United States verdict (TL;DR)
Verified 2026-05-18The US is the largest event management software market globally and the home of every major platform in this category. Cvent (Tysons Corner, VA) is the installed-base market leader by a wide margin, running the annual conference and trade show programs of most Fortune 500 companies, but the 2023 Blackstone take-private at $4.6B has produced documented renewal pricing pressure and slower innovation pace that buyers should diligence carefully. Bizzabo (New York) is the modern enterprise alternative with cleaner UX. Stova (the 2023 MeetingPlay / Aventri merger) is the mid-market consolidation option with unresolved integration risk. Splash is the dominant US field marketing and customer events platform. Whova is the academic conference and association events default. Bevy is the community and developer relations chapter-events platform. vFairs is the virtual-first hybrid trade show specialist. The 2026 regulatory backdrop: CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) applies to California-resident attendee data collected by events platforms, requiring consent flows and deletion rights; ADA accessibility requirements apply to event registration sites and mobile apps deployed for US attendees.
Picks for United States
- US enterprise portfolios of large conferences and trade shows (1,000+ employee enterprises): cvent The installed-base US enterprise leader with deepest end-to-end event lifecycle coverage. Default for Fortune 500 conference and trade show programs. Diligence Blackstone renewal pricing before signing multi-year contracts.
- US tech-forward enterprises wanting Cvent depth with modern UX: bizzabo Modern enterprise events platform with cleaner UX than Cvent. Strong fit for US marketing-led event teams at tech companies, financial services, and SaaS enterprises (500-10,000 employees).
- US B2B marketing field events and customer event programs: splash-events The dominant US field marketing and customer event platform. Built for B2B marketing teams running recurring roadshows, customer dinners, product launches, and regional events at scale.
- US academic conferences and association events: whova Default for US academic conferences, research symposia, and professional association events. Strong attendee networking, mobile app, and session scheduling anchored on academic conference workflows.
- US community and developer relations chapter events: bevy Default platform for US vendor user communities and developer relations programs running distributed chapter events. Powers community event programs at Salesforce, Atlassian, and major US developer communities.
- US virtual and hybrid trade shows with exhibitor experience: vfairs Best US platform for virtual booths, exhibitor portals, and virtual trade show and career fair experiences. Strong for US defense and government contractor career fairs and industry trade shows.
How the event management software market looks in United States
The US event management software market is the most mature in the world and the home of every category leader. The defining market structure is the split between three buyer journeys that rarely overlap: enterprise event management (Cvent, Bizzabo) for large enterprise event portfolios; modern event marketing (Splash, Bevy, Sched, Whova) for field marketing, community, and academic events; and virtual-leaning hybrid (vFairs, EventMobi) for trade shows and career fairs anchored on virtual booth experiences.
The most important vendor-trust event in the US category is the Cvent take-private. Cvent (founded 1999, Tysons Corner VA) went public in 2013, was taken private by Vista Equity in 2016, re-listed via SPAC in 2021, and was acquired by Blackstone in March 2023 for approximately $4.6B in its second take-private in seven years. The Blackstone PE playbook produces predictable patterns in enterprise software: operating margin focus, renewal pricing optimization, headcount discipline, and slower product investment. As of 2026, Cvent customers are reporting 8-12% annual price increases at renewal, tougher multi-year contract pressure, and account management churn. For US buyers running 2026 renewal negotiations with Cvent, this is the critical diligence point.
Bizzabo has positioned itself as the modern Cvent alternative and has won meaningful share from Cvent at US tech-forward enterprises wanting cleaner UX and more aggressive product roadmap. Stova (the MeetingPlay/Aventri merger, completed 2023) is the mid-market consolidation vehicle, but integration risk from the merger has not fully resolved as of 2026, and some legacy Aventri customers remain on the pre-merger environment. Splash has become the de facto US field marketing events platform for B2B SaaS companies, with deep Salesforce and HubSpot integration that tracks event attendance through marketing pipeline.
CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) applies to California-resident attendee data collected through event registration: consent notices, opt-out of sale rights, and deletion requests must be supported by the events platform or its registration workflow. Cvent, Bizzabo, and Splash all have CCPA consent modules. CPRA (California Privacy Rights Act, operative 2023) extends CCPA with sensitive personal data categories and contractor data-sharing agreements; confirm your events platform has updated DPA templates for CPRA. ADA accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA) applies to event registration websites and mobile event apps deployed for US audiences; Cvent and Bizzabo have published WCAG 2.1 AA compliance statements; smaller platforms (Sched, Bevy) have more variable accessibility postures. CAN-SPAM and TCPA apply to event marketing emails and SMS communications triggered by the events platform. PCI DSS applies to platforms that process attendee payment card data for paid registrations; Cvent and Bizzabo are PCI DSS Level 1 certified. Section 508 compliance is required for events platforms used by US federal government or federally funded institutions.
Quick comparison, ranked for United States
| Product | Best for | Starts at | 10-emp/mo* | Pricing | G2 | Geo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cvent | Enterprise event marketing and management teams | Quote | - | 4.3 | Global; strongest in US, EMEA, APAC, India | |
| 2 Bizzabo | Tech-forward enterprise event marketing teams | Quote | - | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, UK, EU, Israel | |
| 3 Stova | Mid-market hybrid event teams | Quote | - | 4.2 | Global; strongest in US, UK, EU | |
| 4 Splash | B2B field marketing teams | $0 | $0 | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, UK | |
| 10 Whova | Academic conferences and association events | Quote | - | 4.7 | Global; strongest in US, UK, EU, APAC | |
| 6 Bevy | B2B SaaS community + DevRel programs | Quote | - | 4.6 | Global; strongest in US, UK, EU | |
| 5 EventMobi | Associations and mobile-first event organizers | Quote | - | 4.6 | Global; strongest in Canada, US, UK, EU | |
| 8 vFairs | Trade shows, career fairs, exhibitor-heavy events | Quote | - | 4.6 | Global; strongest in US, UK, MENA, APAC | |
| 7 Sched | Conferences and academic events | $0 | $0 | 4.7 | Global; strongest in US, EU | |
| 9 Aventri (legacy) | Legacy Aventri customers | Quote | - | 4.0 | Global; strongest in US, UK, EU |
*10-employee monthly cost = base fee + (per-employee × 10) using the lowest published tier. For opaque-pricing vendors, no value is shown.
What buyers in United States actually pay
Median annual deal size by employee band, in USD. Crowdsourced from anonymized buyer disclosures.
| Product | Employee band | Median annual (USD) | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cvent | 500-2,000 employees | $72,000 | 178 | Event Marketing and Management standard; USD; excludes OnArrival and Attendee Hub modules |
| Cvent | 2,000-10,000 employees | $240,000 | 142 | Professional tier; USD |
| Cvent | 10,000+ employees | $720,000 | 67 | Enterprise full stack; USD; post-Blackstone pricing |
| Bizzabo | 200-2,000 employees | $60,000 | 94 | Bizzabo Growth tier; USD |
| Bizzabo | 2,000-10,000 employees | $180,000 | 67 | Bizzabo Enterprise; USD |
| Splash | Field marketing team (50-500 employees) | $24,000 | 84 | Growth plan; USD; per-team |
| Whova | Per-event academic conference | $4,800 | 112 | Per-event fee structure; USD; 500-2,000 attendee conference |
United States-built or United States-strong vendors worth knowing
Not yet ranked in our global top 10, but credible options for United States buyers and worth a shortlist.
Eventbrite
Visit ↗San Francisco-built consumer and SMB event ticketing platform. Not an enterprise event management platform (excluded from our global top 10 scope), but the dominant US consumer event ticketing reference for paid public events and consumer conferences. Relevant for US SMB event producers below the Splash and Whova tier.
