Does your company currently run or plan to run events that require handling registrations, such as workshops, group courses, charity fund raisers, networking functions, or even a big event such as a rave party, a sporting or religious event, or any kind of event where people need to book to attend?
Managing event registrations is a time-consuming process. You will probably need to co-ordinate event schedules, date availability, participant numbers, data collection and admin, payment processing and sending invoices, confirmations, reminders, cancellations … perhaps even accommodating special needs and issuing tickets to event registrants.
There are a number of advantages to setting up a web-based event registration system. It can streamline your business processes, save time and reduce costs, help you easily duplicate repeat events, give event managers more control, create a more enjoyable user experience and increase your sales.
The problem is that setting up an online event registration system can be quite expensive.
Fortunately, if you own a WordPress-powered website, you can download and install a very inexpensive and professional online event registration solution.
Introducing …
Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Manager
Plugin Description
The Event Espresso online event registration plugin lets you easily create your event and start processing online bookings in just a few minutes.
(Event Espresso lets you set up multiple events and receive online event bookings)
Event Espresso is a versatile and feature-rich software that gives you complete control of the event registration management process.
Customize your event registration forms
You can use multiple event registration strategies, from simple online registration and straight up ticket sales, to creating custom registration forms for collecting detailed information about your attendees, or integrating your event registration forms with an autoresponder system for ongoing notifications.
Access detailed information about event attendees
Note: Currently, Event Espresso offers two different versions of their software: EE 3 and Event Espresso 4. The new EE 4 is completely different than the older EE 3, as the plugin has been redeveloped using a different structure to accommodate future growth. The EE 4 plugin platform has different features, user interface, data structure, coding method and price. The company plans to eventually transition completely to Event Espresso 4, so keep this in mind as you read more about this plugin.
Learn more here:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just some of the many benefits of using Event Espresso to manage event registrations on your site:
Hands-Free Event Registration Management
Event Espresso provides you with everything you need to turn your existing website into a feature-rich and professional event management site … from custom registration forms and automated response emails, to seating limits, multiple pricing levels and discount codes, to printable tickets and even seating charts.
Higher Business Productivity
By using a web-based event registration system like Event Espresso, you save time and improve your business productivity by virtually eliminating the need to process registrations manually.
Essentially, you are making it easier for participants to perform the registration by themselves.
Allowing your attendees to do all of the data themselves frees you up from doing admin work and lets you concentrate more time on delivering a more unique event.
Full Control Over The User Experience
As you will see in a moment, Event Espresso gives you more control over the event management process that you want your clients to experience.
Additional benefits of the plugin include:
- Lower Costs: Event Espresso provides you with a very inexpensive online event registration management solution compared to building your own system or using a 3rd-party service. This is made possible through a model where users start with the core plugin (which suits the needs of most users) and purchase add-ons when you need new functionality.
- Increased Sales: Event Espresso allows you to accept online event bookings 24/7. Not only that, but, Event Espresso social sharing features (see below) let people who are interested in registering for your event invite others who may be interested.
- Green Event Sign Up Process: With Event Espresso, the event sign up process can be completed wholly online, significantly reducing traditional paper consumption from tasks associated with administration.
- All Information Belongs To You. You control all the data obtained from your event participants.
Event Espresso Features
Event Espresso delivers functionality to its customers through built-in features (these are included with the plugin) and additional features that customers can purchase, called add-ons.
Event Espresso provides a number of features to WordPress users. Here are just some of these:
- Fast and easy to install and implement. Be up and running in minutes.
- Multiple Ticket And Pricing Options. Event Espresso allows you to set up multiple ticket types and specify separate pricing options, ticket quantity limits, etc.
- Customizable Event Designs. Match your website’s look and feel for your events and enrollments page using Event Espresso’s limitless template options and components, and HTML or CSS.
- Collect Payments. Event Espresso provides integration with several payment gateways, allowing you to collect money before running your events.
- Custom Post Types. You can Event Espresso into your theme and display registrant information throughout other areas of your site.
- Spam Protection. Prevent the chance of spamming and bots creating fake registrations on your site by using reCAPTCHA option that provide human validation.
- In-App Documentation Systems. Event Espresso 4 includes three built-in in-app documentation systems: Help Tours, Help Tabs and Tool Tips.
