Using Collaboration Tools with Event Management Platforms

When organizing a corporate event, communication between teams and people is extremely important. Whether it is to discuss plans, brainstorm, get approvals, or suggestions, collaboration forms an essential cog of the event planning machinery.

Just as event management software are the tools of choice for modern day event planners, collaboration platforms are what most organizations choose when it comes to sharing files and information across teams. And what happens when the two mix? It creates an Event Management System that not only helps you execute great events but also facilitates smooth communication and collaboration in the process.

A look at some of the most widely used Collaboration Tools

Collaboration tools are a means to getting tasks executed faster and with more finesse. They make sure everyone involved is on the same page and there are lesser slips from the targets.

The Internet is abuzz with collaboration tools aimed at solving various use cases for differently sized teams. Among them, a few tools have set the bar high by offering stellar capabilities and features. Some such popular tools include Slack (offering features like conversation threading, creating groups, conversation search, and more), Google Chat (offering features like message exchange, file transfer, voice/video calls, and more), Asana (workflow planning, project tracking, task management, real-time collaboration, and more), and Trello (simplifies task planning through drag-and-drop convenience).

Collaboration Tools can make the job of Event Management Software easier

There are several application areas where collaboration tools, if used appropriately, can enhance the overall event planning and management experience. Let’s take a look at a few:

• Notification on Ticket Sale

  Imagine how productive things would be if instead of getting a slightly off-timed email about ticket sales, you could get a notification in real-time? If you have a collaboration tool working alongside your Event Management Software, every ticket sale for your event can trigger an auto-alert so that you know what your attendee strength is going to look like.

• Creating a new project for the Event and managing project tasks

  An event is a complete project for the event team. There are a bunch of tasks to be taken care of and a dedicated team needs to be formed to work on these tasks. More often than not (almost 90% of the time), these tasks are the same for every event. Also most event teams use project/task management tools such as Asana or Trello to manage their task queues and assignments. However, manually creating and assigning huge number of tasks for every event is quite painful. In such a scenario, event management tools can auto-create and assign these tasks when a new event is setup. This will automate the workflow of tasks and help setup activity out of event management process.

• Notification on special request while registering

  Often, attendees may make special requests while registering to tailor their event experience according to their preference. In such cases, your collaboration tool can send out a quick notification to the team to highlight the special request for that attendee and you can accordingly assign someone to take care of it on the day of the event.

• Task creation if a registration crosses specific number for special arrangements

  If you are planning an event that revolves around a very relevant subject and it has gathered much hype, registrations may overflow. In such a case, your collaboration tool can be configured to automatically create a task if a particular registration crosses a specific number so that you can make alternative/special arrangements for that attendee if possible.

• Automate daily reporting update

  With each passing day nearing the event, you might easily lose track of how many attendees have registered. You collaboration tool can take care of this too by sending you detailed reports and daily updates about the total number of registrations done so far. You can even automate this report creation to further simplify things.

Integration is the key!

While planning an event, you might be using tens of different apps to manage various aspects. In such a scenario, switching from one app to another and trying to bridge the gaps can lead to loss of productivity. Combining your collaboration tool with your Event Management Software can minimize delays and ultimately boost event success.

That’s why several leading Event Management Software offer integration capabilities with collaboration platforms like Slack, Hangouts, Asana, Trello, and more. Such integrations can be provided from within the tool or via third-party connectors. Needless to say, a platform that can offer wide integration capabilities with collaboration tools would be ideal.

A few final thoughts

When planning an event, in addition to doing things quickly, you must figure out a way to do things smartly. Combining different information sources and tools together in a way that each complements the working of the other can make the entire event planning exercise more rewarding for everyone involved.

If you’re planning to rope in an Event Management Platform for your upcoming event, make sure you check what kind of integration it offers and with which tools. If you have your preferred collaboration tools in the list, you won’t have to look any further.