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Meetings Innovator: Claus Raasted

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Claus Raasted is on a mission to disrupt the default settings of the meetings and events industry — one bold idea at a time. Whether it’s ditching the agenda, defaulting to alcohol-free experiences, or encouraging the industry to take a page from the world of video games and cartoons, Raasted’s advice is simple: take more risks, especially small ones.

His core message? Innovation doesn’t have to be digital or expensive. It can be human, cultural, and surprisingly low-stakes. Instead of endlessly optimizing the same formats, Raasted challenges organizers to create space for experimentation and let the fringe influence the mainstream.

Raasted’s legacy goal is disarmingly human: to make the world a little less afraid. Blending playfulness, curiosity, and courage might just be the most underrated innovation strategy of all.

Meetings Innovators is a new series dedicated to spotlighting the trailblazers defining the future of the meetings industry. Each month, we feature visionary professionals breaking the mold with innovative strategies, fresh perspectives, and bold ideas. Beyond planning events, these pioneers are crafting experiences that resonate, inspire, and lead the way forward. Join us as we celebrate the creative minds taking the future into their own hands and shaping what’s next in the world of meetings and events.

Skift Meetings spoke to Raasted to capture his views on innovation and his best advice on how to change up meetings and events. Here’s what he had to say.

How Do You Define Innovation?

Raasted: The only difference between a visionary and an idiot is history because they look the same to begin with. If you want innovation, you need idiots or you need to cultivate crazy, and that’s a challenge. If you don’t have people who are prepared to do it differently then you’re not going to have innovation. What you’re going to have is incremental improvement. But if you want real change, then you need to go to people who say, “Let’s try something different.” And maybe it’s going to fall flat on its face. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. But the reaction might also be, “Oh, hell, why haven’t we done this before?”

I was at a talk a couple of years ago, a leadership summit with 3,000 people in the room and the speaker, Alexander Osterwalder, asked a question to the audience. “How many of you out there who are like CEOs or leaders think that you can spot a good innovation project from a bad one? Half of them raised their hands and he said, “If I was your boss, I would fire all of you because we need to stop thinking that the current leadership can figure out what’s going to work and what’s not. Instead, we need to look at how we set up test parameters and create a test environment so we can try out things safely without risking the house.”

Innovation Doesn’t Have to Be Technological

The other big challenge is that when most people think of innovation they think of technological innovation, as in something digital or something physical. But the reality is that there are so many innovations that are not in the technological realm or the physical realm or the digital realm but in the human realm: innovations in processes, innovations in culture, and innovations in mindsets.

Innovation, especially with regards to meetings and events, should not be limited to tech. It should just as much be about process, culture, mindset and actions. If I had to give just one tip to people about innovation, that would be it. Don’t limit yourself to innovation being a technical thing. 

Unfortunately, the people who are actually making the decisions tend to think of innovation as a technical thing. Whereas the idea of doing things differently that are not technological but are human is surprisingly hard to get any buy-in for, even though it is usually cheaper, faster and simpler to experiment with.

Intentionally Limiting Information

One example from the College of Extraordinary Experiences is about the limited amount of information we provide attendees. We often hear, “Oh, but there must be a program. There must be an agenda that everybody knows.” No, there doesn’t have to be. We also hear, “Wow, I realized I don’t need to know as much as I thought I needed to know.” And if you had told me beforehand that I didn’t need to know, then I wouldn’t have believed it.

You don’t have to tell people a lot of things. You can, but you don’t have to. And for these people who come out on the other side saying, “Oh, it could be done differently.” The only reason they believe it could be done differently is because they’ve seen it and experienced it done differently. No amount of somebody telling them would convince them because it seems like madman talk. An innovation is like that. It seems like crazy talk until it works. 

How Do You Get Buy-in for Innovation?

Raasted: There are two ways to get buy-in.

Build Strong Allies

One way to get anything changed, even tiny stuff, is to have very strong allies who trust you a lot and allow you to make micro experiments. But that is tough. Like people you’ve worked with for years and years and now finally they say, “Okay, during this one session, what if we didn’t have a panel, but we had somebody being interviewed? Tada! Wow, crazy.” Or, even wilder, what if we had the participants talk to each other? Oh, wild, right? But that requires a surprising amount of trust from event organizers to even test out micro formats. Even doing a 45 minute segment out of 100 differently requires a surprising amount of trust. So one way of doing it is to find the people who actually make the decisions and build that trust and then go for slow progress.

Showcase Innovation

The other way — which I found to be much more effective — is to showcase events or do something where you get to do the thing. People will a lot more often be convinced by what they see and experience than by what they hear. There’s so many things in the meetings industry that somebody else solved or did better 20, 30, 50 years ago, but still haven’t traveled because nobody has seen it in action yet. 

Whenever people evangelize — and I’m one of those myself — we tend to come in and seem like these wild maniacs who’ve come out of the desert saying, “You don’t need name tags or there doesn’t need to be a program.” And instead of people going, “wow, that’s interesting. Let’s experiment with that,” in one of our tiny things where we can afford to fail, they shun us like the plague. But the moment they’ve seen it in action, then they go, “Oh, maybe here’s what I could take away from my own thing.

Why Should Meetings and Events Seek Innovation?

Raasted: I think it’s so important because you go to a meeting and you talk to people and most of them know what’s wrong. You ask them what are we here for? What’s the most important thing? Oh, it’s the networking. Okay. What do we spend zero time, zero money, and zero design effort on? Oh, the networking. Okay, we have booths that people spend insane amounts of money on, and people tend to laugh and think that, okay, that’s wasted money or why do we do it that way? We have programs that work, but they could work a lot better. 

At the same time, you have all these fringe events — the College of Extraordinary Experiences is one of them, but definitely not the only one — where people come out starry eyed and say, “Wow, that was different. Why don’t we have more of that?” But that’s usually where it stops.

Innovation Happens in the Fringes

One of the nice things about the computer game industry or the movie industry is that although it is risk averse and the big mainstream companies have the budgets and reach, there is also a fringe that is much more risk friendly but doesn’t have the budgets or the brands. The big difference there is that people in Hollywood also watch weird artistic Afghan black and white movies shot on three iPhones in the dark. And people in the computer games industry played Minecraft when it started hitting. 

In the events industry, there’s a huge community that intermingles with each other, but it is only rarely that any of these people venture to the fringe. Some of them do, but it is very, very rare. And that means that the innovation that happens at the fringe is transferred extremely slowly compared to several other industries.

The Ephemeral Nature of Events

This is also hard because an event is ephemeral. It only exists as it exists. Yes, you can watch some of the talks afterwards on video if they were taped, but you can’t go to the event afterwards. Either you’re there or you’re not there. Perhaps they do the cloak room in a different way, or they have small cards on the tables that say at this table we talk about marketing. How brilliant, how innovative, how interesting. If you’re not there to see them, then you don’t find out and you don’t take it home. Where for a Hollywood movie, anybody can stream more or less anything anywhere on the planet. 

I think events are more like the theater world. To be inspired by a theater performance, you have to see it, or else you won’t notice how they did something different or how they used the orchestra or whatever it is they did. That means that innovation also travels slowly there. Theater, however, is global and has an insane history that’s at least two and a half thousand years old. So there’s been a lot of innovation going on so far anyway.

Long story short, the events community is doing itself a disservice by not traveling to the fringe more often. There are a ton of other people who are doing interesting things. Whether it’s Phantom Peak in London or some sort of interesting thing happening in Beijing or a small event being done in Utah. The fact that it is very rare for the mainstream players, especially the senior ones, to go to anything that even smacks of fringe, and we’re not talking about the Fringe Festival here.

How Should Planners Look to Innovate? 

Raasted: Look for places where you can afford to make mistakes or isolate and experiment. Do something that may change things if it works, but if it doesn’t, it’s not a big deal. The opportunity space for that is always so much bigger than people realize, including myself.

In 2022, my partners Paul and Phil came to me and said to Claus, “We think we should make the college non-alcoholic as a default. Yes, people can still have wine in their rooms if they want, but we should make it non-alcoholic instead of alcoholic. There’s been a pandemic. We can open up fresh. But we think this should change. We think we should not have alcohol as the default, but have non-alcohol as the default.” 

