Waitlist Software vs Event Management Tools: How to Choose

Are you hoping to manage bookings, tickets or events without doing everything manually?

Then you’ll definitely benefit from waitlist software or an event management tool. Which one, though?

It can be tricky to figure it out because, even though they’re built for different needs, some features do overlap.

So, let’s break it all down to help you find the right platform for your needs!

Waitlist software explained

Waitlist software allows you to manage a list of individuals or groups who want to access your services, products or events.

For example, it’s particularly useful for:

Restaurants and hospitality businesses looking to streamline their bookings
Companies that rely on service appointments (from salons to medical practices)
Selling limited-capacity events

Examples of waitlist software

Some popular waitlist software and platforms are OpenTable, Qminder, Waitwhile, WaitWell and Carbonara.

Main focus of waitlist software

Customer experience – You’ll reduce physical waiting times, streamline your customers’ interactions with your business and provide complete transparency, especially when it comes to your systems and availability
Efficiency – By automating all communications and reminders, you’ll no longer need to do everything manually. You’ll also remove the risk of human error (nice one!)
Data collection – Gather insights on your customer preferences and waiting times, and use them to plan your future availability accordingly or to improve your services and systems

Key features of waitlist software

Queue management – You can easily manage the capacity of your waitlist. Then, by automating updates as soon as new spots become available, you’ll allow your audience to move up your list and reserve them
Notification system – No more manual updates! Your waitlist software will keep your customers up to date about their place in the queue, current status and upcoming bookings
Integrations – The best waitlist software doesn’t work as a standalone tool: it connects with your existing ones, like your booking system and CRM. That way, you can sync your customer data and find everything in one place
Real-time updates – Waitlist software is dynamic and responsive. It provides timely information to your customers (through notifications and alerts) and to you as a business (through your dashboard or interface)

Event management tools explained

Event management tools tend to be all-in-one platforms: as well as the booking and waitlist side of things, they assist with the overall planning, execution and review of your events.

This makes them less relevant for restaurants, hospitality businesses and those that rely on service appointments. Instead, event management tools are ideal for:

In-person events, and especially those that require a lot of planning or different stages (like conferences, seminars, shows, weddings and big conventions)
Frequent or different online events such as workshops and webinars

Examples of event management tools

Some popular event management software and platforms are Eventbrite, Cvent, Swoogo, EventsAir and Webex Events.

Main focus of event management tools

Comprehensive management – You can streamline ALL the different parts and stages of your event, from planning to execution and follow-ups, keeping everything in one place
Scalability – Event management tools can work just as well for small online events as for large-scale international conferences and… anything in between!
Engagement – The best event management tools include interactive features (like polls, surveys and networking options) to get your audience involved and encourage them to participate in real-time
ROI measurement – Thanks to these tools’ reporting features and dashboards, it’ll be a breeze to measure the success and ROI of your events

Key features of event management tools

Registration and ticketing – You can manage attendee registrations, ticket sales, discounts and payments (all on one platform)
Event planning – Industry-specific tools tend to include more niche options, too (like seating charts for weddings). But overall, event management platforms have features to help you find the right venue, schedule the actual event, manage your capacity, keep track of vendors and much more
Marketing and promotion – Event management software tends to integrate with the most popular and relevant external tools, like social media and email marketing platforms. This allows you to reach more people, engage with them strategically and create successful promotional campaigns for your events
Attendee management – From their personal information to their preferences and how they engage with your business: with these tools, you get to keep track of all your attendees and manage them before, during and after your event
Analytics and reporting – Monitor interactions, attendance, revenue and customer satisfaction. Then, optimise your systems and events accordingly to make them even more successful

Introducing ScoreApp as an all-in-one waitlist, lead generation and events management tool

You might have heard of us as a quiz marketing platform for lead generation (and that’s still our main focus) but did you know that there are so many other ways you can use ScoreApp for your business?

And yes, this includes using quizzes for your events and waitlists. For example, with ScoreApp, you can:

Set up a waitlist to promote your event (or even a new product or service!)
Create a compelling landing page to “sell” your waitlist
Include a short quiz to collect data and really get to know your future attendees (for example, you could ask questions to then recommend the best event for them or to help them make the most of a multi-track convention)
Automate strategic and personalised email nurturing sequences, keeping the momentum up and creating FOMO
Confidently sell out your event
Engage your audience during the event itself (for example, by testing their knowledge or inviting them to share their input through a different quiz)
Nurture them in a more personalised way after the event, strengthening your relationship and upselling the right offer for them

ScoreApp is especially ideal for straightforward in-person events and online workshops or webinars.

And the best part? You get to keep EVERYTHING in one place because it connects with your existing tools, like your CRM and email marketing software.

Oh, and did we mention you can start for FREE and only upgrade to a paid plan when you need more features?

Create your waitlist or promote your event for FREE with ScoreApp

Choosing between waitlist software vs events management tools

Now you know all about the main similarities and differences between waitlist software and events management tools. Still unsure as to which one would be best for you?

Don’t worry: here are 3 questions that’ll help you figure it out.

What are you using the software for?

Do you mainly need to manage your demand and the flow of people who are waiting to access a limited service or event (rather than the event itself)? Or maybe your business is centred around service appointments? Then, waitlist software will be a better choice for you
Do you want to manage EVERYTHING when it comes to your upcoming events, from their planning to real-time interactions and post-event analysis? Consider an event management tool, which is a more comprehensive all-in-one platform

What’s the size and scope of your event?

Waitlist software might be all you need if you tend to run small and straightforward events that don’t require in-depth planning and attendee management (like online workshops, for example)
Event management tools are a much better option if you often run large and complex events, like international seminars or weddings. This is because you’ll probably need more features to streamline different phases of your event planning and delivery (so that everything works together smoothly!)

How will users interact with this tool?

Waitlist tools are perfect if you mainly need to automate your customer interactions before the actual event or booking. For example, think notifications, reminders and systems that allow them to reserve their spot as soon as it becomes available
Event management tools give you more options to engage with your attendees not just before your event but during and after, too. For example, this is ideal if you want to gather more data or create a system to upsell to your attendees afterwards

Do more than waitlists and event management with ScoreApp!

As you now know, waitlist software and event management tools can work better for different types of businesses and requirements.

Were you hoping to run simple events, build waitlists for them and engage your audience in a more personalised way? Then, you’re going to LOVE ScoreApp!

And you can also use it to: