Whether you’re an event producer, part of a convention and visitors bureau (CVB), or an individual event planner, we want you to know that we understand how stressful it can be to coordinate accommodations for all your event attendees. Juggling hotel blocks, keeping track of attendee details and accessing real-time analytics and reporting can quickly become overwhelming. But, it doesn't have to be.
Fortunately, with the right event housing management software, you can simplify and manage all the little details from one place. This article will cover what makes a good event housing management software platform and review some of the best software on the market so you can book more rooms, track economic impact and easily monetize your next event.
Event housing management is everything that goes into coordinating and managing the housing needs of attendees, exhibitors and staffing for major events. From amateur and youth sports tournaments to conferences and music festivals, there are numerous aspects of lodging to be managed — and ideally monetized.
Every aspect of the event requires meticulous planning and execution, from securing suitable accommodations and negotiating rates to managing hotel room blocks and addressing attendee inquiries. And let’s not forget how crucial it is to maintain error-free accounting and invoicing processes.
Fortunately, some great event housing management software can help you organize reservations, maximize revenue streams and create operational efficiencies.
Anyone hosting or planning an event that requires lodging could use event housing management software.
EventPipe’s current customer verticals
What should you look for when deciding which event housing management software to use? Let’s take a look.
EventPipe’s seamless RFP system
The process of sending out RFPs, or proposal requests, can quickly get overwhelming. However, great event housing management software will allow event planners to view, negotiate, and accept proposals from hotels. This way, you can handle all documentation, requests, and inventory from one platform.
Choosing from multiple hotels or booking different rooms within a group block is one of the standard capabilities an event management software should have. An event housing management software should be able to show the other locations, prices, room types, and amenities offered at each hotel for comparison.
The option to choose from a wide range of hotels can help both event planners and attendees find the perfect stay.
Customizable and white-labeled booking websites provide businesses with the power to tailor their customer interface and enhance their brand identity. Event planners can customize and brand any booking travel details by adding logos, company images, advertising slots, and more–no coding required.
The booking site is like an ecommerce storefront: your attendees are your customers and you want to make it as simple as possible for them to book their stay. Look for event housing management software that offers a great end-user UI, provides automated email notifications about booking confirmations, changes, or cancellations, and adds the booking page link directly to your event website.
Another tip: 70% of event hotel bookings are on mobile devices. Make it easier for your attendees by offering a mobile-friendly website they can use on the go.
EventPipe hotel dashboard
Always ensure you're keeping an eye on your room blocks and inventory to maximize housing revenue for an event. Fortunately, live access to your reservation data and inventory can help you make quick and informed housing management and event planning decisions. This also reduces instances of overbooking and guarantees the best use of resources.
Make sure to monitor pick-up rates from other room types and subblocks when managing room block inventory so you can market your event and adjust your block size as needed.
Event housing management isn’t strictly about management: it’s also about unlocking revenue. Sustainable revenue for event organizers often comes from the travel demand they already generate, a shift that becomes increasingly important as traditional donation channels tighten.
This can be through commissions and rebates, but it can also involve offering additional opportunities including partnering with local businesses for promotional deals, offering VIP packages through hotels, extra amenities, and more.
Some software providers, like EventPipe, allow you to add these revenue opportunities to your custom booking or housing site, so you can start realizing revenue right away, not only after the event.
Event housing management software should make it simple for hotel partners to confirm reservations, upload or present documents and data, and more. The hotels can also offer unique amenities, packages, and services based on the information they receive through the software.
Plus, working with event house management companies can boost hotel occupancy rates and overall profitability–a win for everyone involved.
EventPipe analytics dashboard
Any event housing management software should offer some form of reporting and analytics that give insights into pick-up rates, average length of an attendee stay, financial performance, and satisfaction levels. Detailed analysis and reporting can provide event housing managers with valuable insights, help detect trends and patterns, streamline decision-making and enhance operational efficiency.
Now that you know exactly what to look for in event housing management software, here are some of the top platforms on the market right now.
EventPipe is a modern, end-to-end event housing management software that’s on a mission to make it incredibly easy for event producers, CVBs, and housing companies to manage and monetize their event housing process. From sports tournaments to conventions and corporate events, our cloud-based platform solves the traditionally disjointed and manual process of managing event housing.
Users can create, send, and manage RFPs and contracts, quickly launch customized booking websites, manage room blocks and sub-blocks, automate reporting and invoicing and access additional revenue opportunities–all from one place. We’ll help you maximize your event housing revenue while saving you time and energy in the process.
Easy event management:
Customizable booking sites:
Streamlined RFP process:
Realize additional revenue opportunities:
Reporting & analysis:
Best for: End-to-end event housing management for sporting events, trade groups, wedding planners, group trips, and more!
Streamline your event housing management
Cvent is software that can help event planners manage and market events including conferences, trade shows, networking events, roundtables, and more. However, this platform isn't dedicated to streamlining housing for attendees: they focus on attendee engagement, event marketing, event budgeting, and connecting venues and suppliers.
Event management:
Attendee engagement:
Vendor & supplier networks:
Analytics:
Best for: In-person, virtual, or hybrid event management for large events
EventConnect is a sports event management platform that helps event producers with the entire event lifecycle. This platform can be used for various types of events and groups, including tournaments, leagues, clubs, showcases, tryouts, and camps.
Team and Individual Registration:
Merchandising:
Housing:
Payment Processing:
Best for: Event planning for sports tournaments
Alliance Reservation Network, or ARN, offers two solutions to help with event housing and recreation booking: Trip Authority and Group Product Solution. Trip Authority helps its users create booking sites for members-only hotels and find car rental and plane tickets. Group Product Solution focuses on the RFP process, hotel sourcing, and room block management.
Hotel Sourcing and RFP Process:
Room Block Management:
Event Hotel Booking Engine:
Invoices, Reconciliation, and Reporting:
Best for: Planners offering full-service event travel management
Finding housing for an event that will accommodate all your attendees is a challenging task. You need to create, respond to, and track all your RFPs, create a booking website, manage inventory, analyze successes…and much more.
When it comes to modern event housing management software that prioritizes easy management while maximizing revenue, EventPipe stands out by far.
From RFP management to reconciliation, EventPipe enables you to sell more rooms–while doing less work. With real-time, effortless visibility, world-class support, easily customizable booking sites, built-in additional revenue streams, and professional services, group hotel bookings are finally a breeze.
Skip out on the stress and revolutionize your event housing management with EventPipe.
