SmartGig
Start free trial

Spreadsheets vs Event Management Software

Spreadsheets are flexible, familiar and surprisingly good at hanging on for one more event than they should. Then applications, payments, documents, tickets, site plans and arrival lists start disagreeing.

SmartGig gives event organisers a connected alternative when spreadsheets, inboxes, Stripe exports and manual checklists are no longer carrying the operation cleanly.

Start free trialBook a demo

14-day trial · No card required

Before and after

Spreadsheet sprawl vs connected event records

SmartGig comparison visual showing spreadsheet chaos replaced by connected event records and live status

Where spreadsheets still work

A small one-off event with a short guest list and no public applications can often survive with a spreadsheet. No shame there.

  • Simple lists, early planning notes and one-person admin can be fine in a workbook.
  • Spreadsheets are cheap, familiar and easy to reshape.
  • They become risky when multiple people, payments, documents, portals or event-day workflows depend on them.

Where they start costing you

The problem is not the spreadsheet. The problem is the work around it: copying data, chasing updates, reconciling payments, finding attachments and explaining which version is current.

  • Form exports go stale as soon as an applicant updates something.
  • Payment links, invoices and refunds drift away from the record they belong to.
  • Site teams, gate teams, finance and organisers work from different versions of the truth.

What event management software changes

SmartGig connects the workflows around the event so the record, status and documents move with the work.

  • Applications become participant records, not dead rows in a download.
  • Documents, payments, communications, site plans, transport sheets, running orders, tickets and check-in stay attached.
  • Roles, portals and scanner access give the right people scoped tools instead of another shared file.

When to switch

Move before your team starts building unofficial side systems to protect themselves from the official one. That is usually the warning light.

  • You are running recurring markets, multi-day events or multiple modules.
  • You need trader applications, ticketing, compliance, site plans, transport or stage schedules connected.
  • Event-day teams need live information, not a printed list and crossed fingers.

What moves out of the spreadsheet

The goal is not to ban spreadsheets from the building. The goal is to stop using them as the live operational system for work that needs status, permissions, audit history and public portals.

  • Applications move into forms, reviews, participant records and portals.
  • Payments move into invoices, balances, manual tenders, Stripe payments, refunds and audit history.
  • Event-day lists move into scanner workflows, live records, exports and reports.

Keep exports as handover, not the source of truth

Exports still matter. Finance teams, suppliers and councils may need CSVs, PDFs or packs. SmartGig keeps those as generated outputs from current records rather than the place where the event quietly lives.

  • Generate cleaner documents from the event workspace when a handover file is needed.
  • Regenerate exports after payments, compliance, site plans, routes or schedules change.
  • Use audit history and retained records when the team needs to understand what happened later.

Keep exploring the connected bits.

SmartGig works best when the workflows around the event talk to each other. Wild concept. Quite useful.

Event management softwareMarket event softwareFestival trader applicationsEvent transport planningWhat SmartGig doesUse the dashboard and module switcherQuick start: set up your first event

See SmartGig with your own event in mind.

Bring the messy version: the application process, ticket flow, site plan, route sheet, stage schedule, or spreadsheet you would rather stop nursing back to life.

Start 14-day trialBook a demo