Swoogo
Visit ↗Denver-built enterprise event management platform. Transparent flat-fee pricing model (no per-registrant fees) positions it as a strong Cvent cost alternative for US enterprise event teams with high annual registration volume. Growing US mid-market customer base.
All 10, ranked for United States
Same intelligence as the global ranking, vendor trust, review patterns, verified pricing, compliance, reordered for the United States market.
Cvent
Installed-base market leader; Blackstone PE pressure is the buyer-side risk.
Cvent is the installed-base market leader in event management by a wide margin, founded 1999. The company went public on NASDAQ in 2013, was taken private by Vista Equity in 2016 for $1.65B, re-listed via SPAC in December 2021, and was acquired by Blackstone in March 2023 for approximately $4.6B in a second take-private. The product covers the full event lifecycle: registration, mobile event app (Cvent Attendee Hub), badge printing, agenda and session management, exhibitor and sponsor logistics, supplier network for venue sourcing, post-event analytics, and virtual / hybrid extensions. Strengths: deepest end-to-end event lifecycle coverage in the category, largest installed base across enterprise, strongest venue sourcing supplier network, mature integration with Salesforce / Marketo / HubSpot. Best fit for $500M+ revenue enterprises running portfolios of large conferences and trade shows. Trade-offs: Blackstone PE pressure has produced reports of more aggressive renewal pricing and tougher contract terms, modular pricing makes the full Cvent stack expensive at scale, UX is functional but dated relative to Bizzabo, and implementation complexity is meaningful (3-6 months for full deployment).
Enterprises (1,000-50,000+ employees) running portfolios of large conferences, trade shows, and customer events with full lifecycle needs (registration, badge, exhibitor, sponsor, mobile app, analytics).
Modern UX seekers (Bizzabo cleaner), SMB / lower mid-market with single-event programs (Splash / Whova better fit), or virtual-only event programs (webinar ranking is the right reference).
Strengths
- Deepest end-to-end event lifecycle coverage
- Largest installed base across enterprise
- Strongest venue sourcing supplier network in category
- Mature MAP / CRM integration (Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot)
- Cvent Attendee Hub mobile app mature and widely deployed
- Full badge printing and on-site logistics stack
- Strong fit for $500M+ revenue enterprises
Weaknesses
- Blackstone PE pressure on renewal pricing and contract terms
- Modular pricing makes full stack expensive at scale
- UX functional but dated relative to Bizzabo
- Implementation complexity (3-6 months typical)
- Aggressive multi-year contract pressure reported by mid-market
- Account management churn flagged post-Blackstone
- Innovation pace flagged as slower under PE ownership
Pricing tiers
opaque- Cvent Event Marketing & Management (Standard)~$30K-$80K/year typical for mid-marketQuote
- Cvent Event Management (Professional)$80K-$250K/year typicalQuote
- Cvent Enterprise (Full Stack)$250K-$1.5M+/year for enterprise with Attendee Hub, Supplier Network, OnArrival, and analyticsQuote
- · Per-event registration fees in addition to platform subscription
- · Cvent Attendee Hub mobile app priced separately
- · OnArrival badge printing priced separately
- · Annual price increases reported at 8-12% post-Blackstone
- · Implementation services ($25K-$200K)
- · Multi-year contract pressure
Key features
- +Registration and check-in workflows
- +Cvent Attendee Hub (mobile event app)
- +OnArrival badge printing and check-in
- +Agenda and session management
- +Exhibitor and sponsor logistics
- +Supplier Network for venue sourcing
- +Post-event analytics and reporting
- +Salesforce / Marketo / HubSpot integration
- +Virtual + hybrid event extensions
- +300+ integrations
Bizzabo
Modern enterprise events platform; cleaner UX than Cvent.
