrate with a network where people can purchase items before or after your event.
6. Understaffing an event
Overzealous event organisers often staff for events that are much smaller than they need to be, which leads to a bigger workload for those on staff. When you don’t have enough people working an event, it’s impossible to cover everything or even make sure your vendors are getting what they need. The best way to avoid these issues is by using an online event management platform.
Your platform should be able to automate many tasks and provide a simple way for you and your staff members to collaborate and track progress on projects. If you have multiple events on the calendar, it becomes even more important to use software designed specifically for managing events. Some platforms allow you to assign tasks easily, so no one feels overwhelmed with work.
7. Overlooking social networking activities
While it’s common for event organisers to have a social media presence and a website, it’s crucial to also have an online presence beyond these. As revealed in the study by Market, 60% of virtual event planners utilize social media to get a good number of attendee registrations.
Social media is easy to overlook, especially if you don’t have previous experience managing social media accounts or don’t feel comfortable setting up accounts for your event. But since most people use social media regularly, there are many benefits to having active social profiles for your business.
For example, it can be well worth your time to figure out how to manage a LinkedIn account or create Twitter polls via your event management platform. You also need to know how to add interactive elements to your event apps to make the most out of your social networking activities.
8. Lack of real-world work experience
It’s no secret that most managers want their staff to have relevant work experience in handling and organising an event. However, most people lack real-world experience and skills. Fortunately, event organisation software helps solve that problem by offering templates, step-by-step guides, and ways to collaborate with others.
By leveraging your software solutions, you'll learn new strategies through work and build confidence in your event planning abilities. It will also help you understand how to perform your job well and improve your skills. Best of all, you can use what you’ve learned from virtual organising as a springboard for taking on real-world projects.
Final thoughts on organising an event
These days, event software solutions are cheap and easy to implement. And these solutions make it easier than ever for anyone to start their own event. But when planning an event, there are many things that can get in your way.
That’s why it pays to research top-rated event management platforms. They give you all sorts of tools that can simplify or even eliminate common hurdles, leaving you with more time to focus on what really matters. Good software solutions also help you make sure your guests have a great time.
Examine the common challenges enumerated in this article and if they exist in your current event planning or implementation, make sure to use software that will solve all the problems you have. After all, a successful event roots in strategic staff and managers and a reliable solution.
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