H&E North looks at event management software to help event professionals make the most of their time and provide delegates with the optimal event experience.
A large factor of the successful planning of any event is organisation. From sales pitches, to suppliers’ contracts, to delegate information, there’s a lot to keep track of. Event management software is rising in popularity among event organisers to help keep track of the chaos.
According to Nils Olav Risla, Chief Operating Officer of Qondor.com, the traditional method of keeping track of information costs event organisers a lot of time: “From a traditional perspective, when you keep track of things using a shared Excel spreadsheet, and then copy and paste some of the information over to Word, then maybe you create a PDF file to send it to a client via email, and then something comes up and you have to make changes to all of these documents, it’s a very time consuming process. Any event professionals can end up doing this 40 to 60 events a year. It’s almost impossible to keep track of everything.”
An event management software such as Qondor allows event profs to keep all of the information they need all in one place: “The main reason that this kind of software is useful is that it allows you to be more efficient, which in turn allows you to be more competitive,” Nils explained. “And because everything is all in one place, everyone involved in the project can have access. So if, for example, one person is away, the information is there for someone else to take over easily.”
Covering every area of the event planning process, the software also offers analytics to allow you to maximise the value you’re getting from your suppliers: “It can also be profitable in terms of seeing which suppliers you use the most and can help you negotiate better rates using insights from the platform.”
A good planning software can also help event professionals connect and inform their delegates: “It’s really important at any event that delegates understand and have access to all the information they need, which this software can help get across through creation of a website and registration form specifically for each event,” Nils said. “It’s also able to show delegates how their information is being used, in terms of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It also offers clear communication about payments and refund rules. It really helps event organisers show delegates exactly what they’re signing up for. You can also provide delegates with a personalised programme for the event which they can access on their phone.”
The software allows you to create a sales process within the software, replacing physical sales meetings: “You can use video with 360° views to show off a venue, for example. You’re a lot closer to showing a customer what they are buying without having to schedule a meeting. It’s also more environmentally friendly, as there’s less nedd for on-site inspection. Event professionals can create a customised website with their sales proposal, with pricing, and can even make a contact and sign it within the software. Combined with total delegate management, Qondor really handles everything all in one place.”
Qondor.com