Bizzabo is the modern enterprise events platform, founded 2011. The product covers registration, mobile event app (Bizzabo Klik for smart badges), agenda and session management, exhibitor and sponsor logistics, networking, and post-event analytics. Strengths: cleaner modern UX than Cvent, founder-led culture with aggressive product velocity, Klik smart badge integration for on-site experience, deep MAP / CRM integration, strong fit for marketing-led enterprise event teams. Best fit for tech-forward enterprises (500-10,000 employees) wanting Cvent-depth functionality with modern UX and cleaner attendee experience. Trade-offs: thinner installed base than Cvent for the largest enterprise conferences, pricing meaningful and opaque ($40K-$300K+ annually typical), and support quality flagged as variable as company scaled post-2022.
Tech-forward enterprises (500-10,000 employees) wanting modern event UX with Cvent-depth functionality, particularly marketing-led event teams running customer conferences and large field marketing programs.
Buyers needing deepest venue sourcing supplier network (Cvent better), SMB / lower mid-market wanting cheaper pricing (Splash / Whova better), or virtual-only event programs (webinar ranking is the reference).
Strengths
- Cleaner modern UX than Cvent
- Founder-led culture and aggressive product velocity
- Bizzabo Klik smart badges for on-site experience
- Deep MAP / CRM integration (Marketo, Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Right fit for marketing-led enterprise event teams
- Modern API and webhook architecture
- Strong virtual / hybrid extensions
Weaknesses
- Lighter market share than Cvent for largest enterprise conferences
- Pricing meaningful and opaque ($40K-$300K+ annually)
- Support quality variable as company scaled
- Venue sourcing supplier network below Cvent
- Implementation 2-4 months typical
- Smaller geographic footprint than Cvent
Pricing tiers
opaque- Bizzabo Growth~$40K-$90K/year typical for mid-marketQuote
- Bizzabo Enterprise$90K-$300K/year for full enterprise stackQuote
- Bizzabo Klik (Smart Badge)Priced per-event in addition to platform subscriptionQuote
- · Bizzabo Klik smart badges priced per-event
- · Annual price increases of 6-10%
- · Implementation services
- · Multi-year contract pressure reported
Key features
- +Registration and check-in workflows
- +Bizzabo Klik smart badge integration
- +Mobile event app with networking
- +Agenda and session management
- +Exhibitor and sponsor portals
- +MAP / CRM integration (Marketo, Salesforce, HubSpot)
- +Virtual + hybrid event extensions
- +Post-event analytics
- +100+ integrations
Stova
Post-merger mid-market event platform; integration risk is the buyer-side concern.
Stova is the merged entity formed in 2023 when MeetingPlay (founded 2008, mobile event apps) acquired Aventri (founded 2008, formerly etouches, registration and event management) and rebranded the combined company as Stova. The product covers registration, mobile event apps (MeetingPlay heritage), agenda and session management, exhibitor logistics, and hybrid event capabilities. Strengths: combined platform covers both mobile-first event apps (MeetingPlay strength) and full registration depth (Aventri strength), strong fit for mid-market hybrid events, large combined customer base across both legacy brands. Best fit for mid-market organizations running hybrid events wanting integrated registration + mobile app. Trade-offs: post-merger integration is the dominant buyer-side risk, some legacy Aventri customers report being on a separate environment for an extended period, brand confusion persists into 2026, and product velocity has been mixed as engineering integrates two codebases.
Mid-market organizations (200-5,000 employees) running hybrid events wanting integrated mobile app + registration, particularly buyers who can tolerate post-merger integration timeline.
Largest enterprise events (Cvent / Bizzabo better), modern UX seekers (Bizzabo cleaner), or buyers wanting fully integrated single-platform without merger-era technical debt.