Consider the Risk

I wasn’t sure they were right. But I thought — and it’s something I strongly believe in — it doesn’t matter what I believe. What matters is, could we risk it? If it worked, it would radically change the event and be interesting for other people. If it didn’t work, we could just go back next year. The price of failure was not that high and the potential upside of success was quite high.

So we did it, and it worked brilliantly. Now it’s a standard, but it wasn’t about saying will this work or not. It was about saying what is the potential downside if it doesn’t work? Can we afford that? Can we absorb that loss or that annoyance? Yes, we definitely can. We’ve got a strong enough brand for that. And there’s a budget upside. We no longer have to buy a lot of alcohol because that was included. That’s not nothing. There was a design upside, a safety upside and cultural barriers were crossed. All these sorts of things were potential upsides if it worked. And it did. 

So, to me the big question is finding places where you can experiment without it costing too much if it fails and where it actually could matter if it works.

Try Something New

There are always things that get in the way. But that idea of starting the event by saying we’re trying something new this year is powerful. If it’s your first year, that’s really risky. But if you’re IMEX, you can try something new. Don’t say we have no booths and everybody and the whole of Hall 9 is in the dark and you make connections, right? That’s going to be too much.

But you could do it differently. You could say, “Okay, instead of having an educational program, we’re going to have a mega networking space and bring in 50 professional wing people to facilitate connection. It could mean the moment you move into that hall, there will be people here to help you meet, so you don’t only have meetings scheduled on the event app, but you will have emergent guided meetings between people. So instead of having all those stages and spending money on flights and hotels for speakers, just hire 50 wing people. Then you have a new model, and if it doesn’t work then you say, “Well, we tried it last year. We’re not doing it again this year.”

If it works, people will always want other stuff. But the question is, what will they want most? We all want everything, all the time, for free, all at once. So, it’s always a trade-off. There are always going to be trade-offs.

What Inspires You to Be Innovative?

Raasted: One of my central principles is a bias for curiosity. I do that both as a natural thing but also as a deliberate thing. And one of my guidelines on curiosity is don’t be ashamed of where inspiration comes from. Don’t limit yourself to where you get inspired from. Do you see something in a ‘My Little Pony’ episode and you think, “Oh, that’s cool. Let’s do that.” Or do you play Assassin’s Creed 2 and think, “Ah, let’s do something like that.” Or do you walk past a thing that’s being done in a kindergarten? So, I am constantly inspired by all sorts of stuff from the big things to the small things. 

For example, I wrote a blog post once on the best designed door handles I’d ever seen in toilets at the Oslo airport and with a whole explanation of why that was the case. It was a door handle at a toilet in an airport and it made me write a whole blog post because I felt inspired by that.

Who Inspires You?

Raasted: Rory Sutherland, who’s a behavioral economics guy from the advertising firm of Ogilvy, because I’m a huge believer in behavior design, and while behavior design and behavioral economics are not necessarily exactly the same, they’re pretty close.

When I first met Paul Bulencea — who’s one of the three partners in the College of Extraordinary Experiences — I found him hugely inspiring because I was used to being the crazy guy. People said that’ll never work and suddenly now I was the guy saying that’ll never work and that was a really really interesting perspective swap and taught me how to think a lot bigger.

Ruud Janssen from the Event Design Collective for making it very clear to me the power of frameworks and building movements around standards and structures. I remember a conversation with him years back where he said, “What does this CED thing mean, the certified event designer credential, and he said, “It doesn’t mean anything, but it’s going to mean something when there’s 200 of them out there.” The last time I saw him, they were doing cohort number 57 or something like that and now there’s way more than 200 of them out there. And now it means quite a bit. But this thinking that to get to something that matters because it’s number 100, you need to start at number one and you need to have the discipline and the patience to get to number 10 and number 20 and number 50 and then it starts kicking in.

What Organizations Inspire You?

