Managing events can be complex—especially when you’re juggling multiple platforms, coordinating with a team, and ensuring every attendee detail is accounted for. From tracking registrations to managing leads and keeping calendars updated, the sheer number of moving parts can easily lead to errors or missed opportunities. That’s where automation comes in.
By connecting your favorite event management tools with Zaps—Zapier’s automated workflows—you can eliminate repetitive tasks, streamline processes, and focus on delivering an exceptional experience for your attendees. Here are a few of the most popular ways to use automation to simplify (and supercharge) your event management.
New to Zapier? It’s workflow automation software that lets you focus on what matters. Combine user interfaces, data tables, and logic with thousands of apps to build and automate anything you can imagine. Sign up for free to use this app, and thousands more, with Zapier.
Skip ahead
To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button next to the name of a Zap you’d like to try. It only takes a few minutes to set it up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.
Back up event details in a spreadsheet
The more attendees you have, the easier it is to lose track of critical event details. And the more events you run, the more details you have to manage. Automatically backing up event data in a spreadsheet stores every registration, update, and attendee action in one centralized, easily accessible place. That way, your event management process stays streamlined and error-free, even as it scales.
These Zaps automatically send attendee details from your event platform to a spreadsheet or database. By keeping your data organized and updated in real time, you’ll always have an accurate record to reference for tasks like checking attendance, contacting guests, or analyzing your event’s success.
Subscribe attendees to your mailing list
Adding attendees to your mailing list lets you stay connected, send updates, and keep your audience engaged after your event ends. And when you automate this process, you save valuable time while keeping anyone from slipping through the cracks.
These Zaps automatically add new or updated attendees to your email marketing tool so you can focus on crafting personalized, timely communication. Whether sending pre-event reminders, sharing event materials, or following up with a thank-you email, having your mailing list ready and organized lets you deliver a professional and engaging attendee experience. Plus, it opens the door to future marketing opportunities, helping you build long-term relationships with your audience.
Streamline event coordination across platforms
Event management often involves juggling multiple platforms, including ticketing systems, webinar tools, calendar integrations, and attendee management software. Manually synchronizing these systems is unsustainable as your business (and event attendance) grows. Instead, automate the information flow between your event management tools to keep your records up to date and streamlined.
For instance, these Zaps automatically give new attendees access to your webinar tool so they can log in on the day of the event.
Or, if you use a separate ticketing or registration tool, you can use a Zap to send new registrations to your event management platform so evey attendee is accounted for.
If you’re hosting a virtual event, Zapier can also create a corresponding calendar entry whenever a new meeting is scheduled, making it easy for attendees to save it to their calendars.
Automate calendar updates and scheduling
Automating calendar management gives you a centralized view of your event timeline and makes sure you never miss a registration deadline, meeting, or important task. It also helps your team stay informed and aligned, since they can easily access up-to-date event details in a shared calendar.
These Zaps create new events in Google Calendar from new events, orders, and registrations in your event platform. This streamlined approach keeps your schedule organized, reduces stress, and helps your event planning run smoothly from start to finish.
Automate lead management
Events are a powerful way to generate leads, but manually tracking and organizing attendee information can be a logistical headache. Automating your lead management process lets you capture every attendee, form submission, and update in your CRM or lead tracking tool. That way, you can focus on nurturing relationships and driving engagement instead of wrestling with spreadsheets and data entry.
These Zaps send new attendees, form submissions, and guest updates to your CRM so you can create a streamlined pipeline that aligns your sales and marketing teams. Automation ensures no lead is overlooked, enabling timely follow-ups, personalized communication, and a higher likelihood of converting event attendees into long-term clients or customers.
Automate notifications for real-time updates
It’s important to stay aware of significant changes so you can respond quickly and avoid overlooking anything that could affect your event’s success. Setting up automated notifications eliminates the need to monitor multiple platforms, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of missing critical updates.
These Zaps send an automated Slack message, email, or text to your team when a new attendee or event is detected in your event management platform. Automating these notifications enables faster responses, better collaboration, and a more organized event management process. Whether you’re preparing for a surge in registrations or addressing attendee needs in real time, these automated alerts help you stay proactive and keep your event running smoothly.
You can also use these workflows to send follow-up messages to registrants. Automated confirmation emails are a great way to display professionalism, send important event information, and stay in touch with guests—all without extra effort on your end.
Achieve more with automated event management
Automating your event management processes simplifies what can otherwise be daunting and hard to scale. But the value of automation goes beyond efficiency—it means you can capture and nurture leads, stay aligned with your team, and deliver personalized, timely communication to your audience.
Whether you’re planning a small workshop or a large-scale conference, automating your event workflows lets you achieve more with less effort, ensuring your event’s success while saving you time and stress.
This article was originally published in January 2021, written by Hannah Herman. It was most recently updated in January 2025 by Michael Toth.