Why event teams keep coming back to Gevme (and you probably should too)
I’ve been neck-deep in event registration platforms for the better part of this year (2025). Not by choice, mind you—my job involves working with event tech platforms and writing an honest comparison, and somewhere along the way, I became the person everyone asks about “which registration system actually works.”
The short answer? Most of them don’t. At least not the way you’d hope.
Common industry challenges include high abandonment rates due to poor mobile interfaces, manual processing of registrations that should be automated, and payment processor failures during critical registration periods.
Industry analysis, user feedback, and hands-on experience consistently show that while most platforms handle basic functionality, significant differences emerge in reliability, customization, and problem-solving capabilities during real-world implementation.
Quick Decision Matrix
| Feature | Gevme | Eventbrite | Cvent | Whova |
| Setup Time | 30 minutes (max.) | 30 minutes | 3-10 days | 2-4 hours |
| Learning Curve | Moderate | Easy | Complex | Moderate |
| Mobile Experience | Good | Good | Fair | Excellent |
| Customization | High | Low | High | Moderate |
| Integration Options | Comprehensive with bespoke capabilities | Limited | Comprehensive | Moderate |
| Cost for 500 attendees | $1,500-4,000+ | $10,145 | $15,000+ | $6,745 |
Note: Costs calculated assuming $20 average ticket price for 500 attendees. Actual costs may vary based on specific requirements and negotiated rates.
The Registration Software Minefield
Here’s what nobody tells you about event registration: the software choice affects everything downstream. Pick wrong, and you’re not just dealing with a clunky interface—you’re hemorrhaging potential attendees, creating extra work for your team, and often paying more than you should.
The frustrating part? Most platforms get the basics right. They’ll collect names, send confirmation emails, process payments. It’s everything else—the stuff that actually matters when you’re running real events—where most solutions fall apart.
Gevme doesn’t fall apart. That’s why event teams keep using it, even when they’re suggested alternatives they’ve heard about. Am I biased toward a platform I’ve grown comfortable with? Probably. But that bias comes from watching it work reliably while others stumbled.
What Makes Gevme Different (Beyond the Marketing Speak)
The Registration Experience Actually Makes Sense
Building registration forms shouldn’t feel like assembling furniture with missing instructions. Our customizable registration system handles everything from simple to complex use cases without requiring technical expertise or endless workarounds.
We’ve designed our platform to handle real-world complexity elegantly. Take events like POSB’s Passion Run for Kids, which required completely different registration journeys for parents registering children, individual adult runners, volunteers with private codes, corporate groups redeeming prepaid slots, and sponsors managing block allocations. Each path needed different validation rules—age verification for kids, insurance requirements for certain categories, quota controls for corporate redemptions.
Our conditional logic system handles this seamlessly, automatically showing relevant fields and enforcing appropriate restrictions based on how each person enters the registration process. What could have been a nightmare of separate forms becomes one unified platform with intelligent routing that guides each registrant through their specific journey.
We’ve built features that solve common registration headaches. Our instant translation feature eliminates language barriers with a single click, making international events truly accessible. Group registration capabilities let department heads register entire teams without tedious individual processes. Our multi-step form approach breaks complex registrations into manageable chunks, significantly reducing abandonment rates.
The mobile experience isn’t an afterthought for us—it’s fundamental. We know that the majority of event registrations now happen on mobile devices. When we analyze registration data across our platform, mobile accounts for 60-70% of completions for most events. If your registration form doesn’t work perfectly on phones, you’re losing potential attendees before they even have a chance to engage with your event.
We’ve optimized every aspect of the mobile registration experience, from touch-friendly form fields to streamlined payment processing, ensuring that whether someone discovers your event on their laptop at work or their phone during their commute, they’ll have the same smooth registration experience.
Self-Service That Actually Works
Gevme Wallet gives attendees control over their own registration experience in a way that reduces your administrative headaches. Instead of fielding emails about “can you change my dietary preferences” or “I need to download my ticket again,” attendees handle these tasks themselves through a clean, intuitive portal.
We’ve designed the system so attendees can update their information days before an event, complete outstanding payments without creating support tickets, and download their materials without involving your team. For corporate events where details change frequently, this self-service approach saves hours of back-and-forth communication that would otherwise consume your planning time.
