Are you reading Whova reviews, trying to decide if it will help you organize your next event?
How well an event succeeds depends on how effectively you manage what feels like millions of little pieces that go into making it happen. And it all hinges on using the right tools for the job.
Are you hosting a three-day trade show with thousands of attendees from around the globe? Or maybe a 30 minute webinar with 100 attendees?
Regardless of the type of virtual event, organization and management are the keys to your success.
From pre-event marketing and outreach to post-event analysis, you need the best tools to make your event stand out — you need the best virtual event technology platform for you.
We know SpotMe isn’t right for every customer and since we’re experts in the space we wanted to give you a clear look at what Whova can and can’t do.
We’ll dig into a Whova event app review to help with your research. We’ll answer questions like what are key Whova features? How much is the Whova app? What is Whova? And what are some Whova alternatives?
The Verdict of Our Whova Review
Before we get into our review, let’s take a high-level look at what Whova is, what it does, and what it doesn’t.
What Is Whova?
Whova is a virtual event management platform that professes to help event organizers improve attendee engagement and expand networking opportunities.
It offers event management and branding tools. And the responsive Whova app means guests can interact with event planners before the actual event from just about any device.
How Much Is the Whova App?
To learn about pricing, you’ll need to contact Whova directly. They request this to provide a custom quote based on your request.
Whova Event Management Software Baseline Review
Whova was, primarily, an event management and engagement app designed for in-person event managers and attendees.
Like many companies, in these times, they’ve pivoted to focus more of their attention on developing tools for virtual events, creating the basic features for all stages of virtual event planning and management.
Their virtual conference product offering now includes (don’t worry we’ll dive more into these a little later):
- Event website creation
- Free and paid ticketing/registration
- Integrations with major video conferencing solutions
- Pre-recorded video sessions
- Attendee engagement tools, like polls, chat, and live Q&A
In addition, Whova offers a set of basic marketing features for teams that don’t already have a marketing stack of their own. While accessible and easy to use, this can be challenging for more sophisticated teams looking to better integrate their current marketing stack with their virtual event software.
Whova also has preset social media templates that make creating posts fairly simple, but a little limited for the design savvy brand. They also offer a dashboard that allows event organizers to pre-schedule posts.
Finally, like most of their competitors, event participants can download the Whova app for free from the Apple Store or Google Play, optimizing accessibility.
What Whova Can’t Do
A great start for most event managers and teams new to virtual events, Whova does have some buggy points that we’re not in love with.
First, the functional separation of the Speaker, Exhibitor, and Sponsor sections. This results in Exhibitor and Sponsor set up and management that requires some duplicate work. But it isn’t a deal-breaker.
Additionally, while speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors can set up their own page, which is excellent, it doesn’t deliver the necessary functionality to really make it pop. It’s a significant first step but falls short of making us go WOW!
What We Think About Whova
The Whova team has put together a solid virtual event platform for first time virtual event organizers and marketing teams that don’t already have an existing software stack in place. If you’re looking for power and flexibility, or running an always-on, webinar driven demand generation strategy then Whova is probably not for you. However, if you need to bring your tradeshow into the virtual space and you’ve never done it before, it could be what you need.
What Types of Events is Whova For?
Whova is suitable for all types of virtual events, regardless of size. It is suitable for virtual, hybrid, or face-to-face events.
Whova is really focused on event management, designed for event organizers looking to automate and elevate four key areas:
- Event management mobilization
- Event logistics management
- Improving overall attendee networking experiences
- Reducing printing expenses
Whova is exceptionally well-suited for event organizers looking to connect with event participants before the event and after.
Whova Features Review
Whova delivers an easy-to-use virtual event technology platform with several valuable features, including:
- Operations management
- Customizable event pages
- Intuitive, user-friendly design
- Real-time data insights
- Branding tools
Let’s take a closer look!
Operations Management Review
Guest speakers and exhibitors can upload session and promotional information themselves. This can include session itineraries, speaker or exhibitor promotional photos or headshots, and biographies or mission statements.
Because speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors can take care of this without your involvement, they have increased control over their messaging. You don’t need to spend valuable hours updating profiles or chasing down details.
Whova offers integrated payment processing for collections, payouts, salaries, wages, and other financial modules. They also offer comprehensive workflow management integrations for key areas such as procurement, RFPs, or other workflows.
Customizable Design Review
Whova’s customizable event pages are easy to create thanks to their website builder feature. This user-friendly feature allows event organizers to create simple, but clean web pages for events without prior coding or design skills. Choose from preset website templates that offer personalization or create entirely original pages from scratch.
