Online Tools for Organising Local Community Events in Australia
Organising a successful local community event, whether it's a farmers market, a school fete, or a neighbourhood festival, requires careful planning and efficient management. Fortunately, a range of online tools are available to streamline the process, from initial planning to post-event follow-up. This article compares several popular platforms, focusing on their features, pricing, and usability, to help you choose the best solution for your needs.
1. Event Planning and Management Features
The core of any event management tool is its ability to help you plan and organise the various aspects of your event. Different platforms offer varying levels of functionality in this area.
Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a well-known platform that offers robust event creation and management features. You can easily create event pages, set dates and times, add descriptions, and manage venue information. It also provides tools for scheduling, task management, and vendor coordination.
Pros: User-friendly interface, comprehensive feature set, integrates with other tools.
Cons: Can be expensive for larger events due to per-ticket fees.
Humanitix: Humanitix is a ticketing platform that donates its profits to children's charities. It offers event creation, scheduling, and venue management features. While not as feature-rich as Eventbrite in pure event planning, it excels at ticketing and registration while contributing to a good cause.
Pros: Socially responsible, affordable pricing, good ticketing features.
Cons: Fewer advanced event planning tools compared to Eventbrite.
TryBooking: TryBooking is an Australian-based platform that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It offers event creation, scheduling, and basic venue management. It's particularly popular for smaller, community-based events.
Pros: Easy to use, Australian-based support, competitive pricing.
Cons: Limited advanced features, less customisable than other platforms.
Google Workspace (Google Calendar, Google Sheets, Google Docs): While not a dedicated event management platform, Google Workspace offers a suite of tools that can be used for event planning. Google Calendar can be used for scheduling, Google Sheets for task management and budgeting, and Google Docs for creating event documents.
Pros: Free (for personal use), collaborative, familiar interface.
Cons: Requires manual setup, lacks dedicated event management features.
Key Considerations:
Complexity of the event: For simple events, a basic platform like TryBooking or Google Workspace might suffice. For more complex events with multiple sessions, vendors, and speakers, Eventbrite or a similar platform with more advanced features may be necessary.
Collaboration needs: If you need to collaborate with a team, choose a platform that offers strong collaboration features, such as shared calendars, task lists, and document editing.
Integration with other tools: Consider whether the platform integrates with other tools you use, such as your email marketing platform or CRM system.
2. Ticketing and Registration Options
Managing ticket sales and registrations is a crucial aspect of event organisation. The right platform can streamline this process and ensure a smooth experience for attendees.
Eventbrite: Offers a comprehensive ticketing system with various ticket types, pricing options, and discount codes. It also provides tools for managing attendee data and generating reports. Learn more about Zellow and how we can help you integrate Eventbrite into your overall marketing strategy.
Pros: Robust ticketing features, detailed reporting, integrates with payment gateways.
Cons: Per-ticket fees can be high, limited customisation options for ticket design.
Humanitix: Provides a user-friendly ticketing system with a focus on affordability. It offers various ticket types, discount codes, and the option to collect donations. Its commitment to donating profits to charity is a significant draw for many organisers.
Pros: Affordable pricing, socially responsible, easy to use.
Cons: Fewer advanced ticketing features compared to Eventbrite.
TryBooking: Offers a simple ticketing system with a focus on ease of use. It allows you to create various ticket types, set prices, and manage attendee data. It also offers the option to sell merchandise alongside tickets.
Pros: Easy to use, Australian-based support, competitive pricing.
Cons: Limited customisation options, fewer advanced features.
Manual Registration (Google Forms, Email): For smaller, free events, you might consider using Google Forms or a simple email registration system. This can be a cost-effective option, but it requires more manual effort.
Pros: Free, simple to set up.
Cons: Time-consuming to manage, prone to errors, lacks advanced features.
Key Considerations:
Payment processing: Ensure the platform integrates with a secure and reliable payment gateway, such as Stripe or PayPal. Consider the transaction fees associated with each gateway.
Attendee data management: Choose a platform that allows you to collect and manage attendee data effectively. This data can be used for post-event follow-up and future event planning.
Reporting and analytics: Look for a platform that provides detailed reports and analytics on ticket sales, attendee demographics, and other key metrics. This information can help you track the success of your event and identify areas for improvement.
3. Communication and Promotion Tools
Effective communication and promotion are essential for attracting attendees to your event. The right platform can help you reach your target audience and keep them informed about your event.
