5 Reasons Not to Use Cvent (With Amazing Alternatives!)

If event planning is an essential part of your organization, you’ve probably spent some time weighing your event management software options. More than likely, you’ve seen the name Cvent pop up in your research.

While Cvent is a widely used event management solution, it’s not necessarily the best software for your nonprofit.

Why? We’re glad you asked! In this post, we’ll present 5 reasons that Cvent may not be the ideal event management solution for you, including:

1. Cvent offers more features than you need.
2. Cvent isn’t intended for nonprofits.
3. Cvent wasn’t built for Salesforce.
4. Cvent isn’t user-friendly.
5. Cvent doesn’t fit your budget.

We’ll also introduce you to some of our favorite Cvent competitors as potential alternatives for your organization to use.

Ready to find the event management tool you’ve been waiting for? Let’s dive in.

1. Cvent offers more features than you need.

What’s the problem with Cvent?

Cvent is dedicated event management software designed for large-scale organizations planning a variety of events per year.

With a robust tool set to help event planning teams organize multi-day conferences, streamline complex scheduling, and coordinate multiple levels of logistics, there’s no denying that Cvent can be your go-to for all aspects of event management.

That said, for organizations who aren’t planning complex events, or who aren’t regularly relying on event management software, Cvent will be an overwhelming platform to navigate.

In fact, many organizations who’ve used Cvent note that it took in-depth training, significant time, and a lot of trial and error before their teams felt confident using the software. And even then, many organizations don’t utilize half the features buried within the system!

How is a Cvent competitor better?

If your nonprofit doesn’t have time to swim through a sea of event planning features you won’t use, consider utilizing a more lightweight event management solution.

Our advice? Rather than purchasing extensive event software, look for a well-rounded nonprofit CRM that can supply your team with built-in event management features.

Fundly CRM offers lightweight event management tools that are similar to Cvent, but more manageable for small to midsized nonprofits.

While no CRM will give you immediate access to all the event management factors Cvent or other dedicated event management software will, chances are that you’ll have no problem finding a nonprofit CRM that can provide the tools you need to get off the ground with your events.

For example, Fundly CRM gives you all of the following event management functionality out of the box:

• Custom event registration forms.
• Sponsorship management tools.
• Cross-event dashboard reporting.
• Additional online donation options.

And because these event tools are built into Fundly CRM, all event data is automatically stored in conjunction with the rest of your constituent data for a holistic real-time look at your guests, donors, volunteers, and any other valuable supporter information. 

Fundly CRM enables nonprofits to quickly create and manage fundraising events.

Best of all, you can use Fundly’s reporting tools to measure your event success and determine which areas could be improved upon. If over time you find that your events could be enhanced by bringing on additional event management software, you can always integrate a dedicated events platform later on.

In a nutshell… If your organization isn’t ready to implement a robust event management platform, consider finding a comprehensive nonprofit CRM with ready-to-use event management tools.

2. Cvent isn’t intended for nonprofits.

What’s the problem with Cvent?

One of Cvent’s main selling points is that any organization, business, or venue can use the software to manage their event needs.

While that might sound like a good thing, the fact that Cvent is so broad can also be highly disadvantageous if you’re looking to use it for fundraising events.

Think about it—is a corporation’s annual conference going to have the same goals, audience, and layout as your walkathon, fundraising gala, or auction? Definitely not! That’s why to plan truly phenomenal fundraising events, you’ll need to use a solution that was built with those types of events in mind.

How is a Cvent competitor better?

To truly knock your unique events out of the park every time, know exactly what types of fundraising events you’ll be planning and search for software that can give you the specific tools you need to make them happen.

For example, your cornerstone fundraising events might fall into one of the following categories:

• Peer-to-peer fundraising events. Designed to inspire donations from your supporters as well as their friends and families, peer-to-peer events are typically large community-based fundraisers that celebrate your cause.
• Charity auctions. Get out your paddles and catch the auctioneer’s eye! Silent, live, or online auctions can be enhanced with innovative technology such as mobile bidding software.
• Walkathons, races, or other active events. Who said friendly competition wasn’t a good thing? Learn more about why 5Ks, marathons, and similar events are surefire successes by reading our essential walkathon guide!
• School fundraising events. Whether you’re hosting an alumni dinner or planning a parents’ party, school fundraising events are a totally different event management experience. Make sure you’re prepared with the right tools!

With software that’s equipped with event management features you actually need, you’ll be well on your way to hosting an event that engages donors and brings in donations.

In a nutshell… Cvent wasn’t designed for nonprofits, which means you may miss out on some event fundraising functionality. Instead of Cvent, look for software that provides insight into the specific kinds of events you’re planning.

3. Cvent wasn’t built for Salesforce.

What’s the problem with Cvent?

If your organization uses Salesforce to manage your constituent data, you’ll need an event management platform that can sync up seamlessly with your CRM.

Unfortunately, Cvent is just not that platform. Cvent was not designed for Salesforce, so you’ll have to integrate the two platforms to get them to work together.

While integrations can be effective, they can also end up requiring significant time, troubleshooting, and money.

To learn more about the specifics of how the Cvent Salesforce integration falls short, read this article.

How is a Cvent competitor better?

The best alternative to integrating a third-party event management app with your Salesforce system is installing a native Salesforce app instead.

Native apps are built exclusively for Salesforce and operate as a part of your greater Salesforce system. What does that mean?

• There’s no integration. Native apps work within Salesforce, so you don’t have to do any manual integration to connect the two platforms. And since the platforms work hand-in-hand, your event management tools should be operating smoothly any time Salesforce is.
• Your data lives in one platform. Instead of spending all your time moving event data from Cvent to Salesforce, all of your constituent information and event details will be visible in real-time in your CRM.
• You’ll have greater Salesforce support. Cvent’s support team should have no problem answering questions about Cvent as an individual platform, but when you add Salesforce to the mix, things can get murky. Since native apps only work in Salesforce, you can rest assured that your vendor will be able to help you at every stage of the event management game.

If you’re looking for event planning platforms to extend your Salesforce CRM, make sure to keep these vital features in mind too!

In a nutshell… Planning Salesforce events is a unique process. To handle your Salesforce event management most effectively, you should find an app that was built for Salesforce instead of an external integration like Cvent.

4. Cvent isn’t user-friendly.

What’s the problem with Cvent?

Whether you’re using an end-to-end event management solution or capitalizing on lightweight event planning features built into your fundraising platform, your nonprofit won’t be able to get much out of your software if you don’t know how to use it!

Because Cvent is so comprehensive, many users have found that the platform has a steep learning curve attached to it.

While every product will likely require some amount of training (or at the very least, testing out), there’s nothing worse than getting stuck with a solution that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Unfortunately, for many users, that’s the case with Cvent.

How is a Cvent competitor better?

Your nonprofit should find an event management solution that offers all of the tools you need within an interface you feel confident using.

To make sure you’re prepared to actually get to work in Cvent or any other event management platform, work with your staff, your vendor, and (if needed) your nonprofit consultant to come up with answers to the following key questions:

• What’s your implementation timeline? Depending on how extensive your event management software is, it may take some time to fully implement the platform, especially if you’re integrating your product with other systems (such as Salesforce, fundraising software, or donor management software).
• Will you need to (and be able to) customize the platform? Custom configurations can take your event management software to the next level, but they also take time and software expertise. Make sure your team has the know-how to conduct any customization you need (or work with a consutlant who can walk you through the process).
• Does your vendor offer training? Your vendor may offer some level of training, so do your research to find out if it’s enough to onboard your entire team. Training typically costs extra, so make sure you have room in your budget to accommodate any training from your vendor or a third-party consulting firm.

To get an idea of what implementation and use will look like, you should always reach out to your vendor asking for a demo before you commit to your event management software. You should use that time to ask questions (like these!) and communicate any concerns you have regarding the user-friendliness of the software.

In a nutshell… Cvent is a useful platform once you know your way around it, but learning the nuances of the software may be harder than you’d think. Make sure you anticipate an accurate learning curve and implementation process for any event planning solution you choose!

5. Cvent doesn’t fit your budget.

What’s the problem with Cvent?

It goes without saying that any type of fundraising software will be an investment for your organization. Ideally, the long-term payoff will outweigh the initial costs, but to make sure that happens, you need to be wise going into the software buying process.

While you’ll need to contact Cvent directly to find out exact pricing for your nonprofit’s event needs, it’s safe to say that this event management platform can be a costly one. 

If your organization depends on events as part of your fundraising or donor engagement strategies, you might find that a comprehensive event management solution like Cvent is the best path for maximizing revenue long-term.

However, be aware that you don’t have to break your budget to gain access to robust event planning tools!

How is a Cvent competitor better?

Look out for an event management software that offers straightforward pricing.

For example, Fonteva Events offers many of the same features that Cvent does for one annual fee. You’ll be able to plan as many events as you want, free or paid, large or small.

Simple, comprehensible pricing like Fonteva’s frees you from stress of incurring extra costs such as:

• Upgrade or expansion costs.
• Integration costs.
• Setup or implementation fees.
• Fees for developers or consultants.

On the other hand, if you’re paying per event or per registrant, pricing can get complicated fast, and you may end up spending much more money than you originally intended.

In a nutshell… Cvent is a pricier event management platform. While the costs can be worth it for large organizations, you should do your research to find software that offers the features you need within your budget.

Your event management software can be the foundation for your best events yet.

Now, get to planning with these exceptional event resources:

• The Essential Fundraising Event Checklist. We’ll take you through every step of the event planning process to make sure every part of your fundraiser is taken care of. Follow our essential checklist to plan your most profitable event ever!
• Fonteva’s Top Eventbrite Competitors. Looking for more lightweight event management software? Check out these top Eventbrite alternatives from Fonteva!
• Salesforce Event Management Guide. If you’re planning an event using your Salesforce CRM, this guide can be your new best friend. Read up on all things related to Salesforce events in this in-depth guide from Fonteva.

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