If you search for “best event management platform”, you’ll find a wide range of systems – each with its own features, benefits, and pricing. With so many options to choose from, the question is: how do you actually choose the right one for your team, your events, and your business goals?
If your organisation has decided to invest in an event management platform, there are several factors that will determine whether a particular system is the right fit for you and your business.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the key things you need to know when choosing the event platform that best suits your company and your events.
This article covers:
- What features to prioritise when choosing a platform
- How to evaluate support and data protection
- Tips for companies buying on behalf of a team
- Why a long-term vendor partnership matters
Identify your needs and create a simple requirements specification
Why do you need an event management platform? One of the most important things you can do to prepare is to map out your organisation’s needs.
- What types of events do you run – and how often?
- How large are your events?
- Are you managing everything on your own, or do you have a team?
Once you’ve got a clearer picture of your needs, the next step is to put together a simple requirements specification. This is essential to help you find a platform that best matches your needs. A helpful approach is to separate features into “must-have” and “nice-to-have” categories to better compare the different platforms you're considering.
Must-have features might include:
- Custom branding
- Payment solutions
- Multiple user access levels
- Support services
Nice-to-have features could be:
- Digital check-in
- Integration with existing systems
- Event website module
Make sure to bring this list to the vendors you’re considering. They can give you detailed insight into how their platform works, and they may even suggest new, smarter ways to plan and manage your events.
3 things to look for when choosing an event platform provider
To find the right event management platform, it's of course essential to identify which features the system offers – and which ones your organisation actually needs. But just as important is choosing a serious, established vendor. That’s the only way to ensure you get the most out of your investment (both now and in the years to come).
Because when it comes to event tech providers, there are generally two types:
- Those who leave you to figure things out on your own when challenges arise – offering little more than surface-level support.
- Those with a dedicated team of experienced, solution-oriented advisors ready to support you with whatever questions or issues may come up throughout the process.
Below are the three pillars of a great event platform partnership, and what separates a short-term solution from a long-term strategic asset.
1. The vendor continuously develops and adapts the platform to meet market needs
To spot a forward-thinking vendor, look for these advantages:
- Continuous product updates to keep pace with event industry trends
- Agile development that allows for fast changes based on user feedback
- Innovation mindset to support hybrid, virtual, and emerging event formats
- Readiness for new regulations, technologies, or disruptions
- Long-term investment in usability and performance
The events industry is constantly changing and evolving. If you want a platform that will continue to meet your needs and deliver a great user experience five or even ten years from now, continuous development is key.
Before committing to a system, make sure the vendor is actively investing in ongoing development and upgrades – both in response to general industry trends and customer feedback. The vendor should also be well-informed about upcoming regulations and market demands that could impact your events.
And let’s not forget: the market can shift overnight. The pandemic proved just how quickly the rules for delivering events can change. If something similar were to happen again, would your vendor be ready to adapt their platform and services to meet new conditions?
In uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to choose a forward-thinking and flexible vendor. Someone you can grow with, so you don’t have to change platforms as your business evolves.
There are several ways to tell if a vendor is future-ready, but the simplest is to ask. Ask them how they see the future of events and event planning. What trends do they expect in the coming years? And how will their platform keep up with changing demands and market conditions?
2. The vendor prioritises data protection and privacy
Look for these key data protection benefits:
- Full GDPR compliance with tools to manage consent and data rights
- Transparent policies on how personal data is stored and processed
- Secure infrastructure and encryption to prevent data breaches
- Automated data deletion features to comply with retention rules
- Role-based access controls to protect sensitive event data
When you use an event management platform, you’re entrusting the vendor with personal data. It’s essential to ensure that the vendor can demonstrate full GDPR compliance – and that the platform makes it easy for you, as the organiser, to collect and manage attendee data in a legally compliant way.
A trustworthy platform will provide the tools you need to handle consent, data access, and deletion requests. It should also make it clear how personal data is stored, used, and protected.
Being able to show that you take privacy seriously builds confidence. Not only among your attendees, but also among suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. In today’s data-driven world, protecting personal information is a cornerstone of professionalism and trust.
3. The vendor offers reliable support and ongoing guidance
Key support-related benefits to look for:
- Multi-channel support via phone, email, and chat for convenience
- Fast response times during both planning and live event phases
- Customised onboarding and training for a smooth start
- Proactive follow-up to help improve event outcomes over time
- Real people, not just bots – so you get meaningful support
- Availability during peak periods such as registration deadlines or event days
When choosing the right event management platform for your organisation, one question matters more than anything else: Can you count on the vendor for support?
The platform itself might work well, but what happens when you need help? Many organisations overlook how important it is to receive proper support from their vendor when selecting a system.
If you invest in an event platform without first clarifying what kind of support is offered, you risk being left on your own when issues arise. That can quickly become frustrating – and expensive. If you don’t get timely, expert help when something unexpected happens, it could seriously impact both the planning and execution of your event.
“In our experience, the biggest mistake companies make when choosing an event platform is underestimating the need for hands-on support."
— Lena Elgaaen, Customer Success Team Manager at Proviso
A good event platform should give you confidence as a user. Before making your decision, look for a provider that offers:
- Easy access to support: As an organiser, you need to be able to reach support quickly, especially during busy periods. If you run into a challenge or make a mistake, you should be able to call a support team during local business hours and speak with someone who can help right away.
