Event management software is pretty essential these days. As tech gets better, event planners are using digital tools to simplify things, improve attendee experiences, and keep things running smoothly. Now, organizers are using some pretty cool tools that automate tasks and provide real-time info.
Choosing the right event software is key since every event is different. A business event might need solid data and networking features, while a small workshop might just need simple registration and communication options. Knowing your needs makes picking the right software way easier.
In this blog, we’ll check out three popular event management software options: Dreamcast vs. Cvent vs. Eventzilla. They all have unique strengths for different types of events. We’ll look at what each one does well and where they fall short, so you can decide which is the best fit for your next event.
Table of Contents
What To Look For In An Event Software?
Picking event software means knowing what stuff matters. The right software makes planning easy, gives attendees a good time, and makes sure your event goes well. Here’s what the software should have:
- Registration and Tickets: Easy sign-up is super important. The software needs to let you make sign-up forms, have different kinds of tickets (like early bird deals), and work with safe payment systems. Things like scanning QR codes to get in or waiting lists help people get in faster, saving time and becoming efficient for everyone.
- Ways to get people involved: Keeping people interested is key. New programs have live polls, Q&A, games, and ways to meet others, like matching people up or virtual rooms. These things get people to join in and make the event stand out. Some even have mobile event apps where people can see schedules and speaker info.
- Reports and Stats: Numbers are great for seeing how the event went. The software should have reports showing how many tickets you sold, who came, what people liked, and if you made money. You can use these reports to see what could be done better next time.
- Works with other programs: To be as productive as possible, the software should work with other programs you use, like CRMs, email programs, or accounting software. This keeps the data moving easily and cuts down on doing things by hand.
- Changes easily: Each event is different, so the software should work in-person, online, or both. It should also work for anything, from small-scale events to big ones. This means it can handle more people or harder stuff without slowing down.
If you consider these things when picking an event software, you’ll be ready to handle putting on events and making sure everyone has a good experience.
Dreamcast Overview
Dreamcast is an event management platform that works for online, in-person, and mixed events. If you’re planning an event and want some cool, flexible options to make it grab people’s attention, it’s worth checking out.
Here’s a quick peek at what Dreamcast can do:
Cool features it has:
- It has options that fit any event: Dreamcast has stuff for online, in-person, or a mix of both. It can handle events of any size without a problem.
- Cool features that pull people in: It uses tech like VR and AR, so you can make interactive events. There are also games and quizzes to keep people interested. It also uses WhatsApp to chat before, during, and after.
- Custom sites and apps: You can make special websites and apps with your branding. People can use them to check schedules and learn about speakers.
- Good ways to meet people: Dreamcast is good at helping people meet. It can match people based on what they like. Plus, it has digital business cards and networking areas for chats, just like in real life.
Pros And Cons
Pros | Cons |
This platform is super flexible and can be changed to fit any event. | The pricing isn’t clear, which can make it hard to plan your budget. |
They have cool ways to get people involved, like VIP areas, games, and networking spots. | It might take some time to learn how to use all the fancy stuff if you’re new to it. |
It works with different ticket types and connects easily to CRM, so handling attendees is easier. |
Best for: Dreamcast is great for virtual or hybrid events when you want to wow people and keep them interested. It lets you customize things a lot, so it’s especially good for groups that want to make their events stand out and be unforgettable.
Cvent Overview
Cvent is an event management platform with a bunch of tools to help organizers handle in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. It’s got a simple interface and lots of features, so it makes planning events easier and helps create cool experiences for everyone who attends.
What Cvent offers:
- All-in-one event tools: Cvent has a ton of features, so it can handle almost any part of event planning. A big conference or small meeting, it doesn’t matter. They have tools for registration, tickets, and keeping track of attendees, which helps make sure your event goes off without a hitch.
- Find venues and manage vendors: Finding a place to have your event is easy. Cvent has a network that lets you find and book venues and connects you with reliable vendors. This makes it easy to find what you need.
- Better attendee involvement: Cvent makes events more fun with custom schedules, ways to meet people, and things to do. People can use these to make friends, talk to each other, and see info that’s interesting to them.
- Good reporting: Cvent gives you the numbers on how your event is doing as it happens. You can see how many people sign up, how they interact, and if you’re getting a good return on your investment. This info helps you plan better events later on.