Strengths
- Combined mobile-first app (MeetingPlay) + registration depth (Aventri)
- Strong fit for mid-market hybrid events
- Large combined customer base across both legacy brands
- Reasonable pricing relative to Cvent / Bizzabo
- Modern mobile event app from MeetingPlay heritage
- Strong networking features
Weaknesses
- Post-merger integration is dominant buyer-side risk
- Legacy Aventri customers on separate environment for extended period
- Brand confusion persists into 2026
- Product velocity mixed as engineering integrates two codebases
- Support quality variable across legacy customer cohorts
- MAP / CRM integration depth below Cvent / Bizzabo
Pricing tiers
opaque- Stova Core~$25K-$60K/year typical for mid-marketQuote
- Stova Pro$60K-$150K/yearQuote
- Stova Enterprise$150K-$400K/year for full hybrid stackQuote
- · Per-event registration fees
- · Mobile app licensing in addition to platform
- · Implementation services
- · Post-merger product migration costs for legacy customers
Key features
- +Registration and check-in (Aventri heritage)
- +Mobile event app (MeetingPlay heritage)
- +Agenda and session management
- +Exhibitor and sponsor logistics
- +Networking features
- +Hybrid event extensions
- +Reporting and analytics
- +60+ integrations
Splash
Modern in-person event marketing platform for field marketing.
Splash is the modern in-person event marketing platform, founded 2011. The product is anchored on branded event pages, registration, attendee CRM, and integration with the broader marketing stack. Strengths: cleanest branded event page experience in the category, modern UX, strong fit for field marketing programs running recurring smaller events (customer dinners, roadshow events, regional summits), founder-led culture, deep Salesforce / Marketo integration. Best fit for B2B marketing teams running portfolios of small-to-mid-size in-person events. Trade-offs: feature depth for large conferences below Cvent / Bizzabo (no native badge printing, supplier network, or exhibitor portal depth), pricing meaningful relative to peers, and mobile event app capabilities thinner than Cvent / Bizzabo.
B2B marketing teams (50-2,000 employees) running portfolios of small-to-mid-size in-person events (customer dinners, roadshows, regional summits, field marketing programs).
Large conferences with badge printing + exhibitor + supplier needs (Cvent / Bizzabo better), virtual-only event programs (webinar ranking is the reference), or buyers wanting cheapest entry-tier pricing.
Strengths
- Cleanest branded event page experience in category
- Modern UX (best-in-class for in-person event marketing)
- Fit for field marketing programs
- Founder-led culture
- Deep Salesforce / Marketo integration
- Strong attendee CRM
- Modern API
Weaknesses
- Feature depth for large conferences below Cvent / Bizzabo
- No native badge printing depth
- No supplier network / venue sourcing
- Mobile event app capabilities thinner than Cvent / Bizzabo
- Pricing meaningful relative to peers
Pricing tiers
partial- Splash BasicLimited free tier for very small events$0 /mo
- Splash Pro~$15K-$40K/year typical for field marketing teamsQuote
- Splash Enterprise$40K-$150K/year for enterprise field marketing programsQuote
- · Event volume scaling above contracted tier
- · Annual price increases
- · Advanced integration tier-gated
Key features
- +Branded event pages and registration
- +Attendee CRM
- +Salesforce / Marketo integration
- +Email and reminder workflows
- +Event analytics
- +Modern API and webhooks
- +Field marketing program management
Whova
Academic and conference event management with strong attendee networking.
Whova is the academic and conference event management platform, founded 2013. The product is anchored on attendee networking, agenda management, mobile event app, and conference-style logistics. Strengths: strong attendee networking and matchmaking, default in academic conferences and association events, mature mobile event app, founder-led culture, reasonable pricing, broad academic and association customer base. Best fit for academic conferences, association events, and research-anchored events. Trade-offs: not the right fit for large flagship corporate conferences (Cvent / Bizzabo better), enterprise registration depth thinner than Cvent, and MAP / CRM integration narrower for B2B marketing use cases.
Academic conferences, association events, and research-anchored events (50-2,000 attendees) prioritizing attendee networking and conference-style session management.
Large flagship corporate conferences (Cvent / Bizzabo better), B2B field marketing programs (Splash better), or trade shows with exhibitor focus (vFairs better).