- Event Check-In List. Generate an exportable list of event attendees and check in those who have attended.
- No-Ticket Events. You can set up events without the requirement for attendees to get tickets. Use Event Espresso for all types of events, not just when tickets are required.
- Private Contact Notes. Record notes about event participants on their profile. Private commenting lets you keep records of when event attendees contacted you, your internal notes, and how you have assisted your customers.
- Optimized For The Latest WordPress Version. The EE 4 user interface follows the WordPress guidelines to help you create aesthetically enhanced event pages that are responsive and mobile-friendly.
- Easy Event Management. Event Espresso puts event managers in complete control of all aspects of an event’s registration and ticketing processes, and lets you automate the process with event management tools that include staff and venue management, custom event page designs, payment processing, list waiting, attendee limits, print-ready ticketing and more.
- Exportable Data. You can export all of your information collected from your event attendees into Excel or CSV format for producing advanced reports, devising marketing strategies, analyzing attendee statistics, etc..
- Register Multiple Event Attendees. EE 4 allows an individual or a group to book multiple attendees at once. Event managers specify how many attendees are allowed to enrol in a single registration by specifying either limits on ticket purchases per order, or per-ticket minimums and maximums.
- Attendee Profiles. You can manage each customer’s profiles and payment history and keep all of their records organized and easily within reach.
- Team Member Manager. Save time and keep your data organized by reusing staff profiles for multiple events or displaying their profile using a shortcode in an event description.
- Accurate Participant Management. You have control of your customers’ information; who has enrolled, for what event and what amount they’ve paid. With the attendee manager, you can get a quick overview of registered attendees and their payment status, easily add/edit attendee records and payments, export a list of attendees to Excel for additional reports, send customized payment reminders and receipts and communicate with your participants on a person-by-person basis or as a group.
Extra features include:
- Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). Event Espresso is simple enough for basic users, and also robust and customizable for higher end users and web-based software developers. The bottom line is that by using OOP, Event Espresso 4 permits more complex enhancements and customizations to the software.
- Maintenance Mode. You can pause registration capabilities for normal website traffic whenever website maintenance is required. You can continue to work on the back-end of your site during maintenance mode.
- Autonomy, Flexibility And Value: According to the mission statement on their web site, Event Espresso’s aim is to “empower business and organization leaders with the event registration, ticketing and management tools that maximize the success of events.” To achieve their mission, the software has been built using a modular that provides users with great autonomy and flexibility and delivers value for money as a result.
The premium edition of Event Espresso also comes with 40+ added features, including:
- Email shortcodes that includes registrant data in emails and updates.
- Default surcharge (the same as adding a service tax to every ticket).
- Default payment status.
Add ons
In addition to a comprehensive number of features, Event Espresso provides “add ons”, which allow end-users to significantly expand the capabilities of the event management process.
Some of these addons include:
- Events Grid Template Addon: Displays events in a pure CSS grid-like structure using the featured image. Hovering over the image will display further information. If the event does not have a featured image available, it will use a default image.
- Recurring Events Drop-down Template Addon: The Recurring Events Drop-down custom template lets you organize many datetime events into a drop-down list.
- Events Calendar Table Template Add-on: The Calendar Table template is a list template with a bold date and customizable “register now” button. The template can also be customized to show the event thumbnail instead of the date.
- EE4 Events Social Sharing Add-on: Add social sharing features to the end of your Event Espresso “thank you” page that lets your registrants to share a message about their event registration on Twitter and Facebook after booking.
- Custom Files Add-on: The Custom Files add-on provides PHP files that let you override certain aspects of the plugin.
- Seating Chart Addon: The seating chart add-on is for venues and events that sell and reserve seats for attendees in advance. This is ideal for venues and events such as theaters, concert halls, play houses, sports arenas and stadiums. The Seating Chart addon allows you to offer reserved or assigned seating to your events and venues directly from your WordPress website. The Seating Chart addon lets you manage the experience for your customers and design assigned seating charts and attach single pricing to each seat.
- Multiple Event Registration Add on: The Multiple Event registration add-on gives your potential customers the ability to register for multiple events at once. In each event listing registrants will be given the option to either register for a single event or add multiple events to their cart. With the Multi-Event Registration add on, attendees can register for several events at once and even add additional attendees to any of the same events in the same checkout process.
