The right participant management platform – all-in-one or customised?

The market for participant management software and platforms is more than confusing. Countless providers offer different solutions, and the Corona pandemic has spawned further – in some cases new – service providers. Over the last few years, so-called “all-in-one” platforms have come onto the market. Large, all-encompassing systems with countless functions and integrated apps, usable for every event format – whether live, digital or hybrid. Quasi the famous “eierlegende Wollmilchsau” …

There is no doubt that there is a need for such fully integrated platforms, but all systems have one thing in common: for the majority of projects that are to be implemented with them, they are simply too overloaded with functions and too complex to operate! High costs, time-consuming installations and configurations as well as poor support pose additional challenges for customers and make them look for alternatives.

An alternative are flexible and modular “building block systems”, such as our G1 GuestHub. Here, a solution is configured specifically to the event-specific needs. The customer only gets (and pays for) the functions that he actually needs for the implementation of the project. There are no limits to the scope of services – numerous modules, such as hotel or workshop management or space-specific seating, can be adapted and implemented as needed in a very short time.

So before deciding on one or the other solution on the market, it helps to take a look at your own event formats and the associated concrete requirements for participant management. If you mainly implement online or one-day events, then you usually do not need complex hotel management. Group registrations or waiting list functions also do not play a role for a large number of events.

TIP: Base your list of requirements on the 90% standard events and not on the special case that only comes up once every two years. Not the special case that only comes up once every two years!

Attention should also be paid to possible additional services that may be required in the course of organising the event. Many of the large providers, for example, offer no or only limited on-site services. These services do not scale, but you have to have the appropriate staff and technology available. The question here is what level of service is desired. If a smartphone app for guest check-in is not enough and you do not want to deal with third-party providers for on-site accreditation, then it is advisable to look for a specialised full-service provider who can also guarantee comprehensive on-site support.