Bizzabo: All-in-One Platform for Event Management [Review]

Bizzabo is a management, marketing and interaction platform for event professionals looking for an all-in-one solution to host their website, event mobile app and live interaction activities. Here is the review.

I’ve known Bizzabo for quite a while now. They were among the pioneers of event mobile apps in the segment of networking. Their offering has recently evolved and this review will help you to be up to date with their latest introduction.

The tool has substantially changed. While it preserves all its community features to discover relevant attendees at events, it has expanded into an event management and marketing platform that has a lot to offer.

The trend in mobile apps is quite evident. Just a mobile app is not enough anymore. Event professionals are asking for more. They also require registration, a website, and analytics. Traditionally these have been very complex software that only huge event planning companies could use.

Bizzabo is trying to offer an all-in-one solution to mid range event professionals who may plan a few conferences a year but do not fit in the enterprise category. Which is a quite interesting move.

Let’s look at what they have to offer.

Bizzabo: What Is it?

Bizzabo is an all-in-one event software for event organizers that allows you to build websites, sell tickets, have an event community, offer attendees a mobile app and a suite of analytics.

The Bizzabo event platform’s main features include: ticketing and registration, event website builder, event app, contacts management, networking tools, polls and surveys, and reports and dashboards to measure success.

Bizzabo offers four main categories of features:

. The event management module of the platform offers the basic event management features you would expect such as registration, ticketing and event website, but also new innovation, such as on site digital check in.

2. Marketing. Bizzabo offers an email marketing tool, a promo code generator and deep integration with social media. Social data is fetched and presented to create marketing intelligence.

3. Engagement . Bizzabo was born as a mobile app and it offers strong features in terms of networking and social media interfacing but also live polls and audience response systems.

4. Analytics . Social media actions are measured in a granular manner and are presented together with event vitals such as ticket sales in an easy to digest interface. The dashboard also presents data from previous events, cross referencing data.

Review

I have been traditionally skeptical of apps that become something else. After speaking to several event app providers I had to change my mind. Consensus is that the market, i.e. you event professionals, is requesting apps to be more than just apps.

This is the case because apps have been the point of entry to technology for a great base of event professionals. Once in, you want more. Using different providers for different services does not play well with the busy event professional. Bizzabo is in line with this trend. It makes sense but there is also a twist.

Those companies creating these multi-module offerings are usually geared to enterprise event companies with large event portfolios. Bizzabo is going after the small to medium-sized market, which definitely captured my attention.

But let’s talk about the product. Bizzabo is a fantastic exercise in user experience and great design. The problem with all-in-one platforms is that they are usually an Excel spreadsheet on steroids. The effort in user experience Bizzabo has made is remarkable. Everything is intuitive, usable and simple.

Bizzabo is also a self service platform. Meaning you will be in charge of populating it with content and making it work for you. While most event professionals in the small to medium sized market won’t see this as a problem, it could become heavy if you are used to have vendors build everything for you.

The array of modules available ticks all the boxes in terms of the latest and most performing event tech tools on the market. On site check-in, live interaction tools, email marketing engine, socially connected speaker profiles. These are the most in demand features out there and to find them all in one solution, well, it saves time.

The aim is not to create something staggeringly new but rather to make tools we currently use work with each other. Such holistic offering counterintuitively sacrifices integrations. If you are looking for a tool that integrates with what you already use in terms of registration, analytics or live interaction, you will probably struggle with Bizzabo.

One of the features I was most impressed by was the deep integration with LinkedIn. When you for example create speakers profiles, you can just type the name of the speaker and automatically fetch their data from LinkedIn. What a time saver!

Features

Here are the most significant features Bizzabo has to offer:

Multi-platform

The app functionality is available on Desktop, Native Mobile apps (iOS, Android, BB10 and WindowsPhone), mobile web, tablets and onsite big screens.

Management

– Multi-Event Platform
– Ticketing & Registration
– Embeddable Widgets (from ticketing to networking, agenda and speakers)
– Customizable Registration Form
– Onsite Check-in
– Smart Contacts Management (CRM)

Marketing

– Email Marketing & Communication
– Email Templates
– Promo Codes and Tracking Links
– Event Website Builder
– Social Media Integration
– Sponsorship Opportunities

Engagement

– Event App (iOS, Android, Web)
– Networking Community
– Live Polling & Surveys
– Agenda & Speakers on Web and Mobile
– Real-Time Push Notifications
– Social Media Buzz
– Social Share Analytics
– Sponsor/Exhibitor Rich Profiles

Analytics

– All-In-One Dashboard
– Advanced Reports
– Engagement Analytics
– Event App Analytics

Who Is It For?

Bizzabo‘s ideal clients are in the small to medium sized market. If you plan somewhat complex events with several processes and most of all are willing to try new technology that can boost engagement, marketing and management then Bizzabo is for you.

It can really take away the pain of having to deal with several platforms that do not speak to each other. The level of depth of each module is strong enough to deliver functional tools that you can deploy easily.

On the other hand if you already developed your own internal platforms and you’re looking a platform to integrate with, Bizzabo is not the tool you are looking for.

Pros and Cons

Pros

– All-in-one. All features work with each other, forget silos and repetitive tasks.

– User Experience. Bizzabo looks great for the planner and the attendee.

– Cutting edge tech that eventprofs actually want.

Cons

– Self service. You will need to set it up.

– Limited integrations. Offers so much that does not really talk to other event planning tools.

– Does a lot and while this can be a plus for some, it may be overwhelming for others.

Prices and Plans

You can get in touch with Bizzabo to learn more about their pricing. Currently they offer all modules for a subscription fee. Which takes the hassle away from having to pay for each additional feature.

In Conclusion

It takes guts to reposition a product. I admire the move that Bizzabo has made and I think it is completely spot on. All the tools that event planners actually want can be found in the platform. I also appreciated the boldness of offering such a complete tool to a segment of the market often ignored by larger brands.

The tool looks awesome and it is very simple to use. While it may be not everyone’s cup of tea, it definitely serves its market very well. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Disclosure: Startup Reviews are paid for placements. While Event Manager Blog receives a fee to extensively look at the tool and review it in detail, the content of the review is independent and by no means influenced by the startup. If you have any question please use the contact us section.