Raasted: IMEX is pretty interesting because on one hand it is a place that has very little innovation. It’s this huge behemoth that needs to function and not failing is more important than changing the game. It’s one of the big players, but it was started by somebody who said, “Let’s take what we know and massively disrupt.” And I think that I find it interesting because it’s so often easy to think of people either as innovators or non-inovators.

The reality is that the people who are the innovators of today are the naysayers of tomorrow. If today you’re the rebel, then in 10 years you’re the man. That means that the stuff you start out with by saying we’re going to do it differently, it’s going to be wild etc. Then sometime down the line, if you are successful enough, then you’re the ones who are saying, “No chances. We’ll do it exactly like we used to.” And still a little bit of change, but not huge change.

What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?

Raasted: I want to be remembered for making the world a slightly less fearful place. 

We evolved biologically in a world where if you tried something new and it worked, you took a risk, it might mean that you got dinner for two days for yourself and your family.  If it didn’t work, you might be dead, right? So, biologically speaking, the upside of risk is quite low and the downside is very high. 

In the lives we lead today, most of us, not all of us, but most of us, especially the people who are going to read this article, the upside of doing something differently, of taking a risk is potentially huge. Everybody we know is one viral social media piece away from having their life completely changed personally, business-wise, etc. And the downside is actually pretty low for most of us, right?

Taking Risks in the Business World

For example, I wear a Batman suit. Putting that on for the first time for a serious business convention, that was a risk. But how risky was it actually? Were the organizers going to stone me or were they going to drag me to the basement and say, “This is suits only country, bumpkin, and then kill me.” No. The worst case would be that somebody laughed. Or maybe they didn’t laugh. Maybe they just huffed and puffed a little and they probably didn’t even tell me. Or what’s the actual risk? It’s so low. But, the potential upside is pretty damn big. 

Biologically speaking, we are engineered for a world that no longer exists for most of us. And that means that we need to train ourselves in trying to take more risks and being less afraid because we simply have less to be afraid of. And our fears are more these intangible social fears than they are these, “I will be killed and my family will be murdered.” Not for everyone. There are plenty of people on the planet who don’t have our privilege. But for those who are reading this article, most of them will be in that position. And yet we still behave as if slight social discomfort is the same as actual death because that’s how we are biologically wired. It’s just not the world we have. 

If I can help make the world just a little bit less afraid, a little bit more playful, a little bit more experimental, then that will automatically lead to some people having better lives, getting more s*** done, trying out new things, and saying, “Hey, maybe we could do it this way instead.”

What Is Your Advice to Aspiring Innovators?

Raasted: Learn how to sell. If you can’t sell, it doesn’t matter how good you are at producing magic, then you’re going to need somebody who can talk to other people about you.

If you can sell, it almost doesn’t matter how bad you are at producing magic because even if you don’t have any of your own, there are plenty of other people out there whose magic you can help make happen. 

You need somebody to do it. And if you’re not the one doing it, then somebody else has to. I wish I’d learned that earlier. 

The amount of struggling artists, struggling people who do insane stuff is quite large. The amount of struggling experienced salespeople is not that large.

Claus Raasted helps organizations both big and small become better at GETTING S**T DONE, and serves as Director of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He travels the globe as a keynote speaker, and has been both a Coach and Senior Advisor at the consulting giant McKinsey. Raasted is the author of 46 books, the latest of which is fittingly titled “Claus Raasted’s Little Book of Getting Shit Done”.  He also has a past in reality TV, but these days, who hasn’t?

Learn, connect, and get inspired — with the event industry’s who’s who.

September 15 – NEW YORK CITY

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Q&A: Inside Singapore’s Big, Impactful ‘Little Red Dot’ at Expo 2025 Osaka

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Introducing Keynote Listeners at Skift Meetings Forum: Elevating Voices and Ideas

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July 15, 2025

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At Skift Meetings Forum 2025, we are reimagining what it means to participate in a conference. 

With the debut of Keynote Listeners, we challenge traditional ideas of VIP involvement and creating space for deeper, more purposeful engagement. This new program invites influential voices in the events industry not just to attend, but to actively shape and extend the impact of the conversations happening on stage.

Keynote Listeners will play a central role in listening with intent, identifying emerging themes, and presenting meaningful takeaways that resonate far beyond the forum itself.

