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Certain Event Automation Software vs. Cvent Event Management

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Certain Event Automation Software

    Score10 out of 10
    N/ACertain is a leading provider of enterprise Event Automation software to Fortune 1000 companies. The vendor’s value proposition is that Certain gives users everything they need to plan events, engage attendees, and achieve sales and marketing results. The vendor says their software helps data-driven marketers and event professionals capture and integrate rich buying signals and attendee insights into omni-channel marketing campaigns to improve sales and marketing results and deliver credible…

    $9,990

    per year

    Cvent Event Management

    Score9.3 out of 10
    N/ACvent is a cloud-based enterprise event management company with nearly 4,000 employees and over 300,000 users worldwide. Cvent offers software solutions to event planners and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event management and marketing, onsite solutions, email marketing, and attendee engagement. Cvent's suite of products automate and simplify the planning process to maximize the impact of events. Cvent provides hoteliers with an integrated platform, enabling…N/A
    Pricing
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Editions & Modules
    Be Certain Essential
    $9,990
    per year
    Be Certain Pro
    $19,999
    per year
    Be Certain Enterprise
    Contact
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Considered Both Products
    Certain, Inc.
    No answer on this topic
    Cvent
    Chose Cvent Event Management
    We used to use Certain which was awful. We had a very hard time launching it beyond a concentrated group of users who were in the tool all of the time. Even then, we had major issues. Cvent offers a much more streamlined approach wherein a lot of cases, they provide the 'best …
    Incentivized
    Chose Cvent Event Management
    This platform did not evolve as fast with the needs of it's client in fast newer, cleaner websites that also support the vast needs of our growing clients who were now looking to Wix for newer styles. We were already using Cvent for our sourcing so we wanted to try out the …
    Incentivized
    Chose Cvent Event Management
    Cvent had a better look and feel as well as being efficient to use. We selected Cvent Event Management because we were looking for a one-stop shop. We were already using it on our sourcing side, so we moved all our website and registration there as well. Their overall reviews …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Would buy again
    198 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    157 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    195 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    95%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    122 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    90%
    Implementation went as expected
    122 Answers
    Features
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Certain Event Automation Software and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Certain Event Automation Software
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    6.3
    55 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings6.352 Ratings
    Mobile Application00 Ratings6.753 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings5.849 Ratings
    Online Meetings / Events
    Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Certain Event Automation Software and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Certain Event Automation Software
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.6
    49 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Calendar integration00 Ratings8.938 Ratings
    Meeting initiation00 Ratings8.433 Ratings
    Integrates with social media00 Ratings8.231 Ratings
    Record meetings / events00 Ratings8.826 Ratings
    Slideshows00 Ratings8.924 Ratings
    Event registration00 Ratings8.649 Ratings
    Online Events Collaboration
    Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Certain Event Automation Software and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Certain Event Automation Software
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    9.0
    43 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Live chat00 Ratings8.735 Ratings
    Audience polling00 Ratings9.142 Ratings
    Q&A00 Ratings9.040 Ratings
    Online Events Security
    Comparison of Online Events Security features of Certain Event Automation Software and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Certain Event Automation Software
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.8
    52 Ratings
    5% above category average
    User authentication00 Ratings8.949 Ratings
    Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings8.748 Ratings
    Confidential attendee list00 Ratings8.944 Ratings
    Online Events Marketing
    Comparison of Online Events Marketing features of Certain Event Automation Software and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Certain Event Automation Software
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.0
    59 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Branding options00 Ratings7.953 Ratings
    Integration to Marketing Automation00 Ratings8.634 Ratings
    Attendee list export00 Ratings7.557 Ratings
    Virtual Event
    Comparison of Virtual Event features of Certain Event Automation Software and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Certain Event Automation Software
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.4
    62 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Registration, RSVP, and ticketing00 Ratings7.455 Ratings
    Email marketing00 Ratings8.158 Ratings
    Livestreaming00 Ratings8.630 Ratings
    Audience engagement00 Ratings8.448 Ratings
    Event recording00 Ratings8.631 Ratings
    Virtual booths00 Ratings8.532 Ratings
    Networking00 Ratings8.837 Ratings
    Event analytics00 Ratings8.857 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Small Businesses
    Whova
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Whova
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Splash
    Score6.8 out of 10
    Splash
    Score6.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Webex Events (formerly Socio)
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Webex Events (formerly Socio)
    Score8.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.3
    (305 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.4
    (34 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.4
    (50 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (3 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (3 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.0
    (75 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (2 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (14 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Certain Event Automation SoftwareCvent Event Management
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Certain, Inc.
    Certain is very well suited for any type of event or tradeshow that require specific fields from registrants and an automated email sequence to keep them engaged. It's less appropriate for one-off events, since setting up those pages can be quite complex if you're used to the types of Eventbrite/Sympla. If you don't really build event pages regularly, I'd recommend a software that's more simple, which should address what you need.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    The breadth of features is such that Cvent Event Management is a strong choice for events of significant scope and complexity, particularly in volume and diversity of programming. The learning curve may be on the steep side for customers with simpler needs, though Cvent Event Management is addressing this by providing more streamlining in their solution suite.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Certain, Inc.
