Your client asks you, “Hey, so I have a website project that needs some complicated moving parts, but I only have a limited budget…can you help? Oh, and it needs to be done in a few weeks.”
If this hasn’t happened lately, just wait. It will. And when it does, it will require some out the box thinking. The question is: can you find a quality solution that works within the client’s time and budget constraints?
An Event Management Website on a Budget
Leading pain management group, National Spine & Pain Centers, recently sought our services to create a digital presence for their annual conference on pain management—Business of Pain Medicine. They needed an event management website that would fit within their budget, and show off the rich array of knowledge and opportunity for learning at their conference. They also wanted a tool they could reuse for future conferences.
The deadline was tight, and the budget was limited. So how could we craft a solution that would meet their needs—yet not be overkill?
As a digital partner, we aim to provide the right solution for every client individually. We carefully considered the unique needs for this project, and we planned an event management website custom tailored to fit.
Strategic Solution on a Tight Deadline
In building the new site, our team set out to work within the budget and time constraints, while making sure the site was educational and visually compelling. The event management website needed to facilitate multiple groups of attendees registering for the conference, showcase speakers, display schedules, provide event location info, and also work as a tool for event organizers to manage ticket sales, check-in at the event, and accounting. They needed to start selling tickets in a few short weeks, so our team launched into action.
Selecting the Right Tools for the Job
When considering how to build the site, we decided to go with an event theme we could purchase and then customize for the client. While not our usual approach, for this project it helped us stay within budget and accomplish all the goals. To handle ticket management, we integrated the event website theme with Event Espresso. This powerful plugin offers lots of the core functionality our client needed. It’s a powerhouse plugin for event registration and ticketing management for WordPress.
As we built out the site, we included in-depth video screencasts and plenty of hand-holding to ensure the conference staff clearly understood how to use their new tool. We also worked with them to fill the site with compelling testimonials and speaker biographies that reaffirm the benefits and success of the conference, as well as the speaker’s expertise in their field.
A Complete Event Management & Registration Tool
The website works across multiple browsers and devices. Using intuitive layout and powerful imagery, the site guides users through the process of learning about the event, investigating which talks to hear, and registering to attend. Users can easily find information about the conference location and hotel information.
After tickets are purchased, the backend of the website is a powerful tool for organizers. It sends notifications to attendees, provides functionality for promo codes, ticket sales, pricing variables, and helps manage attendees at the conference.
Working with [Valet] was a great experience…They made the process so easy. The group was always receptive to my many questions and willing to hop on a conference call to sort through any confusion I had. They simplified the process for me, gave accurate clear timelines, and met deadlines with ease. Highly recommend them for any project.”
– National Spine & Pain Centers
Spreading the Word on Social
We didn’t stop at the website. Our team also worked with National Spine & Pain Centers to create social media profiles for the event to help them stay connected with past attendees and reach out to prospective attendees.
Deliverables included a tailored event management website in WordPress, social media presence, content set-up and a system for ticket registration and email notification. The team at National Spine and Pain Centers was extremely pleased with the final product. And, because we made sure to implement everything in an easy-to-use content management system (CMS) with WordPress, their staff is able to regularly make updates and manage the event. How’s that for delivering like a digital partner?
Check out the new site: http://thebusinessofpain.com/