Top 7 Event Planning Tools for Every Event Professional in 2024

Posted on September 26, 2024

Event organizers are expected to manage everything from large-scale conferences to intimate workshops, and there’s usually no room for error. But here’s the pressing question: Are you using the right tools to make your next event successful? With more demands being placed on hybrid and virtual events, traditional methods no longer cut it. In fact, 84% of event professionals reported that using the right event management software improved attendee engagement and streamlined planning processes​.

Why does this matter? Because the events industry is more competitive than ever. Whether you’re managing registration, attendee engagement, or on-the-day logistics, the tools you choose will determine whether your event runs smoothly or descends into chaos.

This blog is a roadmap to mastering event management tools that will position your event as efficient and, above all, engaging. By the end, you’ll know which event planning software will solve your biggest challenges, whether you’re running workshops, hybrid conferences, or large in-person events.

Let’s dive into how these event planning tools can help you manage your next event like a pro, with each tool carefully selected to address real-world challenges faced by event organizers in 2024.

Event Management Tools to Use in 2024

• Zapier

The truth is manual workflows can consume valuable time that could be better spent on strategy and engagement. So, how do you automate the repetitive tasks without sacrificing quality?

Zapier acts as the behind-the-scenes engine that connects all your apps and services. Every time someone registers for your event, Zapier automatically adds them to your email list, sends a confirmation message, and even updates your CRM—all without you lifting a finger.

Event organizers often get bogged down by repetitive tasks, like updating attendee lists, sending emails, or tracking social media interactions. With multiple systems in place (email, CRM, social media, etc.), managing each platform manually leads to time inefficiencies and room for error.

Zapier connects over 3,000 apps and automates workflows that would otherwise take hours of manual work. For example, event organizers can link tools like HubSpot, Google Sheets, and Slack to automate registration updates and attendee communications. A simple “Zap” (Zapier’s automated workflow) could automatically add new event registrants to your CRM, send follow-up emails, and even notify your team in Slack, all within seconds.

Features 

• App Integrations (connects over 3,000 apps)
• Workflow Automation (Zaps)

• Multi-Step Zaps

• Conditional Logic (Paths)

• Filters

• Schedule-Based Triggers

• Team Collaboration Tools

• Error Handling

With Zapier, you can automate your event planning workflows, significantly cutting down the time spent on repetitive tasks. As we move forward, we’ll explore how HubSpot helps organizers manage leads, data, and communication to create a seamless event experience.

• HubSpot

Managing relationships is crucial to the success of any event. You don’t just want to register attendees—you want to engage them before, during, and after your event. According to event statistics, over 68% of event professionals struggle with managing attendee data across multiple platforms​. This is where HubSpot, a powerful CRM, comes into play, offering much-needed integration to integrate communication with attendee engagement.

One of the biggest challenges event organizers face is managing attendee data and communications across different systems. From sending marketing emails to tracking attendee behavior and follow-up actions, the process becomes fragmented, resulting in lost opportunities and disorganized workflows.

Features

• CRM Integration – Manages attendee data, including registration, communication history, and follow-up actions.
• Email Marketing Automation – Sends automated emails like invitations, reminders, and post-event follow-ups.
• Lead Tracking – Tracks attendee engagement, allowing you to follow up with leads generated during events.
• Landing Page Builder – Creates custom event landing pages to capture registrations.
• Analytics and Reporting – Provides insights into email campaign performance, attendee behavior, and event ROI.
• Event Registration Tracking – Monitors and reports on attendee registration, helping you manage capacity.
• Social Media Integration – Promotes events and tracks engagement across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Segmentation and Personalization – Allows event organizers to segment their audience for targeted communication.
• Forms and Surveys – Gathers attendee feedback before, during, and after the event.
• Task and Workflow Automation – Automates tasks like lead nurturing, attendee reminders, and follow-up activities.
• Contact Database Management – Stores and manages attendee and partner contact information.
• Mobile App – Provides on-the-go access to event analytics, communication, and registration data.

HubSpot brings all your attendee data into one centralized platform. For instance, you can segment your audience by registration date, session participation, or even engagement during live events. This allows for personalized email campaigns that deliver better ROI.

HubSpot’s CRM capabilities make it one of the best event planning tools for organizing events that require extensive attendee tracking, data integration, and ongoing communication. 

• Canva

In event planning, visual elements matter as much as the logistics. Whether it’s social media graphics, event flyers, or personalized banners, the quality of your event’s design can have a direct impact on engagement. But not every event organizer has a design team at their disposal. This is where Canva becomes a game changer.

For many event planners, especially those managing smaller events or workshops, creating eye-catching designs without a dedicated graphic designer is a major hurdle. Hiring professional designers can be expensive and time-consuming, but DIY designs can often look amateurish and fail to represent the event’s brand properly.