Strengths
- Strong attendee networking and matchmaking
- Default for academic conferences and association events
- Mature mobile event app
- Founder-led culture
- Reasonable pricing
- Broad academic + association customer base
- Strong session-management UX
Weaknesses
- Not the right fit for large flagship corporate conferences
- Enterprise registration depth thinner than Cvent
- MAP / CRM integration narrower
- Brand recognition lower in B2B marketing circles
- Limited venue sourcing capabilities
Pricing tiers
partial- Whova Basic~$2K-$8K/event typical for academicQuote
- Whova Standard$8K-$25K/eventQuote
- Whova Enterprise$25K-$80K/year for annual programsQuote
- · Per-event pricing scales with attendee count
- · Premium support add-on
- · Advanced analytics tier-gated
Key features
- +Attendee networking and matchmaking
- +Mobile event app
- +Agenda and session management
- +Speaker portal
- +Registration and check-in
- +Polls and Q&A
- +Reporting and analytics
Bevy
Community + chapter events platform for developer relations and customer programs.
Bevy is the community + chapter events platform, founded 2017 by former Startup Grind operators. The product is purpose-built for vendor user communities, developer relations programs, and customer community events at scale. Strengths: purpose-built for community-led event programs (the only platform in the top 10 with this anchor), strong fit for developer relations and customer community teams, modern UX, founder-led culture, deep integration with community tooling. Best fit for B2B SaaS companies running global user community programs and developer relations event programs. Trade-offs: not the right platform for large flagship conferences (Cvent / Bizzabo better), feature depth for registration and badge printing below enterprise peers, and MAP / CRM integration narrower.
B2B SaaS companies (200-10,000 employees) running global user community programs, developer relations event programs, and distributed chapter events at scale.
Large flagship conferences (Cvent / Bizzabo better), trade shows with exhibitors (Cvent / vFairs better), or field marketing programs (Splash better).
Strengths
- Purpose-built for community + chapter events
- Default for developer relations programs
- Modern UX
- Founder-led culture
- Deep integration with community tooling
- Strong for distributed event programs at scale
- Best for B2B SaaS user communities
Weaknesses
- Not the right fit for large flagship conferences
- Registration depth below Cvent / Bizzabo
- Badge printing capabilities thinner
- MAP / CRM integration narrower
- Smaller installed base than enterprise peers
Pricing tiers
opaque- Bevy Standard~$30K-$80K/year typicalQuote
- Bevy Pro$80K-$200K/year for global community programsQuote
- Bevy Enterprise$200K-$500K/year for large vendor user communitiesQuote
- · Chapter volume scaling above contracted tier
- · Annual price increases
- · Advanced analytics tier-gated
Key features
- +Community + chapter events management
- +Distributed event program orchestration
- +Member directory and CRM
- +Event registration and check-in
- +Reporting and community analytics
- +Integration with developer tooling
- +Modern API
EventMobi
Mobile-first event app platform with full registration depth.
EventMobi is the mobile-first event app platform from Toronto, founded 2009. The product is anchored on attendee mobile experience (event apps, gamification, networking, polls, surveys) and combined with registration, agenda management, and on-site logistics. Strengths: best-in-category mobile event app experience, strong fit for organizers prioritizing attendee mobile experience over registration depth, Canadian operating discipline, founder-led culture, reasonable pricing relative to Cvent / Bizzabo. Best fit for associations, mid-market organizations, and conference organizers prioritizing attendee mobile experience. Trade-offs: registration depth below Cvent / Bizzabo, MAP / CRM integration narrower than peers, and brand recognition lower in B2B marketing circles.
Associations, mid-market organizations, and conference organizers (100-5,000 employees) prioritizing attendee mobile experience and event apps over registration depth.
Large enterprise conferences with badge printing + exhibitor + supplier needs (Cvent / Bizzabo better), B2B field marketing programs (Splash better), or virtual-only event programs.