Now is your chance to see this concept in action and help set the tone for the future of our industry.

Listening With Purpose

Our Keynote Listeners are not just VIPs in the traditional sense, but leaders in the events industry who are hand-selected to play a transformative role at the forum. 

They’ll enjoy exclusive front-row access to every keynote, panel, and discussion. But their role goes much further: to listen intentionally, critically, and with curiosity, then carry the most important insights forward.

These leaders will reflect on what they’ve heard, distill the key themes and ideas, and in the closing session, they’ll take the stage to share their takeaways with the entire audience. 

Beyond the forum, they bring these conversations into boardrooms, association meetings, and policy discussions, ensuring that the ideas born at Skift Meetings Forum don’t end when the lights go down.

Meet the Skift Meetings Forum 2025 Keynote Listeners

skift meetings forum 2025 keynote listeners

Keynote Listeners embody a fresh vision of leadership: one rooted in responsiveness, diversity, and purpose. They remind us that listening — really listening — is as essential to progress as speaking.

We’re proud to welcome this inaugural group of Keynote Listeners, each representing a different corner of the industry:

  • Liz Lathan, Club Ichi
  • Amy Calvert, Events Industry Council (EIC)
  • Nicola Kastner, Event Leaders Exchange (ELX)
  • Steve Bova, Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP)
  • Dr. Senthil Gopinath, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

These leaders will help distill impactful insights from the forum and amplify them within the broader professional community.

Why Attend Skift Meetings Forum 2025?

If you care about the future of meetings and events, this isn’t just about being in the room but being part of the conversation that shapes what comes next.

Attending the Skift Meetings Forum gives you the opportunity to:

  • Gain actionable insights from some of the most respected voices in the industry
  • Be part of forward-looking conversations that influence real change
  • Network with peers, innovators, and decision-makers from across the globe
  • Experience the debut of the Keynote Listeners program and see its impact firsthand

Read More: Who Attends Skift Meetings Forum?

Reserve Your Spot Today

Tickets for the Skift Meetings Forum are in high demand, and availability is limited. Secure your place now to ensure you are part of this important moment for the industry.

Let’s shape the future of meetings together.

Learn, connect, and get inspired — with the event industry’s who’s who.

September 15 – NEW YORK CITY

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10 Must-Have Features in an Event Management Tool

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10 Must-Have Features in an Event Management Tool

The success of any event depends largely on the technology that powers it. Today, selecting the right event management tool is not just a convenience but a strategic necessity. From streamlining event logistics to engaging attendees, the right event management software serves as the digital backbone that supports every stage of the event journey.

As event formats evolve, virtual, hybrid, and in-person, so do the expectations of organizers and attendees. A strong event management platform allows you to orchestrate complex operations, personalize experiences, and analyze performance, all from a centralized location. Moreover, in 2025, choosing the right event management tool isn’t about choosing software with flashy dashboards or trendy names. It’s about selecting a powerful, scalable, and easy-to-use solution that can handle everything from registration to engagement, analytics, and mobile access, all while offering strong security and adaptability.

This blog will walk you through the top features of event management software and give you the knowledge you need on what to look for in an event management tool that can serve you for years to come.

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Why Features Matter More Than Ever

Planning an event today isn’t the same as it was five years ago. Now, you’re expected to host a professional, engaging, hybrid-ready, and mobile-friendly experience—all while staying on budget, providing value, and proving ROI. The pressure is real. So, how do you manage all these expectations? With the right event management platform.

So be it, organizing one annual conference or juggling multiple monthly webinars, a reliable event management tool can automate repetitive tasks, track real-time data, and centralize your efforts in one place. Instead of bouncing between platforms for registration, communication, check-in, and analytics, you get everything in one streamlined solution. Let’s now examine the essential features of event software you should demand from your tech in 2025.

1. Intuitive and Efficient User Interface

The best event management software starts with a clean, user-friendly design. If your team can’t navigate it quickly and confidently, you’ll waste valuable time learning the system instead of planning your event.