Eventbrite: Offers built-in email marketing tools, social media integration, and the ability to create custom event websites. It also provides tools for managing event listings on various online platforms. Our services can help you optimise your Eventbrite event page for maximum visibility.
Pros: Comprehensive communication tools, social media integration, event website builder.
Cons: Email marketing features can be limited, event website builder may not be as flexible as a dedicated website builder.
Humanitix: Offers basic email marketing tools and social media integration. It also allows you to create a custom event page with information about your event and ticketing details.
Pros: Affordable pricing, social media integration, custom event page.
Cons: Limited email marketing features, less customisable event page.
TryBooking: Offers basic email marketing tools and social media integration. It also allows you to create a simple event page with information about your event and ticketing details.
Pros: Easy to use, social media integration, simple event page.
Cons: Limited email marketing features, less customisable event page.
Dedicated Email Marketing Platforms (Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor): Consider using a dedicated email marketing platform for more advanced email marketing capabilities. These platforms offer features such as segmentation, automation, and A/B testing.
Pros: Advanced email marketing features, segmentation, automation.
Cons: Requires separate subscription, may require more technical expertise.
Key Considerations:
Email marketing capabilities: Choose a platform that offers robust email marketing features, such as segmentation, automation, and personalisation. This will allow you to target your audience with relevant messages and increase engagement.
Social media integration: Ensure the platform integrates seamlessly with social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This will allow you to promote your event to a wider audience and drive traffic to your event page.
Event website builder: Consider whether the platform offers a built-in event website builder. This can be a convenient way to create a professional-looking website for your event.
4. Volunteer Management Capabilities
Many community events rely on volunteers to help with various tasks. The right platform can help you recruit, schedule, and manage volunteers effectively.
Eventbrite: Offers basic volunteer management features, such as the ability to create volunteer shifts and assign tasks. However, it's not specifically designed for volunteer management.
Pros: Integrated with event management features.
Cons: Limited volunteer management functionality.
Dedicated Volunteer Management Platforms (VolunteerLocal, SignUpGenius): Consider using a dedicated volunteer management platform for more advanced features, such as online sign-up, scheduling, communication, and reporting.
Pros: Comprehensive volunteer management features, online sign-up, scheduling, communication.
Cons: Requires separate subscription, may not integrate seamlessly with event management platform.
Google Sheets: For smaller events, you can use Google Sheets to manage volunteer sign-ups and schedules. This is a free and simple option, but it requires more manual effort.
Pros: Free, simple to use.
Cons: Requires manual setup, lacks advanced features.
Key Considerations:
Volunteer recruitment: Choose a platform that allows you to easily recruit volunteers through online sign-up forms and social media integration.
Volunteer scheduling: Ensure the platform offers flexible scheduling options, such as the ability to create recurring shifts and allow volunteers to self-schedule.
Communication and coordination: Look for a platform that provides tools for communicating with volunteers, such as email and SMS messaging. This will help you keep them informed about their schedules and any important updates.
5. Pricing and Subscription Plans
The pricing of event management platforms varies widely, depending on the features offered and the number of attendees. It's important to carefully consider your budget and choose a platform that offers the best value for your money. Frequently asked questions about pricing can be found on most platform websites.
Eventbrite: Offers various pricing plans, including a free plan with limited features and paid plans with more advanced features. Pricing is typically based on a per-ticket fee.
Pros: Wide range of features, flexible pricing plans.
Cons: Per-ticket fees can be high, especially for larger events.
Humanitix: Offers a simple pricing structure with a small per-ticket fee. A portion of the fee is donated to charity.
Pros: Affordable pricing, socially responsible.
Cons: Fewer advanced features compared to Eventbrite.
TryBooking: Offers a competitive pricing structure with a small per-ticket fee or a monthly subscription option.
Pros: Affordable pricing, Australian-based support.
Cons: Limited advanced features.
Free Options (Google Workspace, Manual Registration): Google Workspace is free for personal use, and manual registration methods (Google Forms, email) are also free. However, these options require more manual effort and lack advanced features.
Pros: Free.
Cons: Limited features, requires more manual effort.
Key Considerations:
Per-ticket fees: Consider the per-ticket fees charged by each platform. These fees can add up quickly, especially for larger events.
Subscription fees: Some platforms offer monthly or annual subscription plans. These plans can be more cost-effective for events with a large number of attendees.
Free plans: Look for platforms that offer free plans with limited features. This can be a good way to test out the platform before committing to a paid plan.
By carefully considering your needs and comparing the features, pricing, and usability of different online tools, you can choose the best platform to help you organise and manage successful local community events in Australia.