Strengths
- Best-in-category mobile event app experience
- Works for attendee-mobile-first organizers
- Canadian operating discipline
- Founder-led culture
- Reasonable pricing relative to Cvent / Bizzabo
- Strong gamification and networking features
- Modern API
Weaknesses
- Registration depth below Cvent / Bizzabo
- MAP / CRM integration narrower than peers
- Brand recognition lower in B2B marketing circles
- No venue sourcing supplier network
- Smaller US enterprise footprint than Cvent
Pricing tiers
partial- EventMobi Essential~$12K-$30K/year typicalQuote
- EventMobi Professional$30K-$80K/yearQuote
- EventMobi Enterprise$80K-$200K/yearQuote
- · Per-event scaling above contracted tier
- · Annual price increases
- · Advanced gamification tier-gated
Key features
- +Mobile event app (best-in-class)
- +Registration and check-in
- +Agenda and session management
- +Gamification
- +Networking and matchmaking
- +Polls and surveys
- +On-demand content hubs
- +Reporting and analytics
vFairs
Virtual + hybrid events platform with virtual booth and exhibitor depth.
vFairs is the virtual + hybrid events platform, founded 2016. The product is anchored on virtual booths, exhibitor experiences, virtual trade shows, and virtual career fairs, with extensions for in-person and hybrid format. Strengths: deepest virtual booth and exhibitor experience in the category, strong fit for virtual + hybrid trade shows and career fairs, reasonable pricing, founder-led culture, broad customer base across education, recruiting, and B2B trade shows. Best fit for trade shows, career fairs, and exhibitor-heavy hybrid events. Trade-offs: in-person logistics (badge printing, on-site check-in, supplier network) thinner than Cvent / Bizzabo, MAP / CRM integration narrower, and product feels more virtual-first than truly hybrid for the most complex in-person events.
Trade shows, career fairs, and exhibitor-heavy hybrid events (100-5,000 employees, or association-run programs) prioritizing virtual booth experience and exhibitor logistics.
In-person flagship conferences with deep badge printing + supplier sourcing needs (Cvent better), B2B field marketing programs (Splash better), or community + chapter events (Bevy better).
Strengths
- Deepest virtual booth and exhibitor experience
- Right call for virtual + hybrid trade shows and career fairs
- Reasonable pricing relative to Cvent / Bizzabo
- Founder-led culture
- Broad customer base across education and B2B trade shows
- Strong virtual networking features
Weaknesses
- In-person logistics thinner than Cvent / Bizzabo
- Badge printing depth limited
- No venue sourcing supplier network
- MAP / CRM integration narrower
- Product feels more virtual-first than truly hybrid
Pricing tiers
partial- vFairs Self-Service~$8K-$20K/event typicalQuote
- vFairs Full-Service$20K-$80K/event with white-glove supportQuote
- vFairs Enterprise$80K-$300K/year for annual programsQuote
- · Per-event pricing scales fast for large programs
- · White-glove support priced separately
- · Custom booth design priced separately
Key features
- +Virtual booths and exhibitor portals
- +Virtual trade shows and career fairs
- +Hybrid event extensions
- +Registration and check-in
- +Networking and matchmaking
- +Webinars and on-demand
- +White-glove implementation service
Sched
Long-running event scheduling and agenda platform.
Sched is the long-running event scheduling and agenda platform, founded 2008. The product is anchored on rich agenda and session management for conferences, academic events, and industry conferences with complex session schedules and speaker management. Strengths: deepest agenda and session management in the category, strong fit for conferences with rich session schedules, modern attendee-facing schedule UX, mature speaker portal, founder-led and bootstrap-funded culture, reasonable pricing. Best fit for conferences and academic events anchored on rich session schedules. Trade-offs: not a full event lifecycle platform (no badge printing depth, no exhibitor portal, no supplier network), registration capabilities thinner than Cvent / Bizzabo, and MAP / CRM integration narrow.
Conferences and academic events (50-2,000 employees, or association-run programs) anchored on rich session schedules with speaker management and attendee-facing schedule UX.
Full-stack enterprise event programs needing registration + badge + exhibitor + supplier (Cvent / Bizzabo better), B2B field marketing programs (Splash better), or trade shows.
