8 Best Event Management Software For Enterprise Retail 2022

There’s nothing worse than empty seats at an event. We’ve all witnessed how effective an Event Management Platform is at solving that problem first hand. We recently increased the online sign up rate to one of our clients events by 38%. 

To help retailers offer top-notch events that create strong customer brand ties, we’ve assessed the available Event Booking Platforms. 

What is an Event Management Platform?

Put simply, an Event Management Platform is a tool that can simplify the event planning process. The best Event Software makes organizing engaging in-store events, brand events, workshops, classes and webinars much easier. For example, this kind of solution can help you to automate the registration process, take payments, create event marketing and send event reminders. 

How to find the best Event Booking System

Picking the best provider can feel like a daunting task, which is why we’ve compiled a list of search terms to help with your googling. 

Here’s the common names companies use to describe their platforms:

• Event App
• Event Software
• Event Booking Software (or system)
• Event Registration Software (or system)
• Event Booking App
• Event Management App
• Online Event Booking System

What are the benefits of using an Event Management Platform?

The main benefits you can expect to experience when investing in an Event App include:

• Higher traffic: The easier your events are to find online, the higher the number of bookings they’ll receive. 
• Fewer no shows: With automated email and SMS reminders and a seamless way to cancel or check-in, the best Event Management App can seriously reduce the no-show rate.
• Capture more feedback: Send surveys to customers to get their feedback on events. 
• Improve operational efficiency: Use the data you collect through your Event Booking System, like where customers register from and what topics they’re interested in, to enhance your future events. 

Benefits of using retail-focused Event Management App

Using an enterprise-retail centric Event Registration System can also enable leading brands to:

• Centrally manage your settings and branding options to allow your store teams to create their own events without deviating content from your brand tone of voice
• Centrally view data on your event operations as a whole and broken down by store
• Scale quickly in a cost-effective manner across your stores
• Use store associate interfaces that are optimized for fast paced retail environments
• Enjoy multiple solutions to manage appointment and walk-in customers alongside your event customers

What features do the best Event Management Software have?

Now we’re all clear on what an Online Event Booking System is, it’s time to compare the features different companies offer. Below, we’ve listed which key features the best Event management softwares offer. 

What are the best Event Management Systems?

After extensive research and deliberation, we’ve settled on the top five corporate Event Management App providers and listed them beginning with the providers we think are most appropriate for enterprise retailers. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm pricing rates for solutions because enterprise rates are often only available on request.

1. Qudini

English SaaS scale-up Qudini has experienced a meteoric rise in the last decade, which is why they’ve made it onto our list of the best Event Management Solutions. 

Overview

• Designed specifically for enterprise retailers: While some of the other event management companies on this list market their software to the masses, Qudini does not. They cater specifically to enterprise retailers and offer a long list of features including Calendar and CRM integrations, powerful registration analytics, centralized management of store setting management, VPC hosting, video conferencing, full branding customization, multiple language options and post-visit surveys to help retailers know their customers. 
• Multiple ways to book: Your customers have a number of ways to register for online and in-person events using Qudini. For instance, customers can sign up via your website, mobile app, search engine profile, QR code on posters, the Qudini self-service kiosk app and many other methods. They can also visit your events using an individual event URL or event series URL. 
• Full Retail Choreography suite: Qudini isn’t just your go-to Event Registration Software. They also offer Appointment Scheduling, Virtual Queue Management, Clienteling, Click and Collect Pickup, Live Shop, and powerful data analytic solutions to manage all activities occurring in your stores. 
• Clients: Burberry, Nike, Pandora, Samsung, Meijer Pharmacy, Tesco, IQOS, NatWest, Benefit Cosmetics, Currys. 
• Available since: 2012.

2. JRNI

JRNI has one of the best Event Management Platforms, especially if you’re a small business in the public sector looking to host an in-person or virtual event. 