Your event management tool should include:

  • Drag-and-drop tools to build agendas and workflows 
  • Clear navigation with logical grouping of tools 
  • Shortcut buttons for high-frequency actions 
  • Real-time alerts and dashboards that surface priority tasks

An intuitive interface also means that non-technical staff can be trained faster. With the best event planning software, you don’t need a background in tech or design to build a high-quality event experience. Everyone on your team should be able to use the platform comfortably, whether they’re setting up an agenda or checking lead data.

2. Robust Registration and Ticketing Customization

Your registration system needs to be more than just a form—it’s the digital front door to your event. High-performing event registration software allows you to tailor every aspect of that experience.

Look for an event management tool that supports:

  • Conditional form fields based on attendee type 
  • Multi-currency and tax settings 
  • Tiered pricing for VIPs, early bird access, or bundles 
  • Waitlist management 
  • Mobile-optimized registration flow 
  • Payment integrations with PayPal, Stripe, Square, Apple Pay, and more 

And don’t forget the importance of a hassle-free and easy-to-use event ticketing software. You should be able to automate ticket delivery, set limits per buyer, apply promo codes, and track ticket revenue in real time.

3. Automated Communication and Engagement Features

Engagement doesn’t start at the event. It begins the moment someone registers. Your event management software should include event engagement features that keep attendees informed, excited, and involved throughout the experience.

Here’s what your platform should offer:

  • Personalized email confirmations, reminders, and updates 
  • SMS alerts for last-minute changes 
  • Push notifications via your event mobile app 
  • Live polls, surveys, and quizzes 
  • Interactive Q&A sessions 
  • Social media integrations with event hashtags and feeds 
  • Gamification tools like leaderboards and trivia 

These tools keep your audience connected and provide valuable feedback you can use to adjust your strategy on the go. Today’s attendees expect more than content; they want to be part of the conversation.

4. Financial Control and Budget Tracking

Your event planning software should include an integrated budget management system that offers a crystal-clear view of where your money is going and what’s generating returns.

Your event management tool should allow:

  • Custom budget templates for various event types 
  • Real-time expense vs. income comparisons 
  • Invoice and receipt uploads 
  • Sponsor ROI tracking 
  • Integration with accounting platforms like QuickBooks or Xero

This level of financial insight ensures you’re not overspending, underpricing, or missing revenue opportunities. And if you’re managing multiple events, it becomes vital to have consistent budget frameworks.

5. Smart Agenda Building and Scheduling Tools

Today’s attendees want choices, and your software must deliver them. A customizable event agenda gives attendees the freedom to build their own path.

Must-have features include:

  • Multi-session, multi-track configuration 
  • Session filters by type, location, or interest 
  • Personalized bookmarking 
  • Real-time schedule updates and alerts 
  • Conflict warnings for double bookings 

Behind the scenes, your event scheduling software should also track engagement per session, speaker performance, and attendance, all from the same dashboard.

6. Streamlined Event Check-In and Badge Printing

An efficient check-in process sets the tone for the entire event. With modern event check-in software, guests should be able to arrive, check in, and get their badges—all in less than a minute.

Look for an event management tool that includes:

  • QR and barcode scanning 
  • Self-service check-in kiosks 
  • VIP fast-lane check-in 
  • Instant event badge printing with custom branding 
  • On-site event check-in status dashboards 

A fast and professional entrance ensures a smooth experience and helps avoid bottlenecks at the venue.

7. Fully Integrated Mobile App

Having an event mobile app isn’t just a trend but a core component of the attendee experience. Your mobile app should mirror the web experience and offer even more on-the-go functionality.

Look for features like:

  • Personalized session agenda 
  • Live session alerts 
  • Interactive venue maps 
  • Networking chat and appointment booking 
  • Gamified engagement through challenges or polls 
  • Sponsor pages and exhibitor lead forms 

The best event management software will allow real-time sync between the desktop platform and your mobile app, ensuring a consistent and up-to-date experience for all users.

8. Virtual and Hybrid Event Compatibility

Virtual and hybrid events are no longer temporary solutions. They’re now critical event formats, and your platform should offer a complete virtual event platform and hybrid event software capabilities.

