Hybrid events are here to stay, and the market offers plenty of platforms that can run In-person, virtual, hybrid programs in a single workflow. If you need a short list, start with Accelevents, then compare it with Cvent, Bizzabo, RainFocus, Stova, Swoogo, and vFairs.
What counts as a hybrid event platform?
A hybrid event platform lets you plan, market, run, and measure events that have both onsite and online audiences. Look for unified registration and check-in, onsite tools like badge printing and lead capture, live and on-demand content, mobile apps, and data that flows to your CRM and marketing tools without manual work. The goal is one data model, one reporting layer, and one team workflow across formats.
Where Accelevents can benefit enterprises and associations
Accelevents serves 1,847 customers and was intentionally built on one consistent data model across registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual, creating a seamless experience for event organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. It is known for ease of use and flexibility, and it is highly customizable without IT lifts.
Key capabilities include:
- Registration and ticketing: drag-and-drop pages and forms, badges, unlimited ticket types and discount codes, reusable templates, one-click event registration forms, payments, conversion tracking, group bundles, and conditional logic by attendee type.
- Onsite check-in: assisted or kiosk flows with fast badge printing and access control.
- Mobile app and engagement: agendas, messaging, Q&A, polls, gamification, and QR lead capture for exhibitors.
- Integrations and API: native connectors to Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo with no integration fees, plus public REST APIs and webhooks.
- Analytics and reporting: real time, shareable, unified across registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual.
- Call for papers: native workflows with auto reviewer assignment and speaker tasks.
- CE credits: automated credits, instant certificates, self-serve retrieval, and audit trails with LMS options.
- Security and compliance: custom roles, SSO, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 practices, and audit logging.
- Branding: full white label across web, mobile, and virtual.
For quick exploration, see platform pages for ticketing and registration, event check in, in depth analytics, and integrations.
Accelevents emphasizes responsive human help, with a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7, and a customer success approach that prioritizes outcomes over tickets.
Who it is for: enterprises, associations, then others including agencies, mid-market corporations, and nonprofits, running conferences, trade shows, field marketing, internal meetings, and continuing education events. Pricing is transparent and modular with no surprise add-ons.
Snapshot of other hybrid platforms to evaluate
Cvent
Cvent supports large portfolios with sourcing, diagramming, registration, mobile apps, and virtual options. The company has grown largely through acquisitions, and reviews often mention that certification courses are common to master the stack, which can feel complex for new teams. Watch for potential confusion in registration workflows if you manage many event types and permission sets.
Bizzabo
Bizzabo targets marketing-led teams and global programs, offering customizable flows, wearables for onsite engagement, and virtual experiences. It can deliver deep analytics, yet some users cite learning curves when rolling out across regions or business units. If you rely on granular financial or exhibitor reporting, validate export formats and attribution during the demo.
RainFocus
RainFocus is positioned for the world’s largest companies due to system complexity and cost, and certification training is typically needed. It unifies journeys across flagship conferences and field programs, and it integrates with major CRMs. Confirm implementation timelines and the admin skill set your team will need before committing.
Stova
Stova, formed through mergers, covers registration, mobile apps, onsite, and virtual. As with any platform built through acquisitions, evaluate how modules connect day to day and confirm analytics across the full lifecycle, especially if you are standardizing executive reporting.
Swoogo
Swoogo is popular with marketers for building sites and registration flows quickly. It supports hybrid formats and integrations, and it can be a good fit for lean teams. In discovery, test complex discounting, approvals, and multi-event reporting if you manage many business rules.
vFairs
vFairs is known for immersive virtual environments and can support hybrid conferences and job fairs. When you prioritize onsite throughput and exhibitor ROI, verify check-in speed, floor staffing tools, and on-the-spot lead capture in addition to the virtual hall.
How to choose your hybrid event platform
Use this checklist to compare platforms apples to apples:
- Unified data model: does registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual run on one database so that reports match what stakeholders expect?
- Onsite speed: test check-in time, badge reprints, and session scanning with real attendee profiles.
- Marketing connectivity: ensure first-party data syncs to your CRM and marketing automation with the fields you actually use. Try a live push to validate mapping. See integrations.
- Analytics that travel with the attendee: confirm roll-up dashboards, shareable links, and the ability to filter by format, product line, region, or account tier. See in depth analytics.
- Registration rules and payments: model bundles, approvals, member pricing, refunds, and tax logic, and run test transactions end to end. Explore ticketing and registration.
- Onsite reliability and staffing: walk through badge printer selection, spares, and line-busting options with event check in.
- Brand control: verify theme kits, domains, and removal of third-party branding if you require a full white label experience for sponsors and executives.
- Total cost of ownership: capture license, integration, and services costs, and estimate internal time for setup, training, and ongoing admin. Guidance from industry research also suggests driving vendor demos with your specific use cases and tough questions about limits and hidden fees.
Real-world formats you can run on a single stack
- In-person first: conferences and trade shows with onsite registration, badge printing, and session scanning, plus a mobile app for schedules and networking.
- Hybrid extensions: live streams of keynotes with interactive chat, Q&A, and polling, while exhibitors capture leads onsite via QR scanning and schedule meetings that sync to CRM.
- Virtual add-ons: gated replays and CE credit fulfillment for those who could not attend.
Final thought
You do not need separate tools for every format. Start with a single platform that runs In-person, virtual, hybrid in one data model and connects to your go-to marketing stack. If you want to see the all-in-one approach in action, request a demo.
FAQs
What is the main difference between a hybrid event platform and a virtual-only tool?
A hybrid platform handles onsite tasks like badge printing, session scanning, and exhibitor lead capture in the same system that runs live streams and on-demand content, so your reporting and integrations stay consistent.
Do I need a separate streaming provider for hybrid events?
Not necessarily. Many platforms include a native player, and most integrate with common production tools. The key is to test interactive features and recordings in the same workflow you will use on show day.
Which features matter most for large conferences and trade shows?
Prioritize fast onsite check-in, real-time reporting, exhibitor lead capture, and CRM sync. For global portfolios, test translation, role-based permissions, and multi-event analytics.
How should I evaluate integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, or Marketo?
Run a live round-trip test using your own fields, push registrations to the CRM, and confirm campaign attribution and deduplication. Also confirm there are no extra fees to enable the connectors.
Is training required to run these platforms?
Some enterprise platforms require formal training or certification, especially those tailored for very large companies. Others are easier to adopt with guided onboarding. Always model your exact use cases in the demo and capture the internal hours needed.