- Events Table View Template Add on: The Events Table Template add-on gives event managers an easy-to-use system that allows you to change the design of your event lists. It comes with a simple table template with category filters, table search, table paging and more. It also lets developers build custom templates using one of the templates provided as a base template.
- JSON API Add on: The new Event Espresso JSON API add-on lets other software applications, web sites, mobile applications, etc… to access your Event Espresso data through an API (Application Programming Interface).
Note: Event Espresso regularly adds new features and improvements to its plugin, including new add ons.
For full details about the newest Event Espreso features and add-ons, visit the plugin website here:
User Testimonials
Below are just some of the many testimonials that customers have posted about Event Espresso:
”Tri-South, Inc is using Event Espresso to manage the course catalog, event ticketing, and class registration. [As their developer] I have customized a few items to make the site and plugin a seamless integration. The client is very pleased!” Jenifer Design
”Your plugin rocks! Seriously, saved me hours on the phone setting up attendance manually. Kudos. :)” William, Petruzzo Photography
”I can’t even imagine what I would want the plugin to do that it doesn’t already do. I’m really happy with the features.” Jim Harmer, Improve Photography
Useful Tips
Whether you are a motivational speaker, teacher, concert planner, or event management professional, there are just endless possibilities of what you can achieve with the Event Espresso software.
After downloading your copy of the plugin and becoming a licensed owner, go through the support forum for inspiration and practical suggestions to streamline your event management process or improve the experience of your customers.
Plugin Support
Event Espresso is fully compatible with other WordPress plugins and WP themes that follow WP coding standards. If you have problems with the plugin, however, you will find that Event Espresso provides highly responsive support, as so many of its satisfied plugin end-users confirm:
”Your plugin saved our client nearly $9000 in development costs because it handled the majority of the functionality we were looking for at a much lower cost. EventEspresso’s staff have been very responsive to our needs when we have them (which has been rare, because the plugin is so well coded). Great job on a great plugin!” Brandon P., Experience Farm
Event Espresso provides robust support that includes access to support forums, comprehensive online documentation with faqs, knowledgebase and how tos, premium support and even a monthly VIP member pass giving you access to community of developers, designers, event managers, publishers and webmasters that use Event Espresso tools, plus faster support response times.
Additionally, Event Espresso boasts an established team of experienced web developers with a solid track record of support, so this is definitely a plugin you can count on to manage your events.
Software Cost
Event Espresso is available in a number of plugin editions, including a FREE basic edition (called Event Espresso Decaf). For support and advanced software options, however, you need to consider purchasing one of the premium plugin versions below:
- Personal License Edition – This option allows you to configure Event Espresso on 1 site only. Includes 51+ Premium features, (addons sold separately) and one year of upgrades and support. Price = $69.95.
- Everything License – This license option lets you configure Event Espresso on 1 site only. Includes 51+ Premium features, 29 Premium addons and one year of upgrades and support. Price = $279.95.
- Developer License Edition – This enables you to run Event Espresso on 5 domains. Price includes 51+ Premium features, (add-ons sold separately) and 1 year of upgrades and support. Price = $249.95.
Price details for the Event Espresso plugin depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. When we last checked, the plugin sells for the prices shown above. Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details: Event Espresso – Event Espresso
Please Note: The pricing above was current when this review was written. This may or may not be the actual price charged by the plugin developer when you visit the website.
Event Espresso – Additional Info
Event Espresso regularly adds new features and improvements to its software. Make sure to register for their newsletter when you visit their site to receive the latest information and updates.
Search the plugin’s online documentation tools for answers to common questions about setting up and how to use Event Espresso, and visit the support forums if you have questions related to a particular situation, or to notify developers about errors and share feedback.
For all installation and support documentation, demos, downloads, videos, tutorials, FAQ and more, visit the Event Espresso product web site.
We Recommend
Event Espresso is the preferred WP event booking and ticketing management plugin, used and trusted by thousands of event managers.
If you are a WordPress user and you currently run events that involve managing dates, times and venues, booking participants, or selling seating, then you will probably not find a more suitable WordPress plugin for your needs than Event Espresso.
For complete details, visit the plugin website here: Event Espresso – WordPress Event Management And Ticket Registration System
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