To an outsider, the event industry looks like an area that’s least likely to be automated – after all, it’s about humans getting together. But anyone who’s organized even something as “simple” as a children’s party knows how much effort is under the facade, and those to-do items get progressively harder the more significant an event is. Event management automation is totally a thing now, and it’s gaining traction fast.
Of course, managing an event is a bundle of very different, though interconnected processes, from venue to catering to lighting to guest management to lodging to engagement, and beyond. In this article, we’ll look at what aspects are best automated to drive value to event planners and venue managers (as well as other stakeholders), and what it looks like in practice.
Why automate event management?
Event management automation essentially serves the same purpose as automation elsewhere – it helps streamline operations, especially in cases where you need to perform an action over and over again. This may be processing piles of RSVPs, scanning through dozens of venues to pick the best one for your particular set of criteria, communicating with vendors and possible attendees, and so on.
What’s really interesting is that proper automation, especially with smarter (possibly AI-powered) tech can not only perform repetitive tasks but help with decision making and even enhance attendee experiences, which is more exciting.
That’s why the global event management software market is growing: it’s projected to reach $14.1B by 2028 (10.3% CAGR). It’s also diversifying a lot, with different types of tools offering more and more automation possibilities.
One of the main reasons companies go for automation is, naturally, saving time. According to a report by EventMB (now Skift Meetings), 66% of event professionals claim to save up to 20 hours per event by automating registration and ticketing alone. When you add budgeting, logistics, and other aspects here, this translates to hundreds of hours across different functions.
Not to mention that automating things can help solve some of the long-standing challenges that event organization and planning has encountered for decades.
The challenges that event management automation can solve
Event management automation mostly works by pinpointing and addressing the most problematic processes, so the most interesting applications lie at the intersection of what event planners are most concerned with, and what technology can facilitate. Here are some of the most common problems that automation can mitigate:
- Budgeting. Event budgets can spiral out of control quite quickly because of unpredicted expenses, but the real culprit is poor cost tracking. In fact, this is a problem that about 45% of event planners cite as their top concern. What software does here is provide real-time budget tracking and auto-generated expense reports. Plus, since the more “intelligent” systems can predict costs, forecasting is also an option that can be used at the planning stage, with logistics, catering, accommodation, and other expenses.
- Last-minute changes. Probably the most infuriating of issues, these are actually common. According to a PCMA study, a whopping 67% of event planners have had to make “significant changes” to events a few days before the start date. Speaker cancellations, weather changes, technical issues, occupancy – all these aspects are better managed with automated instant updates and notifications (which the attendees can also be made to receive). Plus, in the most difficult cases, when the agenda or logistics need to be adjusted, specialized software can help quickly find the solution, like searching for a new vendor or hotel.
- Finding the right venue. There are always at least some specific requirements for the venue, and the selection process often runs concurrently (and in conflict) with knowing how many attendees will be there, so there’s a risk of overordering or poor choice. Automated venue sourcing platforms provide real-time availability, pricing comparisons, and booking options, significantly reducing the time spent on venue selection.
- Attendee engagement. After all, it’s about getting the attendees to have a productive day and a good experience. Event apps are becoming popular, and these in turn are supplemented with automated tools like interactive Q&A sessions and real-time polls. Apart from the main theme and purpose of the event, there are also helpful automation options for venue managers that allow them to upsell on things like hotel room upgrades or amenities.
- Making use of data for the next time. Post-event reporting is essential for evaluating success and planning future events, but manual data collection is time-consuming and prone to errors. SurveyMonkey reports that automated data collection tools can save up to 40% of the time required to compile feedback and performance metrics. Automation platforms aggregate data from various touchpoints, providing real-time insights and comprehensive reports that help event planners analyze attendee feedback, track KPIs, and make data-driven decisions.
Main software types for event automation
Of course, since there are diverse event software user groups and varying types of events themselves, there can’t be a single “automation tool” that would be equally applicable to every situation. Instead, there’s a variety of software platforms, each with its own range and combination of automation features.
Event management platforms are perhaps the most universal ones here, handling event planning, registration, scheduling, and attendee management. They are, by now, equipped with functionalities for both in-person and virtual events, but don’t always cover all of the specifics of physical venue management or even logistics.
On the other hand, there are also specialized registration and ticketing automation tools that streamline signups, and can also offer payment processing features and can collect attendee data. In physical events, these are paired up with venue management software that may be intended both for event planners and venue managers, optimizing resource scheduling, RFP management and the like.
Automation is also used in digital tools for onsite activities, facilitating check-ins, badge printing, and the like. Audience engagement tools are essentially apps for live polls, information, and interaction, sometimes enhanced with AI-powered chatbots (these especially benefit the venue, offering additional services).
