Reducing the number of events you are running is one way to handle budget cuts; however, automating several of the event processes involved is the most proactive and effective way to manage budget cuts. Most event planners, whether in a local authority or in the trade events market, just want to do more for less and implementing an online event software solution can help them achieve this by:

• Reduce personnel costs by automating processes
• Promoting a paperless office by implementing a fully web-based solution
• Closely monitor and manage budgets and costs.
• Time savings thanks to integration with all internal business applications.
• Implement an unlimited user site license that can be used across multiple services / disciplines
• Provide multiple deployment options with low installation costs.

Event efficiency and ROI

Event managers both in the commercial market and within local authorities can improve the efficiency of their event management practices through the use of event software. An online event solution, once implemented, will ensure that your organization embraces best practice event management processes by controlling and managing the automation of these activities from a central location. Utilizing a software solution specifically designed for event management has proven to have enormous time and cost saving benefits through managing the following activities:

• Website integration
• Event microsites
• Online registration
• Communication of events
• Electronic message
• Electronic survey
• Production badge
• Resource management
• Finance management
• Travel management
• Meeting scheduler
• Reports and event analysis

Measuring the ROI of your event is now more important than ever, but how do you know how efficient your events are? Using event software is an effective way to increase efficiency, generate more revenue for your business, and keep your customers. Face-to-face event marketing is one of the easiest ways to measure whether you’ve met your event goals and can be further simplified by having the necessary tools, such as those found within an event software solution. .

It is imperative that you are able to quantify the results and post-event feedback and measure costs, such as cost per delegate and overall event profitability; therefore, it enables you to provide an accurate projected sales forecast for your business. Event management systems allow you to do this and will process your event data for you, making the evaluation and reporting process much simpler, less time consuming and more profitable.

Self-service web portal

So your budget has been reduced, but how do you ensure that your events are not affected by this reduction? One way is to capture a delegate / citizen journey online through a self-service web portal, this will demonstrate not only how committed you are to ensuring that the delegate / citizen event journey is smooth, but will also ensure that your information is up-to-date, clean and accurate. .

Implementing an online events solution with a fully functioning web self-service portal will allow delegates to access their personal information from anywhere and at any time. Delegates / citizens can view and book events through the categorized sections of the portal, from the comprehensive search mechanism, and through the events calendar. Once booked for an event, reminders, notifications, and updates can be easily communicated to all relevant parties. Using a multifaceted online event solution will allow you to manage, monitor and control all online services through a fully functioning self-service portal. The portal will mimic your existing website using your specific brand and domain URL for commercial and government services and for all kinds of events such as;

• Seminars
• Workshops
• Conferences
• Internal corporate meetings
• Training courses and
• Incentives
• Registrar appointments
• Technical inspection records
• Bikeability
• Outdoor activities
• Garbage collection
• Pest control

The event booking portal is your delegates / citizens’ online view of the events / appointments you are running and is the only place where they can manage their event bookings and event profile online. A comprehensive online self-service web portal will allow the event manager to be well organized, multitask, and provide your organization with clear efficiency gains such as time savings, cost savings, and better event performance.

In the case of local authorities, this will reduce costs significantly as delegates / citizens can only book appointments depending on certain criteria. Using an example of booking a registrar appointment for marriage notices, the criteria required to book such an appointment depend on a large number of variants. Applicants must answer a series of questions such as whether it is a civil society or not, nationalities, country of residence, district in which they live, age, length of residence in that district, etc. In such a case, an online self-service booking portal provides a coherent journey for the citizen / delegate asking them these required qualifying questions, leading to the final stage of allowing them to book an appointment online (if they meet the criteria established). If they are unable to book an appointment because they do not meet the requirements, the reasons are explained along with the steps to take to help them move to the next stage of the process. Giving citizens / delegates the ability to book appointments online in this way ensures that registrars’ time is used efficiently.

In the case of a business event organization, using a self-service portal has a number of clear and defined efficiency benefits, from clean and accurate data to better delegate management. A self-service event portal will allow the delegate to register online, from the moment of reservation, until payment, and registration on the day; ensuring that the delegates’ journey is quick, painless and error-free. Events that have low efficiency are events that have been poorly organized and managed and will leave delegates with an inadequate experience, resulting in less delegate attendance for future events.

Event management software can help event managers plan more successful events with a higher level of efficiency. But the benefits aren’t just for event managers – delegates / citizens can reap the rewards of more flexible and appropriate communication, fewer errors, and improved event experiences. As the event management industry suffers from rising costs, tight budgets, and reduced delegate attendance, it is crucial that companies hosting events are as efficient as possible and continually find ways to improve their event processes. It is the companies that directly address efficiency issues and employ the use of technology that will ensure their events are successful now and in the future.