    • Easy to use and create
    • Easy to pull reports once event has been sent to attendees
    • Great way to gather a lot of information
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    • I love Cvent Event Management's registration platform specifically because of the flexibility. There are no limits to what Cvent Event Management can do - if you want custom logic, questions or buttons, it's all possible!
    • The Exhibitor Portal is an exceptional option for event sponsors. Exhibitors have so much power to manage their profile in the back end, and it's very easy to navigate.
    • The Agenda section is a favorite of mine, as the customization options are endless. You can have people select their sessions and view speaker profiles + the planner has endless options for making the agenda thorough.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Certain, Inc.
    • Dashboards: It's quite important for leadership to get a visual of what their event registrants look like (with graphs, for example). Now, Certain does not present a feature to create dashboards, so we have to export their reports and create our dashboards ourselves.
    • UX when setting up an event: Now this can be quite complex, as it's not as easy to use or intuitive. Many different tabs with many different sub-items can present a confusing experience for newcomers when building an event.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    • The "Badges and Certificates" feature can use some work. This is where you build out your name badges, invoices, receipts, etc. The system works but the build feature is difficult to line everything up and navigate. Also, building the receipts/invoices can be difficult to adjust for when things for to multiple pages. It doesn't allow you to pre-program margins so it just continues to the top of the next page without leaving additional space.
    • Processing payments for multiple registrations at once after the registrations have already been submitted could also be improved. Currently, the only opportunity you have to submit a payment for a full group is when they register initially. After that phase, if you need to enter a check payment or process a credit card after they've finalized their registration, you have to go into each attendees record to process the payment which can get tedious.
    • I would like to see a functionality where we can collect actual signatures during the registration process vs. just having a check box available. For some of the more sensitive materials we need our attendees to approve of, an actual signature feature would be very beneficial.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    We are very pleased with the features that Cvent gives us. The ease of use and the immediate support when something does stump us. Cvent provides us with everything that we need to run a successful event. The only reason I did not Rate Cvent as a 10 is the cost
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    Cvent has a lot of functionality, which can be overwhelming to new users who are not too technically savvy. However, Cvent does a great job of providing tools and support for users to learn and troubleshoot. I also appreciate the work and progress that Cvent has been making in Accessibility.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    Cvent does go down pretty frequently. And while it often doesn't impact day to day use usually, if it does go down at the wrong time, you may not be able to access very important event information when you need it. Usually outages do not last very long, but it could still be a very bad situation if this happens at the wrong moment
    Incentivized
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    Performance
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    When pulling reports and it can sometimes lag a bit and that can be frustrating when you are trying to get things done on a timeline
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    The company offers 24/7 customer support, including phone, email, and chat support, to ensure that we can get help when we need it. Additionally, the platform has a comprehensive help center and knowledge base, including user guides, tutorials, and FAQs, which help us troubleshoot issues on our own. Cvent also provides training and support resources, including onboarding assistance, live training sessions, and webinars, which help us get the most out of the platform. Overall, Cvent appears to be committed to providing excellent customer support and resources to its users, which can help ensure a positive user experience and successful events.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    Our on-site trainer was very knowledgeable in the product and gave us very important pointers on best practices and how to perform tasks in the simplest manner
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    It was all self-driven and I had to do a lot of searching around in the community to get answers.
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    It would have been nice during implementation if we had received more pointers on how to organize our parked report folders, libraries, etc. to avoid the mess we find ourselves in today. If we had known ahead of time the limitations we could have planned better.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Certain, Inc.
    My company selected Certain and continues to use Certain because it is quick, easy, and efficient. We create up to 20 registration links a year and Certain allows us to create templates to copy and create annual event links very fast. I also love that there is someone there to speak to if I ever need assistance
    Incentivized
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    Cvent
    Cvent was the only events software that could meet our needs at a price that was palatable. We have been with Cvent for over a decade and I shop around every time we come up for contract renewal just to see what's out there. Cvent hands-down is able to handle so much more complex needs than anything else out there. The value for what you get is exceptional.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Certain, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Cvent
    We use Cvent for many different clients and events. It's very easy to customize the experience for the event that you need
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Certain, Inc.
    • Certain helps to deliver a great customer experience, since it facilitates automatic email delivery and your company can keep them connected well before or well after an event.
    • Certain presents a wide variety of reports, which perfectly addresses any request for visibility coming from your organization.
    • Certain's configuration settings are quite complex, so our newcomers are not comfortable using the software at first.
    • In case you need a more visual representation of your audience, Certain, unfortunately, does not generate dashboards.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    • Positive ROI: See which registrants [participated]
    • Positive ROI: See survey results from the feedback survey pushed at or after an event
    • Positive: Helps us lessen time spent setting up an event, emailing, or capturing data for event staff-- which in turn means MORE events!
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots