The Best In Person Event Software of 2023

February, 2023
Disclaimer: This blog post is provided to help event professionals select the best software for their needs. The product reviews and comparisons are based on the publicly posted customer reviews and the information available at the time of writing this blog.

As the pandemic subsides and the world gradually returns to the 'old normal,' in-person events are coming back to life. A look at Google Trends reveals a lot of people are searching for in-person event software.

If you're also searching for the best in-person event app to manage your next meeting, conference, or tradeshow, you have come to the right place. In this post, we'll discuss why in-person events are coming back and introduce you to some of the best physical event software apps that you can use to plan in-person and virtual events..

The Proliferation of Virtual Event Software

Forced by the coronavirus-induced restrictions on face-to-face human interactions, businesses scrambled to look for software they could use to meet and interact remotely. Little known virtual meeting apps such as Zoom saw their networth skyrocket. Within days, a plethora of virtual event software hit the app stores. The most popular among them include the following:

The euphoria about virtual events was short lived, though. As attendees return to in-person events, virtual event features such as immersive video streams and innovative virtual studios seem to be losing their appeal.

Why the Reversion to In Person Events?

Of course, virtual events were never meant to rival in-person events—they never could. They were more of a stopgap arrangement to keep the business running amidst Covid-related restrictions. Watching hours of webcast after webcast is simply no match for attending a real-life event. Moreover, why would anyone pay hundreds of dollars just to sit in front of a computer?

The Second Rise of In-person Event Software

When in-person events were forbidden, businesses had no option but to switch to a virtual event platform. Spurred by the rise in demand, developers hurriedly rolled out dozens of new virtual event apps. Even established in-person event software had to add virtual event features to their apps.

Now, with in-person events back in business, many event professionals find the fancy features of virtual event platforms to be almost redundant. They need an app that is simpler, cheaper, and designed for in-person events, with the ability to add virtual sessions if needed.

Top Three Best In Person Event Software for 2023

Eventleaf

Eventleaf is developed by Jolly Technologies, which has been around since the year 2000. It is an all-in-one in-person event platform with easy-to-use virtual event features. The software is used by thousands of corporate clients, small and medium businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. It has the highest customer ratings on G2, TrustRadius, and other software review websites and is one of the most affordable and easiest to use in-person event software.

Price: Free to use for up to 100 attendees per year, and $1 per attendee from there on.

  • Biggest + Extremely intuitive and user-friendly.
  • Biggest − Marketing features are not the best in the world.
Eventleaf Software Overview
Cvent Software Overview

Cvent

Cvent is a well-established player in the in-person event management space, with comprehensive features and powerful capabilities to manage in-person events of all types and scales. The app has received a large number of positive customer reviews, although many users seem to think it has a rather steep learning curve and is not user friendly. Nevertheless, Cvent has more than 190,000 active users and can be a great pick for managing in-person and hybrid events in the post-coronavirus world.

Price: Not known. You'll need to contact Cvent to get a quote.

  • Biggest + Extensive platform with all the bells and whistles.
  • Biggest − May not be the most user-friendly app out there.

Aventri

Aventri is another well-established in-person event platform dating back to 1998. In the wake of the pandemic, Aventri had to reposition itself as a hybrid and virtual event platform and hurriedly added virtual features. However, it is still a great software for planning in-person and hybrid events. Aventri was acquired by Meetingplay in 2022 and now goes by the name of Stova. Most users find the app easy to use, though some have reported difficulties with finding and using certain features. The price is on the higher side and the app is geared for big ticket events as per some user reviews.

Price: Not available on their website.

  • Biggest + Excellent reporting features.
  • Biggest − Unclear pricing. Reviews indicate that many essential features cost extra.
Stova Software Overview

In Conclusion

The luster of online events seems to be fading away as the restrictions are lifted and people get back top business as usual. Online search trends depict that event managers are searching for in-person event software. On the other hand, webinar and virtual event registration rates are declining. The in-person event apps that we have reviewed above also have virtual event capabilities. We hope that one of them will be just perfect for managing your upcoming in-person and virtual events 2023.

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