Overview

• High uptime: They may have gone by the name “Booking Bug” in the beginning but JRNI doesn’t have a bug-riddled Event Software. In fact, JRNI typically has a high system uptime. 
• Branding: JRNI lets you customize a few areas of your event pages. For example, you can add your company logo to individual event pages. 
• Event series URLs: You can share URLs for entire event series via JRNI’s software to give customers several events to choose from.
• Monolithic system architecture: Enterprise retailers typically choose microservice systems because they allow for quicker software updates. However, JRNI has a monolithic system architecture. This type of system is generally considered to be easy to manage and reasonably capable. 
• Clients: Co-op, Levi’s, Kingfisher, Jojo Maman Bébé, KBC and Bed Bath & Beyond.
• Available since: 2012.

3. Clientela

Midsize-centric SaaS provider Clientela offers one of the best Event Booking Software tools on the market along with other scheduling tools.

Overview

• Centralized management: You can connect Clientela’s Event Software to your CRM, control settings and send attendees notifications from the central interface. 
• Clients: Gucci, Cartier, Topshop, Bally and MaxMara. 
• Available since: 2020 (earliest we’ve seen their Event App promoted on their website).

4. Zebra / Reflexis

Zebra Technologies is well-established as a mobile computers, printers and barcode scanner manufacturer with a strong emphasis on retail. However, Zebra also recently released a new Event Management Platform through their partnership with Reflexis. 

Overview

• VPC hosting: While many legacy Queuing Systems require on-premise hosting, Zebra offers a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) hosting option. Essentially, VPC hosting offers the scalability of the public cloud with the data isolation of a private cloud.
• CRM: Zebra integrates with several of the many different CRM systems that your business may already be using to store customer data.  We are unsure if this already extends to their new Event Booking Platform but expect that it will soon. CRM integration is essential if you want to perfectly choreograph the customer experience by making the most of your data analytics. 
• Clients: Multimoto, Vera Badley, Forza, Havan and Carol Pharmacies. 
• Available since: 2020 (earliest we’ve seen their Event App promoted on their website).

5. Whova

Popular Events App, Whova, is another smart choice if you want to increase the sign-up rate to your events.

Overview

• Video conferencing tool: Whova’s video conferencing tool supports most major streaming platforms.
• Translations: Aside from your pages menu headers, Whova can translate virtually anything on your event booking page. This is crucial if you want to engage with consumers who speak multiple languages. 
• Clients: HBO, Ford, Oracle, Godiva, Finish Line and National Science Foundation. 
• Available since: 2013.

6. Eventzilla

Eventzilla isn’t the largest software provider around but they still have one of the best Event Management Apps on the market in 2022.

Overview

• Integrations: Eventzilla has a modest portfolio of integrations.You can integrate with the typical suspects, including Salesforce, Slack, and Google Sheets.
• Language translations: Do you regularly host events in different languages? Eventzilla is available in either English, German, Spanish or French. 
• Clients: Testing Consultancy, Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation (PHF), Micechat and City of Rock Valley.
• Available since: 2009.

7. Calendly

Event Booking App Calendly is primarily for individuals and personal use, although they do work with some small businesses. With their robust Event Booking Software, they’re also one of the top single-solution providers around. 

Overview

• Scheduling-specific: Calendly solely focuses on scheduling solutions for events and appointments. 
• Clients: Twillo, Dropbox, Lyft, Compass, eBay and Vonage.
• Available since: 2013.

8. Eventbrite

Launched in 2006, US-based Eventbrite is arguably the largest event management company in the world. After all, Eventbrite isn’t tailored to a specific client base—they cater to individual organizers, small, midsize and even a few larger businesses.

Overview

• Multiple features: Using eventbrite, enterprise retailers enjoy RSVP tracking, ticket selling, and a modest marketing tool.
• Event-focussed: While their competitors offer Retail Choreography tools to manage appointment and walk-in customers as well, Eventbrite specializes in all things event management. 
• Clients: Ryder Cup, Subaru, Thomson Reuters, The Royal Institution and University of London Union. 
• Available since: 2006.

Should Retailers Build or Buy Event Booking Software? 

Ultimately, buying in-store software is usually better than building it. Buying an Event Registration System is often more expensive in the long-run because your team will need to take twice as long to make even the most simple software.

By contrast, SaaS companies can make light work of creating the features you want. After all, they’re the experts.