Whova also offers an automated original event webpage creation. It’s based on specific data you enter into the system. This is a great feature for organizers unfamiliar with the digital space who need to focus more on event management than hands-on design.
Users can also personalize online ticketing, booking, and other platform features.
Simple, Uncomplicated Design
Whova has done a solid job of transitioning to virtual events by keeping their platform intuitive and user friendly from a design perspective. It’s not the prettiest, but it doesn’t confuse attendees or speakers.
Event organizers can create an original event app in as little as 24-hours, without prior coding or design experience.
Whova’s interface is clean and uncluttered, making it ideal for first-time or low-tech users. Whova offers 24-hour support accessible via email or phone to support users with technical issues or walk them through a particular feature or process.
Real-time Data Insights Review
If you want to make sure that your event makes a maximum impact, you have to optimize it. And for that, you need real-time data insights.
Whova’s agenda web page provides easy access to traffic analytics that allow you to monitor critical data points such as web visits, speaker and session views, and geographic and device distribution.
Access to real-time data isn’t limited to attendees or live events. Organizers can access fund and expenses tracking, customized reports, alerts, and event insights as they happen.
Branding Tools
Whova’s branding tools are very user-friendly.
Users can personalize the event home page and display their logo, name, banner, and colors. The app also allows for additional personalizing to secure branding consistency across multiple devices.
Users can also apply branding to content, such as promotional materials.
Overall Platform Experience
As you probably guessed, Whova offers a solid and user-friendly virtual event software platform.
It’s end-to-end event management technology allows first-time event planners a comfort level to focus on managing the event, not worry about the tech.
The platform offers a comprehensive set of management and operations features that simplify many setup processes.
Preset templates and automated website creation take many of the headaches out of event management. Although these features can limit the uniqueness of the branding efforts you or your presenters may want to display.
What Other Online Whova Reviews are Saying
- G2 gives Whova 4.8 out of 5 stars
- Capterra gives Whova 4.8 out of 5 stars
- Software Advice gives Whova 4.78 out of 5 available stars
- Featured Customers gives Whova 4.7 out of 5 available stars
Whova app reviews include many compliments and few complaints about the event management platform. Let’s take a look at what some verified users had to say.
What People Like About Whova
Rebecca Engel, the Director of Education Innovation with Planned Parenthood, described her experience using Whova as “exceptional.” She found the customer support to be “incredibly helpful and responsive” and said she would “absolutely recommend” Whova for upcoming events.
Kelly, who works in nonprofit management, declared “Whova for the event win!” in her online review. She echoed many positive comments, adding that Whova was “user-friendly for both back end and attendee.”
What People Dislike About Whova
Kelly did serve up a Whova marketing critique, cautioning users that the virtual technology platform sends an email drip-campaign to your event attendees. She admits the emails caused some “confusion and frustration on our end.”
Tijl wasn’t a fan of the event marketing software, calling it “Pretty horrible.” Despite finding it easy to use (he gave ease-of-use a 3 out of 5 stars), he said the system failed him by being unavailable for 90 minutes during his event.
The Main Whova Competitors and Alternatives
Here’s a look at 10 Whova alternatives and competitors so that you can see how their event features might differ and be better for your virtual event.
#1) Attendify
Attendify helps organizers host engaging virtual events built around your content. The user-friendly platform is easy to navigate, making it a robust environment for attendee engagement.
Key features include social networking, built-in live streaming, content management, branded community spaces, Q&A, polling, and more.
Attendify focus on three areas: virtual events, event registration, and a mobile event app. All three can be used for live, virtual, and hybrid events.
G2 Score: 4.7 (161 reviews)
#2) SpotMe
SpotMe is a browser-based virtual technology platform providing full virtual event capabilities that range from simple webinars to full-scale virtual events.
Attendees aren’t required to download anything to participate in events, although SpotMe does offer mobile event apps for increased audience engagement and convenience.
Key SpotMe features include Q&A, 1:1 meetings, video breakout rooms, polling, applause, customizable branding, and in-depth reporting and analytics. They also provide a library of pre-configured templates to help you launch your event site easier and faster.
SpotMe’s new “Studio” lets you include up to nine speakers, panelists, or presenters in your virtual event without anyone having to download special software.
SpotMe’s comprehensive platform is iOS and Android compatible and can accommodate virtual events of up to 2,500 attendees.
G2 Score: 4.6 (104 reviews)
#3) EventMobi
EventMobi is a virtual technology platform providing all-inclusive personalized event management.
Key EventMobi features include marketing and communication tools, contact list management, and email automation and customization.