Strengths
- Deepest agenda and session management in category
- Right call for rich-schedule conferences
- Modern attendee-facing schedule UX
- Mature speaker portal
- Founder-led, bootstrap-funded culture
- Reasonable pricing
- 17+ year track record
Weaknesses
- Not a full event lifecycle platform
- No badge printing depth
- No exhibitor portal or supplier network
- Registration capabilities thinner than Cvent / Bizzabo
- MAP / CRM integration narrow
- Brand recognition lower in B2B marketing
Pricing tiers
public- Sched FreeFree tier for very small events$0 /mo
- Sched StarterUp to 350 attendees per event$99 /mo
- Sched StandardUp to 1,000 attendees per event$299 /mo
- Sched ProUp to 3,000 attendees, custom branding$599 /mo
- · Larger attendee tiers scale
- · Premium support add-on
Key features
- +Agenda and session management
- +Speaker portal
- +Attendee-facing schedule UX
- +Session check-in
- +Mobile event app
- +Reporting and analytics
- +Integration with common tools
Aventri (legacy)
Legacy Aventri customers absorbed into Stova post-2023 merger.
Aventri (formerly etouches, founded 2008) was a long-running enterprise event registration and management platform. In 2023, Aventri merged with MeetingPlay and the combined entity was rebranded as Stova. Some legacy Aventri customers continue to operate on the Aventri-branded environment with migration timelines extending into 2024-2026. We rank this entry separately from Stova above because the buyer journey is meaningfully different: existing Aventri customers facing renewal decisions need to evaluate migration to unified Stova versus alternative platforms. Strengths: mature registration depth (Aventri heritage), large legacy customer base, integrated under Stova umbrella. Best fit: legacy Aventri customers evaluating renewal options. Trade-offs: migration timeline to unified Stova platform extends into 2024-2026 for some customers, brand and account team continuity has been disrupted, product velocity on the legacy environment is minimal, and the Stova consolidation roadmap has caused some legacy customers to evaluate alternative platforms (Cvent, Bizzabo) at renewal.
Existing Aventri legacy customers (200-5,000 employees) evaluating renewal options post-Stova merger, with awareness that migration to unified Stova or alternative platforms is the realistic 2026-2027 decision.
New buyers (Stova unified platform or Cvent / Bizzabo better fit), buyers wanting modern UX (Bizzabo better), or organizations wanting full event lifecycle without merger-era technical debt.
Strengths
- Mature registration depth (Aventri heritage)
- Large legacy customer base
- Integrated under Stova umbrella post-merger
- Familiar workflows for existing Aventri admins
Weaknesses
- Migration timeline to unified Stova extends into 2024-2026
- Brand and account team continuity disrupted
- Product velocity on legacy environment minimal
- Many legacy customers evaluating alternatives at renewal
- No native badge printing depth
- MAP / CRM integration limited on legacy environment
Pricing tiers
opaque- Aventri Legacy Standard~$20K-$50K/year typicalQuote
- Aventri Legacy Pro$50K-$120K/yearQuote
- · Migration costs to unified Stova
- · Account team transitions
- · Reduced velocity on legacy platform
Key features
- +Registration and check-in (Aventri heritage)
- +Agenda and session management
- +Exhibitor logistics
- +Reporting and analytics
- +Integration with common tools
Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers actually ask before they sign.
Should we renew our Cvent contract in 2026 or evaluate alternatives?
What is Stova and how does it differ from Aventri?
When does Whova beat Cvent for a US conference?
Cvent vs Bizzabo: which event management platform should we choose?
How does event management software differ from webinar software?
What is the impact of the Cvent Blackstone take-private on customers?
What happened to MeetingPlay and Aventri? Is Stova a safe choice?
How should we think about pricing for enterprise event management platforms?
Is Splash the right choice for B2B field marketing programs?
Which platform is best for community + chapter event programs?
How should we evaluate the post-2022 events sector reset when choosing a platform?
Final word
Looking at a different market? See the global Event Management Software ranking, or pick another country at the top of this page.
Last updated 2026-05-18. Local pricing reverified quarterly. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.