I know it's annoying that you have to talk to a software company before you know how much the event registration software will cost but there's a reason. Reading the price ticket before you've worked out what you're buying can often lead to buyer's remorse when it doesn't meet expectations. Here's why ...

Supermarket pricing investigated

I've been reading media reports on plans to make supermarket pricing obey already existing regulations. Supermarkets are displaying unclear pricing so it's difficult for consumers to compare apples packed in groups of 6 with loose products with multi-buy ones. The poor customer is confused.

I've often seen comments that event organisers would like to know pricing before they get in touch with event tech companies. But can software be treated in the same way as supermarket apples?

Product v service

Apples are a product and event software is a service, which means that their prices can't be displayed in the same way. An apple is an apple, but event software can be added to in many ways to build something that will fit you and your event. If you don't know what you're getting, it's as easy to over specify and pay too much as it is to underspecify and be unable to do the job you need, even if it looks like you've got a good deal on price. With a service tailored to your needs, you can never resolve that conundrum without a dialogue with the prospective suppliers, and that's where working with suppliers that have real people to talk to stands out.

Should we share sensitive information

Commercially sensitivity often prevents pricing being published. Perhaps you'll be able to see which features you can use and add to the basic software package, but each company is going to have different overhead costs and this sort of information is commercially sensitive. After all, how much sensitive informtion would you share with your competitors?

There's always a hidden cost

Some software is free but there is a hidden cost. If a company is offering anything for free, either postage and packing or a service, it's got to recoup its costs from somewhere. Or, in the case of event registration software, it might be your attendees' data that becomes its gold which can be traded. Free is never completely free, there's got to be a trade somewhere in the contract. To quote a well used phrase "If the product is free, you are the product".
(Follow the references to discover the origins of that quote may date back to the 1970's, but it still holds true today ...)

References:

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/07/16/product/

About the Author

Teresa is a co-founder of Plus4Events, taking a particular interest in the challenges that organising successful events can bring. She's written extensively about the practical aspects of getting events to work, publishing many articles here on Plus4Events.

Outside of work, hands-on volunteering with a national association of small business, supports their Women In Business events. She's also a keen runner and supporter of the local Parkrun events.