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The best platforms for creating & promoting events: a practical comparison

Running an event today means juggling at least three jobs at once: designer, marketer, and registration manager. Whether you’re hosting a virtual or in-person event, choosing the right event marketing platform can make all the difference.

In this blog, we compare five popular event marketing tools so you can pick the right mix of creative power, promotional capability, registration/ticketing, integrations, and, most importantly, price/value.

What are the best event marketing platforms?

PosterMyWall

Customizable landing pages

PosterMyWall Events makes it effortless to create eye-catching, shareable, and trackable event landing pages from templates- no coding knowledge required.

You can choose from hundreds of ready-made event templates, customize them by adding your branding elements, visuals, and text, and publish them as event landing pages. 

These landing pages can be embedded on your website, sent as an email, shared on social media, and used to create flyers. 

Key features for promoting events

  • Event flyer templates: Thousands of customizable flyers, posters, and social media templates in every size: Instagram, Facebook, email headers, digital signage, and more.
  • Social media marketing: Create scroll-stopping visuals and schedule them directly to your social channels from within PosterMyWall.
  • Email marketing tools: Send email campaigns related to your event, follow up with event reminders, and track opens and clicks. 
  • Customizable registration: Build custom sign-up/registration forms with fields relevant to your event.
  • Content planner: plan, organize, and schedule your event landing pages and event-related social media content in one place- the Content Planner.
  • AI Writer: Write engaging event page descriptions, social media captions, and email subject lines with PosterMyWall’s writing aid: the AI Writer.
  • Collaboration features: Invite teammates to edit, comment, and approve designs in real time: perfect for marketing teams or event committees.

Registration and ticketing tools

Event landing pages created on PosterMyWall have an in-built RSVP/registration/Sign-up button. While it doesn’t manage complex ticket tiers or payment gateways, you can add links to ticketing platforms to the event landing pages created on PosterMyWall. 

CRM and third-party integrations

PosterMyWall connects with social media platforms, email lists, and website embeds, making it easy to integrate with your existing marketing channels. 

You can export attendee data to CSV or sync it manually to your CRM.

PosterMyWall also integrates payment gateways such as Stripe, PayPal for download payments, and Apple for all purchases within the iOS app.

Pricing and affordability

PosterMyWall is a budget-friendly option for small businesses. You can start free and upgrade to Premium or Premium Plus plans (around $9.95/month and $29.95/month) for access to powerful AI design and marketing tools according to your business’s marketing needs. 

Cvent

Customizable event website and landing page builder

Cvent is an event management software with tools for marketing and attendee engagement. It offers robust website and microsite builders for events, allowing full branding, session pages, speaker pages, agenda, sponsor pages, etc. 

The design interface is flexible but leans toward enterprise users who want deep control and custom domains. Users can use a drag-and-drop Site Designer without coding, or add advanced personalization with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. 

Key features for promoting events

  • Targeted email campaigns: Design targeted campaigns (including invitations, reminders, confirmations, and post-event surveys) using email automation and segmented contact lists.
  • Event marketing: Build professional, branded websites to promote your event and provide all necessary information in one place.
  • Analytics and insights: Track every metric, including registrations, engagement, session attendance, and conversion rates.
  • Event app integration: Extend your marketing reach through a mobile event app for live updates and push notifications during the event.

Registration and ticketing tools

Cvent offers robust registration and ticketing management, from early bird pricing and coupon codes to group registrations and waitlists. You can also handle on-site check-ins and badge printing with ease. 

It’s built for complexity, think multiple ticket types, parallel sessions, and corporate attendee tiers.

CRM and third-party integrations

Cvent integrates natively with major CRMs like Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, and Oracle Eloqua, ensuring seamless data flow between your marketing and sales systems.

Pricing and affordability

Cvent operates on a custom pricing model based on event size, modules, and attendees. While it’s one of the pricier options, it justifies the cost with enterprise-grade scalability and depth. For large enterprises and agencies managing multiple events annually, the ROI can be tremendous.

vFairs

Customizable event website and landing page builder

vFairs is well known in virtual/hybrid event experiences. It provides stunning 3D event websites and event microsites with virtual lobbies, auditoriums, exhibitor booths, and networking lounges, program agendas, and sponsor zones.

For web pages and event registration landing pages, vFairs supports branded registration and portal pages. You can fully brand every space and include interactive maps, videos, live chat, and real-time support.

Key features for promoting events

  • Virtual environments & booths: Pre-built templates for exhibition halls, auditoriums, and meeting rooms.
  • Email marketing tools: Build targeted email lists and use the drag-and-drop email builder to create and schedule automated marketing campaigns.
  • Flexible ticketing: Set up different ticket tiers, types, discounts, and promo codes.
  • Networking tools: Facilitate connections with 1:1 and group chat, video calls, and appointment scheduling. 
  • Gamification & leaderboards: Use features like a leaderboard and challenges, scavenger hunts to keep attendees engaged throughout the event.
  • Analytics dashboard: Track attendee behavior, including which booths they visited, what sessions they watched, and how long they stayed.

Registration and ticketing tools

Set up flexible registration forms and offer different ticketing tiers, discounts, and promo codes. vFairs also allows control for different attendee tiers (attendees, sponsors, speakers). It’s also equipped for hybrid setups where some guests join virtually while others attend in person.

CRM and third-party integrations

vFairs integrates with marketing tools and CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, enabling event data synchronization. Custom API connections are available for more advanced automation.

You can also connect with other registration providers via Zapier.

Pricing and affordability

Pricing is custom and varies depending on event size and complexity. While vFairs can get expensive for small events, its value shines in hybrid or virtual experiences, often at a lower price than Cvent.

Swoogo

Customizable event website and landing page builder

Swoogo’s drag-and-drop website builder lets you create fully branded event pages in minutes. You can add your branding elements, registration widgets, session details, speaker bios, sponsor logos, and more. 

Developers can even inject custom CSS or JavaScript for advanced layouts, giving you both simplicity and flexibility.

Key features for promoting events

  • Customizable registration: Design registration forms with custom fields, set multi-tiered pricing, and create automated waitlists for capacity management. 
  • Email marketing: Design and automate emails and reminders to keep attendees informed and reduce no-shows.
  • Social media integration: Create event-specific hashtags and use features for live sessions and polls to maximize social engagement.
  • Attendee mobile app: Provide attendees with a branded app for schedules, speaker information, and resources.
  • Networking: Facilitate connections through AI matchmaking based on profiles and session choices, virtual meeting rooms, and attendee directories.
  • Analytics dashboard: Track who registered, attended, and interacted with event content.

Registration and ticketing tools

Swoogo supports complex registration: conditional questions, multiple ticket types, group discounts, and session-based signups. It’s also equipped for on-site check-ins, name badges, and hybrid event management.

The best part? There’s no limit on event size or number of registrations under your subscription.

CRM and third-party integrations

Swoogo integrates seamlessly with over 30 platforms, including HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, and Zapier, along with payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal. You also get webhooks and API access for custom setups.

Pricing and affordability

Swoogo’s user-based pricing model is a major advantage: you pay for admin users, not attendees. That means unlimited events, unlimited registrations, and no per-event fees. Plans start around $11,800/year, which sounds steep until you realize you can host as many events as you want.

It’s best for event marketers, agencies, or corporations running multiple mid-to-large events who want advanced flexibility without enterprise-level pricing.

Eventbrite

Customizable event website and landing page builder

Eventbrite is one of the most recognizable names in event management, especially for creators. Its intuitive event page builder allows you to create branded, mobile-friendly event landing pages with custom visuals, speaker info, and schedules.

Key features for promoting events

Eventbrite offers built-in promotional tools, including:

  • Social media sharing: Promote events by creating Facebook events directly from Eventbrite, allowing for direct ticket purchasing within Facebook. You can also share on LinkedIn. 
  • Email marketing: Send customized and automated emails to your contact list, which can be personalized to each attendee.
  • Eventbrite ads: Promote your event through sponsored listings on Eventbrite’s homepage, search results, and the app. 
  • Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimize your event listing with relevant keywords in the title and description to make it more discoverable by potential attendees searching online.
  • Lineup and branding tools: Showcase speakers or performers with the Lineup tool and ensure your branding is consistent.

Registration and ticketing tools

This is where Eventbrite truly shines. You can create free or paid tickets, offer early-bird pricing, manage seating arrangements, and scan tickets using the Eventbrite Organizer app. 

CRM and third-party integrations

Eventbrite integrates with Mailchimp, Zoom, Salesforce, and Meta Ads, allowing for seamless campaign tracking and attendee management. 

Pricing and affordability

Eventbrite is free for free events, but for paid tickets, it charges a small percentage fee per ticket (typically around 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket, plus payment processing). For large-scale organizers, Eventbrite offers tailored enterprise plans.

Final thoughts: Which platform should you choose?

Each event management software shines in its own way; the key is matching the tool to your event goals and budget.

If you’re handling global corporate events or massive conferences, Cvent or vFairs will give you the scale you need. Swoogo offers the perfect middle ground for advanced event management. Eventbrite is great for ticketing and attendee management.

For small-to-medium businesses, churches, schools, nonprofits, or marketers who want to design and promote events easily without high costs, PosterMyWall is definitely the best choice. The price-to-feature ratio is unbeatable.

Plan your event marketing

ToolBest ForStarting PriceCore Strength
PosterMyWallSmall businesses, schools, non-profits, and community eventsFree- $99.95/year for PremiumEasy design, affordable, quick promotions
CventLarge corporations, conferencesCustomEnterprise-level event control
vFairsHybrid & virtual eventsCustomImmersive online experiences
SwoogoFrequent event planners, agencies~$11,800/yearUnlimited events, flexible pricing
EventbritePublic events, workshops, and paid gatheringsFree for free events; ~3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticketBuilt-in ticketing and attendee management

FAQs

1. What are the most effective event marketing strategies to promote an event online?

The key is a multi-channel approach; combine social media marketing, email campaigns, and event landing pages. Use eye-catching visuals and consistent branding to grab attention across all platforms.

2. How early should I start promoting my event?

Ideally, start promoting your event 6–8 weeks in advance. This gives you enough time to build anticipation, send reminders, and engage your audience through countdown posts, teasers, and sneak peeks.

3. What type of content performs best for event promotion?

Video content, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes clips often perform best. They humanize your event and help potential attendees imagine the experience, especially when paired with engaging captions and hashtags.

Noorulain Khalid

Noor is a content writer at PosterMyWall. Other than writing, her interests include traveling, reading fiction, and decorating her room to reflect her Pinterest boards.

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