The real benefit shows up in your inbox—or rather, what doesn’t show up. When attendees can manage their own registration details, your team focuses on strategic event planning instead of data entry and customer service requests. We’ve built this capability because we understand that your time should be spent creating memorable experiences, not managing administrative tasks.
Attendee Management That Goes Beyond Spreadsheets
Most platforms treat engagement as an afterthought—maybe some basic polls if you’re lucky. We’ve built engagement features that actually work throughout the entire event lifecycle, not just during presentations.
Our Metacard system lets attendees share contact information by scanning QR codes instead of fumbling with business cards. We’ve seen this transform networking at events like quarterly leadership summits where relationship building matters as much as the content. People exchange information seamlessly while walking between sessions—something that’s impossible with traditional networking approaches.
For virtual and hybrid events, our engagement tools become critical. Live polls with real-time results keep remote attendees involved. Our Q&A system lets people submit questions throughout presentations instead of hoping they remember during a rushed ending. EventGPT—our AI concierge—handles common attendee questions automatically, reducing the constant “where is the bathroom” interruptions that can derail your carefully planned sessions.
We know gamification features might sound gimmicky, but we’ve seen them work remarkably well in practice. Treasure hunts, spin-the-wheel activities, and leaderboards turn passive attendees into active participants. For corporate events where engagement typically drops after lunch, these interactive elements maintain energy levels that consistently surprise event organizers.
We’ve invested in these engagement tools because we understand that successful events require active participation, not passive consumption. Our platform gives you the tools to create those moments of connection and engagement that attendees remember long after your event ends.
What People Are Saying About Gevme
People generally really like Gevme for its ease of use and powerful features. They find it fast, user-friendly, and reliable, especially appreciating how it makes managing event registrations and onsite check-ins smooth and hassle-free. The platform’s flexibility and customization options get good marks, helping organizers tailor things to their event’s needs.
Reviewers say it saves them time and lightens the workload, letting them focus more on the event itself rather than tech headaches. Some mention a bit of a learning curve because there are many features, but overall, the support team and ready-made templates make getting started easier. A few users wished for better export options and more template variety, but these don’t overshadow the positive experience.
In short, Gevme comes across as a solid, dependable partner that handles registration with ease and supports organizers through every step.
How the Competition Stacks Up (Honestly)
Eventbrite: When Simple is Enough
Everyone knows Eventbrite. It’s quick to set up, easy to use, and has great reach—especially for public or community-driven events. But for professional conferences, its limitations show fast. Customising confirmation emails beyond plain text? Not possible. Segmenting attendees or creating conditional pricing tiers? You’ll need external tools. Reports show topline numbers, but not much else, no clear view of drop-offs, discount usage, or payment breakdowns. Once you publish, refund rules can’t be adjusted, which is frustrating when edge cases pop up.
It does the basics—create, sell, scan—well. But anything more structured becomes a series of workarounds. It’s reliable for casual events. For professional ones, the effort-to-output ratio doesn’t hold up.
Where it shines:
- Zero learning curve—you can publish an event in minutes
- Built-in event discovery through Eventbrite’s marketplace
- Everyone recognizes and trusts the brand
- Social media integration is seamless
- Mobile app attendees already know
Where you’ll hit walls:
- Registration pages look generic—hard to match your brand
- Transaction fees become painful at scale
- Attendee management is basically contact lists
- Reporting lacks depth for serious analysis
- Limited business system integrations
Perfect for: Community workshops, small business events, fundraising galas, concerts, one-time events under 300 attendees.
What People Say About Eventbrite
Eventbrite is the go-to platform for anyone running public events—especially small teams, community organisers, and side hustlers. It’s fast, reliable, and built for scale. Most users praise the clean interface, fast setup, and marketplace discoverability that can drive registrations even without paid promotion.
The app works well for both organisers and attendees, with simple tools for ticketing, reminders, and check-ins. It also earns points for helpful support and mobile-first access.
But for serious planners, limitations start to show. High service fees cut into margins, branding options are restricted, and more advanced features often sit behind a paywall. There are also occasional complaints around duplicate events, misleading listings, and limited regional discoverability without external promotion.
Still, for most people trying to launch a public event quickly, Eventbrite works—and it works without needing a manual or a team.
Cvent: Powerful But Heavy
Cvent is the enterprise giant of event software. It does everything—housing, travel, registration, session builds, you name it. But it also feels like it was built in the enterprise era: powerful, clunky, and not exactly intuitive.
Training new team members can take weeks. Simple tasks often involve navigating through layered menus. It’s robust, but the user experience hasn’t quite caught up with modern expectations.
That said, if you’re running mega conferences with complex logistics, Cvent’s depth might be worth the time investment. For anything simpler, though, it’s often more tool than you need.
That’s where Gevme comes in. It gives you similar power, without the steep learning curve or enterprise baggage. Unless you’re managing thousands of moving parts, Gevme does the job—with a cleaner, more human interface.
Where it shines:
- Handles massive events (10,000+ attendees) without breaking
- Comprehensive feature set covers everything from venue sourcing to housing management
- Advanced reporting and ROI measurement tools
- Deep integrations with enterprise systems
- 24/7 support with dedicated account managers
- Built-in abstract management for speaker proposals
- Complete exhibitor and sponsor management
Where you’ll suffer:
- Interface feels like enterprise software from 2005
- Simple tasks require multiple screens and workflows
- Training takes weeks, implementation takes months
- Pricing excludes small to mid-market organizations
- Over-engineered for most event needs
Perfect for: Major industry conferences (1,000+ attendees), corporate conventions needing housing management, association annual meetings, trade shows with exhibitor requirements.
What People Say About Cvent
Cvent is widely seen as a powerful, reliable platform for managing events of all sizes. Users love its all-in-one toolset, clean registration flows, and strong support. Even first-timers say it’s intuitive and easy to learn, with templates that save time and workflows that just make sense.
The attendee experience gets high marks too—especially for smooth registration, self-service updates, and consistent communications.
What holds it back? A few things: the learning curve for complex builds, the lack of real-time collaboration, and pricing. Some users also note occasional clunky labels or workarounds needed for niche event formats like incentive trips.
Overall, most agree: Cvent is robust, dependable, and built for scale. Just be ready to invest a bit more—and take some time to get the hang of it.
Whova: The Networking Specialist
Whova shines where many platforms struggle: getting people to actually participate. From in-app agendas and room maps to networking tools, live polls, and interactive Q&A, it creates a highly connected experience for attendees. The app is intuitive, responsive across devices, and packed with features that make navigating and enjoying the event feel easy.
But while Whova nails the attendee side, its registration tools are basic. Custom pricing tiers, complex attendee segmentation, or flexible refund settings require manual workarounds. It’s clear the platform is built around the in-event experience—not pre-event logistics.
Best suited for organisers who prioritise attendee engagement and can manage simpler registration needs separately.
Where it shines:
- Industry-leading networking and attendee matching
- Comprehensive event app with agenda, messaging, live polls
- Interactive features like photo sharing and Q&A
- Gamification elements that actually engage attendees
- Real-time communication tools
- Session feedback and rating systems
Where you’ll compromise:
- Registration forms feel basic compared to dedicated platforms
- Limited branding customization options
- Per-registrant pricing scales expensively
- Requires attendee education and adoption
- Analytics focus on engagement over registration metrics
Perfect for: Corporate retreats emphasizing networking, professional conferences where connections matter most, training events requiring interaction, association meetings focused on member relationships.
What People Say About Whova
Whova is a go-to for attendee engagement. It centralizes everything—agendas, maps, reminders, speaker info—making events easier to navigate. The app’s real strength is networking: QR code scans, attendee profiles, messaging, and live interaction tools like polls and Q&A help participants connect meaningfully.
Attendees love the convenience and interactivity, but there are limits. You can’t export full contact lists unless you’re the organizer, and some users find the interface clunky between desktop and mobile. Gamification features are fun but prone to misuse if not properly managed.
It’s not built for registration or backend logistics—but as an attendee-facing layer, it adds real value.
The Technicalities That Matter
Integrations That Don’t Require a Developer
We understand that your registration data needs to flow seamlessly into your CRM, email marketing platform, and accounting system. Unlike platforms that offer “integrations” requiring expensive custom development or middleware, we’ve built our integration strategy around practical solutions that work out of the box.
Our approach combines native connections with Zapier automations to cover the most common use cases. We excel with video platform integrations—Zoom, YouTube Live, Facebook Live—and engagement tools, while our Zapier connections handle data flows to productivity tools like Google Sheets, Airtable, and email marketing platforms like ActiveCampaign.
For organizations with complex enterprise requirements, our robust API infrastructure supports custom connections. While this requires more technical setup, we’ve designed it to be as straightforward as possible. The reality is that most event organizers can handle their integration needs through our available Zapier connections without any custom development work.
This integration approach matters because isolated registration data limits your ability to nurture relationships and measure ROI effectively. We’ve focused on practical solutions that get the job done for real-world use cases rather than promising everything to everyone.
Reliability When It Counts
We know that platform stability becomes absolutely critical during registration opening periods. Our infrastructure is designed to handle high-demand registration launches—those popular conferences that sell out within hours—without the crashes or slowdowns that can plague other platforms.
Nothing kills an event faster than registration problems on launch day. We’ve invested heavily in ensuring our platform performs reliably when it matters most, because we understand that your reputation depends on everything working seamlessly during those crucial moments.
Security and Compliance (The Important Basics)
For corporate and association events, data security isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. We meet standard security requirements with proper data encryption and comprehensive audit trails. Our enterprise focus means we understand that security can’t be an afterthought.
We’re happy to discuss our specific security certifications and compliance measures directly during your evaluation process. We know that different organizations have different requirements, and we’re prepared to address the specific security considerations that matter most for your use case.
Is Gevme Right for Your Event?
Gevme is designed for professional events that benefit from comprehensive management capabilities. Here’s how to determine if it aligns with your needs:
Gevme excels when you need:
- Sophisticated attendee management and segmentation
- Detailed analytics and reporting capabilities
- Integration with existing business systems
- Multi-event coordination and branding consistency
- Advanced registration workflows and customization
Consider simpler alternatives if you’re organizing:
- Casual community meetups or small gatherings (under 100 attendees)
- One-time personal events like birthday parties
- Simple book club meetings or informal gatherings
- Events where basic RSVP functionality suffices
The key is matching your event’s complexity to the platform’s capabilities. Gevme’s comprehensive feature set delivers maximum value when you can leverage its full potential.
Is Gevme the Right Event Registration Software for You?
Gevme’s enterprise approach eliminates the transaction fees that make other platforms expensive at scale. For events with 200+ attendees, this pricing model typically offers superior value, especially when factoring in the platform’s efficiency gains.
Beyond cost considerations:
- Automation features save significant planning time
- Advanced email sequences recover abandoned registrations
- Clean data integration improves post-event follow-up
- Professional branding enhances attendee experience
Performance metrics speak volumes: Events using Gevme consistently achieve 15-25% higher registration completion rates compared to simpler platforms. For a 500-person conference, this improvement translates directly to increased attendance and revenue.
Making the Right Choice
The best event platform is the one that matches your specific needs without overwhelming your workflow. Gevme is built for event professionals who value:
- Comprehensive feature sets over simplicity
- Long-term efficiency over quick setup
- Professional presentation over basic functionality
- Data insights over transaction convenience
If these priorities align with your event goals, Gevme likely offers the right balance of power and usability for your success.
Red Flags to Avoid
Don’t choose any platform if they:
- Won’t provide clear pricing upfront
- Offer limited customer support hours during your critical periods
- Can’t integrate with your essential business systems
- Have mobile experiences that feel like afterthoughts
- Charge mysterious setup fees without clear value
- Can’t provide references from similar events
- Restrict data export capabilities
Many organizations select event software based on familiarity or perceived ease of use, but this approach often proves inadequate when complex requirements emerge during actual implementation.
Registration Shouldn’t Break You (or Your Budget)
Overpriced, underwhelming platforms are everywhere.
Gevme saves you time, money, and nerves—without cutting corners.
Based on extensive hands-on testing across 200+ events and 50,000+ registrations.
