New Year…New Event Management Software

We've all been there. Contemplating whether or not our event management software is growing with us or holding us back. This always seems to be one of the year-end questions event professionals ask themselves. Should I stay or should I go…with my event management software that is. Change is tough. You and your team have worked in a particular software for a while so it's comfortable. But it's not really that comfortable because you can no longer ignore the major pain points that keep creeping up throughout the year. And the time…argh! The time to implement a new event management software would be too much. And what if the team hates the new system?

So, should you stay or should you go…

Trust me…I get it and I hear this quite a bit. How can you know and trust what else is out there if you are not taking the time to learn or evaluate other solutions that could take your organization to the next level? Well, you've come to the right place because I'm going to share some tips on evaluating a new software.

First things first. Let's discuss the idea of staying in your current solution even though you know it's not the right fit for your business. Here are some of the common pain points I hear:

1. My current processes are very manual…I am always downloading different data points and having to create spreadsheets manually which is starting to lead to human errors which is creating inconsistency.

2. None of my solutions work seamlessly in collaboration (CRMs, Travel & Hotel, marketing automation tools, sourcing, mobile apps, call for papers, etc.).

3. Software is not scalable. Our current solution doesn't

4. Support is MIA.

5. Software limitations, i.e. the software can't take our business to the next level.

6. Lack of innovation.

7. I NEED MORE HOURS IN THE DAY!

With these roadblocks, you cannot afford to take the time to stay in a solution that isn't right for you and your team, right? It's time for you to set aside your "buts" and "ands" and really invest the time in elevating a new event management software. I love the saying, "You don't know what you don't know." If you are having issues with your current software, imagine eliminating one or multiple of those pain points above and gaining even more than you could ever imagine with a new event management software.

First of all, congratulations, you're already identified your need for a new event management software! And you've probably identified some of the must-haves features in a solution. Let me help you with the next part: The proper steps on how to start the process of looking for your new software:

1. Take a look at your current software and put a list together of the following:

   1. Features that are currently lacking in the areas of:

      1. Integrations

      2. Data Security

      3. Support

1. Key features your team needs in order to be successful in the new software

2. Main reasons/goals for switching to a new solution

3. What does the timeline of executing a new software look like:

   1. When is your current contract expiring?

   2. What events do you want/need in the new software?

   3. What does your security review and contracting process look like?

   4. How long does your team need to be trained?

      1. Discuss training options that best fit your team members and put a plan in place

   5. When do you need to be fully implemented in the new software?

4. After your checklist is completed, elevate the market:

   1. Who are the top event management solutions in the industry?

   2. How do they stack up against YOUR needs and potential future needs?

   3. What is their current process for new features/innovations?

5. Once you figure out who is the best software for your needs, work with the proper people from your team and the new software provider to ensure a successful transition.

With 2017 almost behind us, let's look to the future and ring in the New Year on the right foot. You cannot afford another year staying stagnant. Start the change you and your team needs to achieve great things in 2018.