Features

• Drag-and-Drop Design Interface – Easy-to-use design tool for creating event materials without any design experience.
• Customizable Templates – Offers a variety of pre-made templates for event flyers, banners, invitations, and social media posts.
• Brand Kit – Keeps event branding consistent by storing logos, fonts, and color schemes in one place.
• Team Collaboration – Allows multiple team members to collaborate on designs in real-time.
• Social Media Graphics – Provides designs specifically optimized for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to promote events.
• Presentation Creation – Helps create professional presentations for speakers or workshops during events.
• Print-Ready Materials – Produces high-quality, print-ready files for physical event signage, posters, and brochures.
• Video Editing Tools – Offers basic video editing capabilities for creating promotional event videos or highlight reels.
• Animated Graphics – Adds motion and engagement to social media posts or event landing pages.
• Custom Invitations – Designs personalized event invitations, both digital and printed.
• Photo Editing Tools – Enhances event photos for promotional purposes or post-event highlights.
• Content Scheduling – Integrates with social media platforms to schedule event promotions directly from Canva.

Canva is one of the best event planning tools for creating high-quality, branded visuals with little to no design experience. It offers drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to create everything from event posters and banners to social media ads and presentations. With its extensive library of templates, you can create stunning graphics that align with your event’s theme, without the need for complex software.

The best part? You can collaborate with your team in real-time, ensuring that all designs align with your event’s goals. Plus, Canva integrates smoothly with your event planning software, allowing you to export materials directly to your event website or email campaigns.

With Canva, even the smallest event organization can produce top-tier visuals that rival large-scale events with dedicated design teams. 

• Miro

Planning an event is a team effort, and with teams often spread across different locations, real-time collaboration can become challenging. For many event teams, especially those managing hybrid or virtual events, collaborating across different tools and platforms can lead to confusion and missed deadlines. 

Ideas get lost in emails, and team members are often not on the same page when it comes to planning critical event details. This creates bottlenecks and can significantly delay progress.

Features

• Visual Collaboration – Allows teams to brainstorm, map out event plans, and collaborate visually on an interactive whiteboard.
• Templates for Event Planning – Provides pre-designed templates for event planning, timelines, and attendee journeys.
• Sticky Notes & Mind Maps – Helps organize ideas, session structures, and event layouts using digital sticky notes and mind mapping tools.
• Real-Time Collaboration – Enables teams, regardless of location, to collaborate in real-time on event strategies and logistics.
• Integration with Project Management Tools – Connects with tools like Asana, Trello, and Slack to streamline task management and communication.
• Team Voting – Facilitates decision-making by allowing team members to vote on ideas or event decisions in real-time.
• Presentation Mode – Allows for seamless presentation of event plans, proposals, and progress updates to stakeholders.
• Commenting & Feedback – Lets teams leave feedback and comments directly on the digital whiteboard for better collaboration.
• Board Exporting – Exports event plans, brainstorming boards, and timelines into various formats (PDF, PNG, etc.) for sharing or printing.
• Cross-Device Access – Access Miro boards from desktop, tablet, or mobile for flexible collaboration.
• Timer for Brainstorming Sessions – Built-in timer for managing timed activities like brainstorming or planning sessions.
• Video Chat Integration – Provides video chat capabilities within Miro boards to facilitate communication during virtual event planning meetings

Miro allows event planning teams to work together on a shared digital whiteboard, making it easy to brainstorm ideas, map out event timelines, and track progress. Whether your team is local or distributed globally, Miro’s real-time collaboration tools ensure everyone is on the same page. The platform’s sticky notes, templates, and diagramming features enable teams to visualize the event planning process from start to finish, helping you streamline decision-making.

With Miro, you can bring together remote and local event planning teams on a single platform, ensuring everyone is aligned from brainstorming through to execution. 

• Mailchimp

Effective communication is at the heart of every successful event. Whether it’s sending out invitations, reminders, or follow-up emails, managing communication with attendees can quickly become overwhelming.

One of the most time-consuming aspects of event planning is manually sending out emails to attendees—whether it’s reminders, updates, or post-event follow-ups. Without an automated system in place, this process can lead to errors, missed opportunities, and a lack of engagement.

Mailchimp offers a comprehensive suite of email automation tools, making it one of the best event planning tools for handling communications. With Mailchimp, event organizers can automate the entire communication process—setting up scheduled reminders, confirmations, and follow-up emails that are personalized to each attendee. Its audience segmentation feature allows you to target specific groups of attendees, ensuring that your messages are relevant and timely.

Features

• Email Campaign Automation – Automates event invitations, reminders, and follow-up emails to attendees.
• Audience Segmentation – Divides your attendee list into groups for targeted email marketing (e.g., VIPs, early registrants, or specific demographics).
• Email Templates – Provides customizable email templates for event promotions, confirmations, and post-event thank-you notes.
• A/B Testing – Optimizes email content by testing different versions to see which performs better with your audience.
• Analytics and Reporting – Tracks open rates, click-through rates, and overall engagement for your email campaigns.
• Integration with Event Platforms – Connects with platforms like Eventbrite, Zapier, and others to streamline event communications.
• Social Media Integration – Promotes your event via automated posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Landing Page Builder – Creates customized landing pages for event registrations, helping to boost conversion rates.
• Sign-Up Forms – Gathers registrations or leads directly from embedded or standalone forms on websites or landing pages.
• Mobile Optimization – Ensures emails and landing pages are mobile-friendly, providing a seamless experience for attendees.
• Post-Event Surveys – Collects attendee feedback through automated email surveys after the event.
• E-commerce Integration – Allows event planners to sell tickets or merchandise directly through email campaigns, integrated with e-commerce platforms like Shopify.