- Fast and effective responses: A reliable vendor should respond quickly – not days later. And they should be able to offer specific help, even during the live stages of your event.
- Personalised assistance: You shouldn’t get a copy-paste answer from an FAQ. You should get clear, relevant support tailored to your unique issue.
- Deep understanding of your reality: Some support teams don’t understand the real-world pressures of organising events. The best ones do – and they go the extra mile to solve your problems, not just answer questions.
- More than just tech help: The most valuable vendors can assist beyond the platform itself, helping with venues, hotels, speakers, sponsors, streaming, and even on-site support. This kind of partnership can dramatically increase the value you get from the platform.
- Professional and friendly service: The way you’re treated by support reflects the quality of the product. No one wants to deal with an unhelpful or uninformed service team. A warm, capable, and professional support experience makes all the difference.
3 reasons why knowledgeable support and follow-up are essential when choosing the right event management platform
Here are three reasons why – before deciding on a particular system – you need to make sure the vendor offers knowledgeable support and follow-up:
1. Poor support is one of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction with event management platforms
Studies conducted among users of event management platforms show that one in three are dissatisfied with the provider’s support team. Poor support is a bigger source of frustration than high prices or lack of user-friendliness.
What does this tell us? That good support is a key criterion when choosing an event platform. And that you need to set aside time in advance to assess the quality of support before investing in the service. It will pay off in the long run, saving you both time and costs.
2. You end up with a poor product
Cheap quickly becomes expensive when the “low-cost system” doesn’t meet your actual needs. The product itself might be good, but if you're left to figure everything out on your own, you won’t see its full potential. No one tells you what you can do to achieve a great result… and you end up with something that could have been much better.
- How do you invite potential participants?
- How do you set up participant invoicing correctly?
- How do you create an evaluation and ensure that only those who attended are asked to respond?
- How do you make sure GDPR is followed?
Good follow-up and tailored user support will save you a lot of potential headaches during the process. Of course, it’s important to consider pricing and map out the features your company actually needs – but what’s the point if you get stuck and can’t get help?
You can’t put a price on peace of mind. Quick, helpful support via phone, email, or chat gives you just that.
3. It’s expensive and time-consuming to search for a new system
Switching systems or investing in a completely new one is often a major decision for a company. Many businesses spend up to six months searching for the right event management platform.
Let’s say you choose a solution that appears to have all the features you need. A couple of months later, when you’re struggling to send out invitations or can’t track bounced emails, you realise there’s no one at the provider’s end to “hold your hand” when it’s time to communicate with participants.
The provider has no advisors with the right experience or expertise, and you’re left on your own – right in the middle of preparing for a major event.
Now you have two choices: either continue without the system while carrying on with the event planning, or spend even more time and effort searching for a new platform in time.
But if you take some precautions and check the quality of the vendor’s support team in advance, you can relax and instead focus your time and energy where it matters most:
- Creating content that engages
- Booking entertainment that delights
- Delivering events that participants remember
Other important factors to consider
- Does the vendor have the necessary in-depth knowledge of the Nordic event landscape?
- How long has the vendor been in business? A company that has been in the market for many years has more industry experience, and is more likely to still be around in the years to come.
- How responsive is the vendor to feedback from you as a customer?
- Is there good chemistry? Whether it’s you or someone else in your department using the system, it’s important to have a strong working relationship with your event platform provider.
- Are your data stored securely and in compliance with all applicable regulations?
In summary
When your company invests in a quality event management platform, you’re not just choosing a digital tool for registration and participant management. You’re also choosing a long-term partner and access to a team of experts.
A professional vendor should understand your needs and requirements – and support you with everything from technical questions about the system to useful advice and best practices for running successful events.
A serious vendor also has the resources to further develop the solution, ensuring the system continues to meet your company’s needs in an ever-evolving market.
Think of it as gaining access to a full team of professionals who support you from A to Z and make it safe and simple for you to plan and execute your events.
What truly matters (besides features meeting your needs, fair pricing, and user-friendliness) is how well you are supported as a user.
Choose a vendor you trust – one that’s more than just a software provider, but a committed partner who helps you succeed at every stage of the event journey.
Purchasing an event management platform for multiple users or just yourself? Here’s how to proceed
If you're purchasing a system on behalf of multiple users, request a presentation and demo session where the provider guides you and key users through the platform.
It’s important to see how the system actually works and to give potential users the chance to ask questions. Some vendors also offer a free test event with a ready-made setup, so everyone can see the system in action before a final decision is made.
Buying for yourself? Ask for a short presentation and a trial period where you have access to support and can ask any questions – or be shown exactly what you need. If possible, let the vendor set up a real event for you, so you know everything is done correctly and can log in during the process to follow the setup – and see how it works in practice.
Good luck choosing your vendor!
FAQ:
- What’s the best event management platform for large events?
Look for platforms designed for scale – with features like customisable registration flows, real-time check-in, session management, and integration options. Bonus if the provider offers expert support and on-site services. - Can I try a platform before buying?
Yes. Many providers offer a free trial, test event, or guided demo – which lets you explore functionality and see how the platform performs with real use cases.
How important is data security in event management platforms?
Critical. You’ll be handling sensitive personal data. Choose a GDPR-compliant platform with clear privacy policies, secure data handling, and tools that let you manage consent and deletion requests easily.