We Get This Question All the Time: Which is the Best Software to Manage Event Tasks and Budgets?
It’s safe to assume you’re probably already convinced by the multiple benefits of using software to manage event tasks and budgets. And it’s no exaggeration that for us, the best event software in 2025 is game-changing when you’re spinning many plates like we are!
· Multiple projects running simultaneously
· Growing teams
· Tight deadlines
· Complex budgets leaving little room for improvisation
· Delivery consistently for clients
This is because, in our experience, even the most well thought out manual systems make it too easy for vital details to slip through the cracks. And when communication channels spiral out of control, the messiness can be overwhelming and turns flawless execution into inefficient chaos!
So, the burning question is this – What’s the best software to manage event tasks and budgets, and match your unique setup? No event is the same and, quite frankly, that’s why we do what we do!! So something that works for the widget manufacturer (which is what 90% of these tools are designed for) simply didn’t work for us and our clients.
In this article, we wanted to share some of our journey and the things that we looked for – as well as the key features and how we now use them to solve all of those issues I’ve just mentioned above.
Why Does Chaotic, Stressful Event Planning Keep Happening?
At Brightspace Events, we know a thing or two about event management, across multiple event sizes and business sectors.
And the team have all experienced big agency delivery. So, whilst we’ve had lots of opportunities to work with different software; we’ve also all seen the damage and loss of control when projects become too fragmented across emails, spreadsheets, WhatsApp, and shared drives.
For all these reasons, we knew there had to be a smarter way to bring order, visibility, and accountability to every stage of event delivery. And we knew the answer probably lay in software to manage event tasks and budgets.
So, we tried and tested different live and hybrid event management software so you don’t have to. Here’s what we found.
Every Event Teams Needs a Central Hub
The days are long gone when it was just nice to have software to manage event tasks and budgets or when it was used for the huge flagship projects with everything else left to languish on a written to do list. We use our software for EVERYTHING – including our non event tasks that keep the business growing.
We needed our event planning software to bring structure to our passion and bring the team together. This is because it ensures everyone has access to the same up-to-date information, no matter where they are physically.
Accordingly, this was our wish list when we did our own conference and event software features comparison:
· Hold multiple projects in one place, so nothing gets buried or forgotten
· Build from templates for consistent, repeatable delivery
· Assign and track tasks, so accountability is crystal clear
· Manage budgets with transparency and link spend directly to project timelines
· Enable client collaboration without laborious ‘death by email’
· View lists by project, by due date and also in a project timeline view to see the bigger picture
Our Journey to the Right Software to Manage Event Tasks and Budgets
We road tested a range of the most popular platforms, including Monday, Trello, Microsoft Planner, and Asana, against the following criteria:
· Flexibility to handle vastly different event types
· The ability to view both the critical path and detailed daily tasks in tandem
· Cloud-based access for anywhere, anytime collaboration
· Ease of onboarding new team members and freelance specialists
· Tools for continuous improvement via captured learnings from every event
And the result? Asana stood out after months of research.
Our team members all felt it delivered the right balance of structure and flexibility. And this is exactly what’s needed for precision, while understanding every event is unique.
How to Use Asana for Event Planning
Since then, the use of Asana for event management has come to underpin everything we do. There’s real benefit for us – and ultimately our clients – because of key functionalities like (but not limited to):
· Key elements in one place – Each client has their own ringfenced workspace housing fundamentals like brand assets, cost codes, and finance details. It makes a big difference from searching around in multiple folders on laptops or in Dropbox.
· Master project template – Having a customisable Asana event planning template ensures every new project starts with a proven framework. This saves hours of setup time and guarantees consistency across our portfolio. It also ensures regulatory compliance for cyber security, health & safety and all our other key operational processes are immediately translated into the template.
· Regular debriefs fed directly into the template – Action points and post-event suggestions are instantly captured and applied, not lost in notepads or forgotten emails.
· Optimal bigger picture overview – Timeline and My Tasks views give the team complete visibility of deadlines, budgets, and workloads, while Status Updates help flag risks early and share key actions immediately.
At the end of the day, we’re talking events. So, stuff happens. It’s the nature of what we do.
But we feel as equipped as possible to handle whatever an event throws at us, because we’re equipped with:
· Clear accountability
· Reduced communication overload
· A resilient, cloud-based system to keep us bulletproof
And we think you will too.
What Corporate Event Planners Can Learn
If you’re struggling with projects spread across multiple tools, historical or general event knowledge getting lost and feel like you’re constantly re-inventing the wheel then Asana could save you time and your sanity!!
We will be very happy to have a call with anyone to talk in more detail about how we use our Asana software to manage event tasks and budgets. Drop me a line at sarah.threlfall@brightspaceevents.co.uk
Imagine:
· A single source of truth for all event data
· Consistent, repeatable processes that scale with your team
· Smarter budget control, with live visibility of every cost
· Reduced admin time, freeing you to focus on creativity and stakeholder engagement
Consistency is an asset, whether you choose Asana for event management or another platform. And when everybody works from the same system, you experience a meaningful difference between rolling with the punches and being in control of your events.
Who Else Wants Refined Event Delivery?
At Brightspace Events, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t through trial and error of different software to manage event tasks and budgets.
Keen to simplify your processes? Like to see how we’ve built our approach? Get in touch here or drop an email to sarah.threlfall@brightspaceevents.co.uk. We’re always happy to share what we’ve learned along the way.