Key components to expect:

  • Integrated livestreaming and webinar hosting 
  • On-demand session replay libraries 
  • Breakout room scheduling and management 
  • Virtual expo booths and one-on-one video meetings 
  • Chat, emoji reactions, and attendee presence indicators 
  • Gamification that works across in-person and virtual audiences 

Your event management tool should allow remote and in-person attendees to engage with equal ease, creating an inclusive and immersive experience for all.

9. Smooth Third-Party Integrations

An isolated software system is a dead end. The best event management software is open, connected, and flexible. It should plug into your CRM, email marketing, finance, and productivity tools effortlessly.

Must-have event CRM integration options:

  • Salesforce 
  • HubSpot 
  • Zoho 
  • ActiveCampaign 
  • Mailchimp 
  • Slack 
  • Microsoft Teams 
  • Zoom 
  • Trello 
  • Google Workspace and more 

These integrations allow your data to flow freely between systems, creating a central hub that simplifies your team’s entire workflow.

10. Real-Time Analytics and Deep Reporting

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. That’s why event analytics tools should be built into every event management tool you evaluate.

Look for data like:

  • Total registrations and drop-offs by source 
  • Attendance trends by session 
  • Sponsor and exhibitor engagement 
  • Mobile app usage metrics 
  • Live polling and survey feedback 
  • Session retention and exit rates 
  • Engagement with emails and notifications 

All of these powers make smarter, faster decisions and ensure your next event is even better.

With real-time event insights, you’re not waiting until the event is over to understand what’s working; you’re reacting in the moment.

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Bonus Features That Add Tremendous Value

While the core features of a strong event management tool set the foundation for success, the real power lies in the advanced tools that elevate your event from “well-run” to “industry-leading.” These are strategic drivers that give you a competitive edge, especially if you manage large-scale or recurring events. Below are the essential bonus features of event software that go beyond basic logistics and help you level up your events:

1. Lead Capture Tools with Built-In CRM Syncing

For B2B events, trade shows, expos, or any sponsor-heavy experience, lead capture tools are a must. These tools allow exhibitors and sales teams to scan badges, capture contact information, and qualify leads instantly at the booth.

But the real value? Integration.

With event CRM integration, the captured leads are automatically synced with your CRM system, whether it’s Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho. No more manual entry or lost business cards. Everything is stored, segmented, and ready for your post-event follow-up pipeline.

Advanced lead capture systems can also:

  • Tag leads by product interest or engagement level 
  • Trigger automated nurture sequences 
  • Assign leads directly to sales reps 
  • Analyze which sessions or booths produced the highest ROI 

For sponsors and exhibitors, this is gold. For organizers, it’s a measurable value-add.

2. Smart Event Automation Features

Why spend hours sending manual reminders or updating session info when your event management tool can handle it all in the background?

With built-in event automation features, you can create intelligent workflows that trigger based on specific behaviors or timelines. Examples include:

  • Sending a confirmation email immediately after registration 
  • Notifying attendees of a room change 15 minutes before a session 
  • Pushing upsell offers for VIP upgrades to specific attendee segments 
  • Triggering follow-up emails based on session attendance 
  • Reminding attendees to complete surveys post-event 

Automating these tasks doesn’t just save time, it ensures consistency, reduces errors, and keeps your audience engaged at the right moments.

3. Event Networking Tools that Match Attendees

Attendees no longer want to passively absorb content—they want to connect. That’s where event networking tools become game-changers.

These tools use attendee data, interests, industries, and behaviors to suggest smart matches, like “people you may want to meet.” Think of it as LinkedIn-style networking but within your event ecosystem.

With these tools, attendees can:

  • Schedule 1:1 meetings via the event mobile app 
  • Join topic-based discussion groups 
  • Get real-time suggestions on who’s nearby with similar goals 
  • Exchange virtual business cards or QR codes 
  • Participate in speed networking events with curated pairings

Networking is one of the primary reasons people attend events. Facilitating meaningful connections dramatically increases attendee satisfaction and perceived value.

4. Post-Event Surveys with Sentiment Tracking

Gone are the days of basic feedback forms. Modern event management software now supports advanced post-event survey engines that include sentiment analysis and real-time insights.