Pros And Cons
Pros | Cons |
Cvent’s platform is made to be easy to use, so event planners can get around without any trouble. This is good if you’re not super techy. | Some users have noted that Cvent’s pricing isn’t always up-front, which can make budgeting tricky. |
Cvent is great for hybrid events since it smoothly mixes online and in-person stuff. Everyone can join in, no matter how they show up. | Also, while Cvent has tons of features, it might be too much for smaller events. Some people feel that all its capabilities are unnecessary if you’re just doing something simple. |
The platform focuses on insights from data, which helps organizers tell if their events are doing well. By checking out how things are going, planners can figure out what’s good and what they can fix. |
Best for: Cvent works great if you’re planning huge corporate events or trade shows and want lots of data. It’s got plenty of features to help you handle complicated events and keep everyone happy.
Eventzilla Overview
Eventzilla is an event management tool that makes planning and running small to medium events pretty easy. It’s known for being simple to use and quick to set up, making it ideal if you want to get your event going fast without a bunch of confusing stuff.
Cool feature of Eventzilla:
- Easy to get started: Eventzilla is great ’cause it’s super quick to set up, which rocks for smaller events. You can make your event page, get tickets going, and set up registration super fast. Then you can spend time on other stuff that matters.
- Promotion Built-In: It has tools to help people find out about your event. You can send emails and post on social media to get more people to sign up.
- Pricing that works for you: One thing that’s cool is you can make attendees pay the ticket fees. That way, you can keep your ticket prices clear and still make as much money as you want.
- Certificates made easy: Eventzilla also lets you create and send certificates. This is useful for workshops where people need proof they were there.
Pros And Cons
Pros | Cons |
Eventzilla has simple pricing, and organizers can even have attendees pay the fees. This makes budgeting easy since there are no hidden costs. | Eventzilla might not have all the bells and whistles that some bigger events need, which could be a problem if you’re planning something super complicated. |
The platform is also super easy to use, so anyone can get their events up and running fast, even if they’re not tech experts. | It’s great for smaller get-togethers, but its simple setup might make it tough to handle really big or complex events. |
it has email marketing and social media stuff built-in, so it’s easy to get the word out and get more people to come to your event. |
Best for: Eventzilla works great if you’re planning something like a small conference, workshop, or even a webinar. It’s super easy to get started, which makes it perfect if you haven’t planned events before or just want a simple way to get everything sorted.
Feature Comparison Table
Need help figuring out which event software is right for you?
Here’s a quick look at what Dreamcast, Cvent and Eventzilla can do. This table shows what each platform does well and what makes them special.
Features | Dreamcast | Cvent | Eventzilla |
Event Types Supported | In-person, Virtual, Hybrid | In-person, Virtual, Hybrid | In-person, Virtual |
Customization Options | High | Moderate | Low |
Attendee Engagement Tools | VR/AR integration, gamification | Personalized agendas, networking tools | Basic engagement features |
Venue Sourcing | No | Yes | No |
Ticketing Options | Flexible pricing models | Diverse options with CRM integration | Pass ticket fees to attendees |
Analytics & Reporting | Advanced reporting systems | Moderate analytics | Basic reporting |
Mobile App Availability | Yes | Yes | Limited |
User Interface | Moderate learning curve | Moderate learning curve | Intuitive and easy to use |
Best For | All types of event scales | Large-scale corporate events | Small to medium-sized events |
This table gives you a quick rundown of what each software can do, so you can figure out which one works best for planning your event. Whether you’re putting together a huge company conference or just a small workshop, knowing what these things offer should help you pick the right one.
Wrapping Things Up
Picking the right event management software is super important for pulling off successful events, no matter if they’re in person, online, or a mix of both.
Dreamcast, Cvent and Eventzilla all have cool stuff to offer, depending on what you need.
- Dreamcast is cool because it gets folks involved and makes online and hybrid events feel real and fun.
- Cvent is awesome with its full set of tools and data smarts, which makes it great for big company events.
- And Eventzilla? It’s easy to use and helps you get the word out, so it’s a solid pick for smaller gatherings.
At the end of the day, the software that works best for you will depend on exactly what you need for your event, how much you want to spend, and what kind of experience you want people to have.
If you think about what each one does well and not so well, you’ll be able to pick the one that helps you put on killer events that people will remember.