How to choose a conference app: an organizer’s checklist
Compare conference apps using real organizer tasks, an editable evaluation worksheet, and questions about pricing, support, and attendee access.
Choose a conference app by asking each vendor to demonstrate the work your team and attendees will actually do. A feature list cannot tell you whether a room change is easy to publish, a first-time attendee can find a session, or your team can recover from an import mistake.
This guide gives you a repeatable evaluation plan for ConferenceTap, Whova, or another platform. It is a buying worksheet, not a scored comparison or a report of hands-on vendor testing.
Download the conference app evaluation worksheet (CSV)
Open the file in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. These are editable worksheets, with no sign-up required.
Write a one-page event brief first
Record the event dates, expected registrations, concurrent sessions, staff who need access, and whether attendance is in person, virtual, or hybrid. List systems you already use for payments, registration, email, and member records. A requirement such as “send registration details to our membership system” is more useful than “must have integrations.”
Separate requirements that would rule a vendor out from conveniences. If remote attendees must ask questions during a keynote, that is a requirement. A different color for every track may be a preference. Get agreement on this distinction before a sales demonstration.
Give each vendor the same demonstration tasks
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Task | What to observe | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Move a session to another room | Can staff find and edit the session? Where does the change appear for an attendee? | A recording or notes from the demonstration |
| Join as a new attendee | How many steps lead from the invitation to the agenda? What happens when the wrong email is used? | The invitation and a completed test account |
| Find a relevant session | Can attendees filter by track, date, format, or speaker and save a personal schedule? | An attendee view using your sample agenda |
| Check in a registered guest | What happens with a duplicate scan, an unrecognized ticket, or a lost phone? | The exception process, not just a successful scan |
| Contact another attendee | What profile information is visible, and what controls do attendees have? | Privacy settings and an example conversation |
| Export event data | Which fields and reports can you actually download? What identifiers connect the exports? | A sample export with fictional records |
Test the format you will run
For an in-person conference, prioritize finding rooms, agenda updates, check-in, and onsite help. Ask which functions require an internet connection and how the team handles a connection failure. Do not assume that an app works offline because it runs on a phone.
For a virtual event, test speaker access, audience access, moderation, captions, recordings, and technical support. For a hybrid conference, include a remote attendee in a rehearsal at the venue. The event platform and the venue's audio/video setup need separate checks.
Compare the full quote
Download the conference app quote comparison (CSV)
Open the file in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. These are editable worksheets, with no sign-up required.
Ask vendors to price the same event brief. Record attendee limits, event duration, staff accounts, branding, onboarding, support hours, recording access, payment fees, and any separate streaming or production costs. Confirm what changes if registrations exceed the estimate or dates move.
Ask for renewal and cancellation terms in writing. A low starting price is difficult to compare with a package that includes services your team would otherwise buy separately. Keep one column for platform charges and another for the work still owned by your team.
For association conferences
Write down how member and nonmember eligibility is checked, whether ticket prices differ, and which membership system must exchange data with the event platform. Ask vendors to demonstrate the required workflow with fictional records, including a member whose details do not match.
Also ask about restricted sessions, required attendance reports or certificates, and the combination of an annual conference with smaller events. These are requirements to verify, not a statement that every platform or ConferenceTap plan supports them. Record any manual work or separate service in the quote comparison.
Use ConferenceTap plans and pricing for commercial terms and the Whova alternative comparison to structure a demonstration.
Example: evaluating a two-track association conference
Illustrative planning scenario, not a customer case study: an association plans a two-day conference with two simultaneous tracks and a remote keynote audience. Its coordinator needs to upload the agenda, send joining instructions, and handle last-minute room changes.
The team supplies three sample sessions and two fictional attendee records. During each demo, one person acts as the organizer, one as an onsite attendee, and one as a remote attendee. They score each required task as demonstrated, partly demonstrated, or not demonstrated. An untested promise stays marked “not demonstrated” until evidence arrives.
If a required workflow fails, resolve it before comparing optional features. This avoids choosing a platform for a long feature list while leaving a critical event-day task unanswered.
Finish with a written decision
Record the chosen vendor, unresolved questions, total quoted cost, internal setup owner, and the date a usable test event must be ready. Attach the quote and demonstration notes. That makes the decision understandable to a colleague who missed the demos.
Considering ConferenceTap alongside Whova? Use our comparison questions, then request a demonstration using your event brief. Ask both providers to show the same tasks.