These tools help you:

  • Measure session ratings 
  • Identify top-performing speakers 
  • Detect frustration or delight in open comments 
  • Compare feedback across different attendee segments 
  • Benchmark NPS (Net Promoter Score) year over year 

You can also track who completed the surveys and automate follow-ups to those who didn’t, improving your data collection rate.

Using AI-powered tools to analyze open-text responses provides a deeper understanding of attendee experience, allowing you to make smarter planning decisions for future events.

5. Event Feedback System That Auto-Generates Reports

A great event feedback system does more than just collect opinions—it transforms them into actionable insights.

Modern platforms now offer automatic report generation with visuals, charts, and recommendations. For example:

  • A heatmap of session engagement over time 
  • A comparison between attendee satisfaction for in-person vs virtual sessions 
  • Drop-off points during a live session or virtual stream 
  • Response rates by attendee type (VIP, regular, speaker, sponsor) 
  • Sponsor feedback breakdown by booth traffic and lead quality 

Having these reports generated automatically means your team can focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.

And if your event CRM integration is robust, this feedback can even influence your next marketing campaign or sales approach.

6. Attendee Heatmaps and Real-Time Event Tracking

Want to know which booths had the most foot traffic? Which areas of your venue got the most attention? Or when engagement dropped off during a keynote?

With attendee heatmaps and event attendee tracking, you get visual, data-driven insights that show you how attendees actually move and interact throughout your event.

Using badge scans, RFID chips, or Bluetooth beacons, these tools track:

  • Session attendance patterns 
  • Booth dwell time 
  • Traffic flow through the venue 
  • App usage rates 
  • Check-in/check-out times

The result? You can optimize future layouts, fine-tune your schedule, and even charge premium prices for high-traffic sponsor spots, all backed by data.

7. Multi-Portal Dashboards for Multi-Event Management

If you’re managing more than one event or if your organization runs several conferences, expos, or training sessions across the year, you need software that supports multi-event management from one interface.

That’s where multi-portal dashboards come in.

With a unified view, you can:

  • Switch between events without logging in/out 
  • Track registrations, budgets, and engagement side by side 
  • Assign teams to specific events 
  • Copy or clone successful templates 
  • Standardize branding and compliance 

This is especially powerful for enterprise event teams, agencies, or franchises. You get full oversight without duplicating work. It’s operational efficiency, scaled.

11. Smart Business Matchmaking Capabilities

Networking is one of the top reasons people attend events, but random connections don’t always lead to meaningful outcomes. That’s where business matchmaking becomes a game-changer.

Modern event management software should include intelligent business matchmaking tools that connect attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors based on shared interests, goals, or profiles. This isn’t just speed networking—it’s curated, data-driven relationship building.

Look for features like:

  • AI-powered attendee recommendations 
  • Smart filtering (industry, interests, job title, company size) 
  • Mutual interest indicators 
  • Meeting scheduling within the event mobile app 
  • Private messaging and video meeting capabilities 
  • Integration with event CRM integration tools for follow-ups 

For B2B events, trade shows, expos, and investor meetings, business matchmaking helps attendees find the right people, not just any people. It turns your event into a platform for opportunity.

By offering business matchmaking in your event management platform, you increase attendee ROI, improve satisfaction, and create a more valuable experience for every stakeholder, from sponsors to startups.

Wrapping Up

Investing in the right event management tool is the smartest move any organizer can make. With the proper event management software, you unlock new levels of productivity, visibility, and engagement. From the first registration to the final feedback survey, your platform should work for you, silently powering every process, every insight, and every success.

In 2025, don’t settle for half-measures. Look for a platform that offers all the features above and positions you to adapt, grow, and lead in an ever-changing event landscape. Whether you’re planning one event or managing a full portfolio, the right event management platform makes all the difference.

Ready to elevate your events with the most powerful, all-in-one platform? Eventdex offers everything you need in a modern event management software, from customizable registration and real-time check-in to smart engagement tools, lead capture, and deep analytics. For more details, book a free demo today and see Eventdex in action!

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