Beyond just sending out emails, Mailchimp’s robust analytics help you track open rates, click-through rates, and overall engagement, giving you insights into how well your communication strategy is working. This data can be invaluable in adjusting your messaging and ensuring maximum engagement.

With Mailchimp, event organizers can plan their communication strategy through email automation, ensuring that attendees stay informed and engaged from the moment they register to post-event follow-ups. 

• Fielddrive

The check-in process is often the first interaction attendees have with your event, and a poor experience can leave a lasting negative impression. Fielddrive simplifies this critical part of your event, using cutting-edge technology like facial recognition and real-time badge printing, making it one of the most innovative event management tools for in-person and hybrid events.

Features

• Facial Recognition Check-In – Uses facial recognition technology to speed up attendee check-ins and enhance security.
• Real-Time Badge Printing – Instantly prints personalized badges upon attendee arrival, reducing manual preparation time.
• On-Site Registration – Provides tools for walk-in attendees to register on the spot and immediately receive badges.
• Lead Retrieval System – Captures attendee information during the event for sponsors and exhibitors, improving post-event follow-ups.
• Session Scanning – Tracks attendee participation in different sessions, allowing organizers to monitor engagement in real-time.
• Attendee Flow Tracking – Monitors attendee movement and foot traffic, providing insights into popular sessions or areas.
• Integrated Event Analytics – Offers real-time data on check-ins, session attendance, and lead generation for better decision-making during the event.
• Multi-Language Support – Supports events globally with multilingual capabilities for check-in and badge printing.
• Crowd Management – Optimizes crowd flow and reduces bottlenecks with efficient check-in and tracking systems.
• Green Badge Solutions – Provides eco-friendly badge printing options to reduce environmental impact.
• Data Security & Compliance – Ensures all data, including facial recognition, is managed securely and complies with GDPR regulations.
• Custom Branded Badges – Allows for fully customizable badges with sponsor logos, attendee information, and event branding.

Fielddrive offers a tech-driven solution by providing facial recognition technology for fast, secure check-ins, significantly reducing wait times. Their real-time badge printing ensures that each attendee receives a personalized badge as soon as they check in, cutting down on pre-event logistical prep. This system not only speeds up the process but also enhances security and attendee experience.

Beyond check-ins, Fielddrive integrates with your existing event planning software, ensuring that registration data is synced in real-time. This allows event organizers to have accurate attendee information on the go and track foot traffic, session attendance, and more.

• Mural

Event planning requires creativity, especially when teams are working remotely. Without the right tools, brainstorming sessions can become disorganized, and ideas often get lost. Mural, an online visual collaboration platform, solves this by offering a virtual whiteboard that allows teams to collaborate in real time, regardless of location.

For many event organizers, planning with remote teams is a logistical challenge. Organizers must brainstorm, map out event structures, and finalize key details with team members across different locations and time zones. Ideas can become fragmented without a central visual collaboration tool, and progress slows down.

Features

• Interactive Digital Whiteboards – Enables visual collaboration for brainstorming, mapping event plans, and tracking progress.
• Pre-Built Templates – Offers templates for event planning, timelines, and strategy sessions to streamline brainstorming and planning processes.
• Real-Time Collaboration—This feature allows teams to collaborate and co-create in real time, regardless of location, ensuring that everyone is aligned on event details.
• Sticky Notes and diagrams help organize ideas, session plans, and event layouts visually, enabling easy brainstorming and planning.
• Voting & Prioritization—This feature allows teams to vote on ideas or prioritize tasks during event planning sessions to improve decision-making.
• Timer & Facilitation Tools—Built-in timers help manage sessions like brainstorming or planning meetings and keep the process structured.
• Integration with Event Tools—It connects with tools like Slack, Trello, and Zoom, making it easy to coordinate event plans with project management and communication tools.
• Export & Sharing Options—Export boards and designs into PDFs or other formats for easy sharing with team members or stakeholders.
• Presentation Mode – Allows users to present event ideas, plans, or timelines directly from Mural boards for stakeholders and team reviews.
• Comments & Annotations – Facilitates feedback through comments and annotations directly on the board, improving collaboration and revision.
• Cross-Device Support – Works across devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) so teams can contribute to event planning from anywhere.
• Content Library – Provides access to a library of icons, shapes, and images to enhance visual collaboration.

Mural is an essential tool for any event organizer or planner working with remote teams. It simplifies creative collaboration, helping teams turn ideas into actionable plans regardless of their location. 

Conclusion

Each of these tools addresses a specific pain point faced by event organizers, ranging from automating communication to boosting attendee engagement to simplifying registration mistakes. By mastering these tools, you can ensure your events run smoothly and efficiently in 2024.

Now, it’s your turn to explore these platforms and see how they can enhance your next event, whether it’s a small gathering or a large corporate summit. Do you need an all-in-one event management solution that incorporates with your favorite tool?

Book a meeting today to see InEvent can help make your event a success