In a conference management software, you do not invest every day. So that you do not regret your choice later, this will be well thought out. That is why we are turning the tables today and show you how to do it better.
1. You are not making any preliminary considerations
Before deciding on a conference management software, you should first ask yourself the following question: What must the software be able to do?
Perhaps the type of event you have will require specific requirements, or you may have special requirements that the conference management software should meet. Formulate these before you go into the search for a software for the management of your conference.
2. You are not informed about the provider of the conference management software
The website of the provider promises the best conference management software, but see the other so synonymous? Find out who is currently working with and what customers are saying. If no single customer voice can be found and the most recent project completed in 2012, continue the search for a conference management software at a different location.
3. You do not want to spend money
Conference management software that costs nothing? They exist. Free software, however, usually reaches its limits fairly quickly during conference management. Therefore, do not expect too much, and certainly no individual solutions, extensive support services or a huge range of functions, when choosing a free solution.
In the worst case, you will pay a high price for a seemingly free conference management software because you will have a much greater administrative burden or you will be surprised to find that important functions are not available as expected in your time-critical project.
4. You are planning to pass by your participants
Do not forget that your attendees are using the conference management software, for example, to sign up and submit contributions. Therefore, the menu management must not be overly complicated. When designing the website, also think about the users of mobile devices. The page should also be displayed well on smaller displays.
The conference management software provider may also provide an app like MLeads that will provide all visitors with up-to-date information. Note that the app should run on different operating systems.
5. You have not yet tested the conference management software
What the future software for your conference management can do, you already know. But have you already tested the functions? Whether the conference management software keeps what you promises and the handling is truly user-friendly, you can find out for yourself - provided that the offer with an online demo or a test installation gives you the opportunity.
6. You are not dealing with the topic of support
"We can get it by itself!" - Only the organizer with the greatest success of the event will find that the management of conferences usually has no time to get to the bottom of any software problem and to search for the right solution. Just ask those who are familiar with it. The prerequisite for this is, of course, that there is someone with an open ear for your request.
Also, make sure that training is offered or ask for specific advice on how the provider can prepare you and your team to work with the conference management software.
7. You do not know the exact prices
What appears cheap at first can look quite different on the bill at the end.
Check in advance which services are charged and check whether there are any additional charges. If the provider is covered here and does not provide any specific information, another conference management software is the better choice.
8. They combine conference management software from different vendors
One software only for participant registration, another for the abstract management, and a third one with which you create the conference plan. Even if each of the programs is running smoothly, you will not work so effectively, because the applications cannot interchange data.
Therefore, always opt for a single vendor whose conference management software combines all the features you need. This makes it possible, for example, to compile the program automatically from the accepted abstracts or to send mails to the participants directly from the conference management software.
9. You do not have an overview of current numbers
As an organizer, you should always know how your conference is ordered. How many payments are you waiting for? How long can abstracts be submitted? The right conference management software gives you the answers without you having to count or reckon. By the way, reminding you of pending expert opinions and payments is usually the same as with the mail function of the conference management software.
10. You do not know what happens to your subscriber's data
... because only the provider of the conference management software has access to it. You do not know why the addresses and bank data are actually used and how long they are stored.
If you want more transparency, you should include data protection as a further important point in your list of decision-making criteria. Ask about the privacy policies that apply to the use of the conference management software, where the servers are located, where the data is stored, and what happens with the data at the end of the event.
Are you looking for a simple easy to adapt event management process that can be used for any size events?
Our event management platform has something to help you at each stage of your event from marketing your events and hosting online registration, to easing the check-in process, engaging your attendees onsite, and ultimately providing you with post-event analytics to measure your inevitable success.