Additional features include event agendas and schedules, social media integrations, surveys, floor plans and maps, and support for attendee engagement.
Event organizers can also launch branded websites and drive ticket sales to host their virtual events from anywhere in the world.
G2 Score: 4.6 (158 reviews)
#4) Bizzabo
Bizzabo is an enterprise software solution offering a single platform for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
Key Bizzabo features include event registration, a fully branded mobile event app, guest list search and management, email marketing, event calendar, and more.
Marketing automation and integration tools boost attendee engagement and overall user experience. Event organizers can also collect and analyze performance metrics to measure overall event success.
G2 Score: 4.6 (132 reviews)
#5) CrowdCompass
CrowdCompass is a mobile event app developer that helps event organizers increase attendee engagement while generating a return on investment.
Its apps can be used for conferences, meetings, trade shows, or any event with 50 to 50,000 attendees.
Key CrowdCompass features include attendee profiles, event maps, digital agenda, personalized schedules, gamification, live presentations, simulcasts, and recorded video-on-demand sessions.
Event organizers can use prebuilt themes and icon packs from CrowdCompass’ stocked library or customize events with brand colors, graphics, and more.
G2 Score: 4.4 (675 reviews)
#6) Socio
Socio is an event technology platform for virtual, live, and hybrid events.
Its event products include a mobile event app and virtual event suite, data collection and lead retrieval, and live display.
Key Socio features include event registration, attendee and badge management, custom branding, real-time chat, in-depth reporting and analytics, surveys, polls and more.
Event organizers can access all of Socio’s features and services through a single, easy-to-use platform.
G2 Score: 4.9 (90 reviews)
#7) InEvent
InEvent is a cloud-based virtual technology platform specializing in live, virtual, and hybrid enterprise events.
They offer digital solutions to simplify event management through a combination of hardware and software, and customer support available in five languages (English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Dutch)!
Key InEvent features include websites, virtual lobbies, custom forms, tickets, integrations with most CRMs, cross-device functionality, and in-depth analytics and reporting.
Event organizers can also take advantage of engagement-focused features that include an event app, meetings, Q&A, polling, and gamification.
G2 Score: 4.7 (73 reviews)
#8) Cvent
Cvent is a global event solutions provider for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
The Cvent platform helps event organizers streamline operations and save time by automating manual event management tasks that can clog up your calendar.
They also offer custom-branded multi-channel marketing options, data analysis and reporting, and integrations.
Other key Cvent features include attendee engagement tools such as a mobile app, touchless check-in, on-demand badge printing, and an embedded video player for live, recorded, or simu-live video.
Attendees can browse and select specific sessions, participate in moderated Q&A, and can connect 1:1 or participate in collaborative events of up to 500 attendees.
For more information about Cvent, check out our 2020 Cvent Review: A Virtual Event Software Review.
G2 Score: 4.2 (1,286 reviews)
#9) Aventri
Aventri is a virtual event solutions provider that offers a single source for event registration, website creations, email marketing campaigns, analysis, and audience engagement.
While Aventri can be used in various industries, they have key specializations, including education, financial services, technology, media, associations and nonprofits, airlines, and automotive.
Aventri is scalable, and event organizers can create a customizable branded mobile app in 50 different languages. Other Aventri features include event schedules and agendas, surveys and polls, social media integrations, floor plans, and maps.
G2 Score: 4.2 (143 reviews)
#10) PheedLoop
PheedLoop is an all-inclusive virtual event platform. They specialize in event monetization, automation, and engagement for virtual, live, and hybrid events.
Key PheedLoop features include mobile event apps, polls and surveys, event registration, live streaming, floor plans, and virtual networking.
Organizers can target specific ticket types and determine ticket release date and time. Once set, PheedLoop’s automation tools allow you to move on to the next task on your list.
PheedLoop also offers speaker and exhibitor management and communication tools that include custom emails, push notifications, and SMS alerts.
PheedLoop’s customer service gets “in the trenches” with clients to ensure optimal results. They can accommodate events of any size and variety anywhere in the world.
G2 Score: 4.9 (59 reviews)
Wondering what other virtual event solutions might be like? Check out our 2020 comparison guide.
Or see our other comprehensive reviews of virtual event platforms:
Disclaimer: This review is provided by SpotMe. While we are a marketing event management software vendor, our reviews aim to help buyers make better informed decisions by providing honest feedback about the product being reviewed. SpotMe’s reviews are not used to deliberately promote or disparage any software vendor’ products and to the best of our knowledge the information contained herein is recent, relevant and objective.