Finally, on the promotion side, there are marketing automation platforms for email campaigns, SMM, and other similar communications, that are integrated with the main system.
Top 7 opportunities for event management automation
Based on what tech can offer and how easy it is to extract value, here are the top seven cases where automation really helps.
#1 Venue and vendor selection
It is not uncommon to automate venue sourcing with a searchable database of locations; the same principle works for vendors that offer sound, lighting, decoration, etc., as well as hotel. What matters here is real-time availability and pricing data, so that the planners can run the algorithm through the options and make the system compare them. Additionally, partial automation of the negotiation process through RFPs can streamline interactions, allowing planners to initiate bids and receive proposals without manual follow-ups. Automated alerts can notify planners of new proposals or price changes, enabling timely decisions.
#2 Guest management and RSVP processing
It is often a good idea to automate RSVPs and guest check-ins, as well as confirmation email sending, so that the resulting data is neat and in one place. This allows to operate based on real-time updates to attendance lists, which in turn reduces waiting times and manual errors. More advanced systems can personalize communications by segmenting guest lists for tailored messaging, such as VIP invitations or dietary preference reminders. Automated follow-ups can also be sent to guests who haven’t responded, improving response rates and overall attendance.
#3 Event registration and ticketing
Another easily automated process is registration and ticket distribution. This is where the system can handle signups, payments, and related processes, including e-ticket handling. This simplifies the registration process for attendees and ensures that organizers can manage attendee data more efficiently, leading to higher participation rates and reduced administrative workload. Integrating ticket sales data with other systems allows real-time monitoring of registration trends and helps in making data-driven adjustments to marketing efforts.
#4 Location and logistics management
There’s been a lot of enthusiasm about 3D venue plans; processes relying on that can also be automated, including layout planning, resource scheduling, and coordinating the movement of equipment and staff. The outcome is optimized space usage and fewer logistical blunders. Additionally, automated logistics systems can send reminders to staff and vendors about deadlines and deliveries, improving overall coordination and communication throughout the event lifecycle.
#5 Marketing and promotion
Email and social media promotion yields itself to automation quite easily, too. What’s especially beneficial is that it’s easier to segment audiences and track campaign effectiveness in real time. The result being, you can handle broader outreach and increased registration rates early on. Automated retargeting campaigns can re-engage potential attendees who haven’t completed registration, boosting attendance.
#6 Financial management (budget and payments)
It is possible to automate expense tracking and even couple it with payment processing for real-time updates on ROI. Event planners can then set up automatic notifications for expense overages, which helps maintain control and transparency. This allows organizers to track every cost, from venue rental to vendor payments, ensuring timely payment processing and reducing the risk of financial discrepancies. Integrated financial dashboards provide a snapshot of overall spending, making financial forecasting and post-event profit analysis easier.
#7 Feedback and analytics
Surveys have long been automated in various industries, and event organizers can also benefit from it with post-event feedback solicitations. In addition, analytics tools can automatically collect KPIs like attendance and engagement to identify the best steps for future events. The same principle is valid for venue managers, too, especially if the data from venue CRM is taken into account.
Choosing the perfect event management software
So there we are: plenty of automation possibilities, but picking an overarching system to contain them all is not that easy, and frankly, does not always make sense. More often than not, though, it is better to have as much as possible under one hood, especially if you’re dealing with a particular type (or types) of events. No one knows your business better than yourself, so instead of advocating for a particular toolkit, we’re just going to list the factors to consider when choosing it.
First of all, it’s the kind of events you’re organizing, their scope and complexity. For example, large-scale, multi-day conferences are more likely to need logistics automation and venue management tools, while one-day workshops can be managed with registration and promotion solutions alone.
Budget is another major factor; the more diverse the expenses are, the more likely you’ll need automated budget tracking, since it’s often the case that, e.g. catering and badge printing are taken care of by different people who may or may not be aware of what the other is doing.
Integrations are a universe in and of themselves, and ultimately depend on whether you are an event organizer or venue manager, and what sort of CRM or marketing tools you are already using (and which are used on the other side). Interestingly, using joint software ensures that venue managers and event planners have seamless communication and shared access to schedules, contracts, and event logistics. This leads to fewer errors, improved efficiency, and a more cohesive event execution process.
The most important point here is, for automation to work properly and yield maximum benefit, the systems should not work in silos, but be integrated with each other where necessary. Another path to take is to opt for a fully custom, scalable solution that will cover what out-of-the-box tools won’t – specific details like sound equipment vendors, fine points of hybrid event coordination, and so on. Lionwood has an outstanding track record of creating highly custom systems for such unique cases, so we are happy to offer our event software development and integration expertise. You can contact us at any time to discuss your event automation needs and find the perfect solutions to cover them fully.
