Event details managed across email threads, spreadsheets, and shared drives -- no single place where the client brief, the timeline, the vendor list, and the run sheet live together?
Client changes communicated by email and often missed or actioned on an old version -- no version-controlled event plan that both sides are working from?
Event Management Software
Custom event management software for event planners, venues, and event companies who need the client brief, the timeline, the vendor list, and the run sheet in one controlled workspace -- not scattered across email threads, shared drives, and a planning spreadsheet that nobody's sure is current.
Built for how events actually get delivered. Proposals generated from a brief and accepted online. Vendor tasks tracked against deadlines. Clients review and approve the timeline in a portal rather than by returning a marked-up PDF. Budget tracked against actual supplier costs so you know the margin on every event.
Centralised event brief and planning workspace
Vendor and supplier coordination with task tracking
Client portal with shared timeline and approval workflow
Budget tracking and profit reporting per event
RaftLabs builds custom event management software covering enquiry and proposal management, version-controlled event planning workspace, vendor coordination with task tracking, client approval portal, per-event budget and profit reporting, and post-event follow-up. Most platforms ship in 12-14 weeks at a fixed cost with full source code ownership.
100+Products shipped
·24+Industries served
·FixedCost delivery
·12-14Week delivery cycles
An event plan that both sides are working from
Event planning companies run on information -- the client's requirements, the vendor's capabilities, the venue's rules, and the day's sequence. When that information lives across email, a shared Google Drive, a planning spreadsheet, and a WhatsApp group, something gets missed. A vendor receives an old version of the run sheet. A client change gets actioned on a superseded brief. The florist arrives at the wrong time because the schedule was updated in the planner's copy but the confirmation email to the vendor went out the hour before.
The problem compounds with scale. A coordinator managing two events can track the details mentally. At eight concurrent events, the only way to know which vendor has confirmed, which invoice is unpaid, and which timeline item the client is still deciding on is if the system knows.
Custom event management software gives you a single record per event where the brief, the timeline, the vendor list, and the budget all live and update together. Clients interact with their event through a portal -- they see the current plan, they submit changes, and they approve timeline items without sending an email that might get missed. Vendors receive tasks with deadlines and confirm directly in the system. The planner sees every event's status in one view.
What we build
Enquiry and proposal management
Enquiry capture from your website contact form or direct entry, with brief recording against the enquiry record. Proposal generation with package options, inclusions, and pricing -- formatted to your brand. E-sign acceptance converting the proposal directly to an active event record. Automated confirmation with next-steps guide for the client. Enquiry pipeline view showing all active enquiries by stage, estimated value, and expected decision date. No brief lost in an inbox and no proposal sent as a Word document that gets printed, signed, and scanned back.
Event planning workspace
Event brief, date, venue, and key contacts in one record -- structured fields rather than a notes document. Timeline builder with drag-and-drop scheduling, supplier time slots, and ceremony or programme sequence. Run sheet generated from the timeline and formatted for the day's execution. Function sheet covering venue layout, catering quantities, AV requirements, and special instructions. All documents version-controlled -- previous versions accessible, current version clearly marked. Exportable in PDF for venue and vendor distribution with version number and issue date on every page.
Vendor and supplier management
Vendor list per event with contact details, contract status, payment terms, and confirmation status. Task assignment to vendors with deadline and priority -- vendors notified by email and able to confirm or update directly in the system. Vendor communication log so every instruction and response is recorded against the event, not in someone's inbox. Payment status tracking: quoted, invoiced, part-paid, paid. Vendor directory with ratings from past events for use when selecting suppliers for future bookings.
Client portal
Client views their event plan, timeline, vendor list summary, and budget overview in a dedicated portal -- no login complexity, accessible by link and PIN. Reviews and approves timeline items with a single action -- the approval recorded with a timestamp and the planner notified. Submits change requests with notes attached directly to the affected timeline item or brief section. Receives updates and milestone confirmations without email threads. The client always sees the current version -- not a copy they downloaded three weeks ago.
Budget management
Budget template by event type with standard cost categories populated at event creation. Line-item tracking: quoted amount, actual supplier invoice, and variance. Supplier invoice attachment against each budget line. Profit per event calculated from revenue and actual costs -- visible in real time as invoices are recorded, not assembled at the end. Budget summary exportable for client reporting where a budget breakdown is part of your service. The margin visibility that tells you which event types are most profitable and which are priced too low.
Post-event and follow-up
Client satisfaction survey sent automatically after event completion with response recorded against the event record. Vendor performance rating captured for reference on future bookings. Testimonial request and referral prompt for clients who rate the event highly. Thank-you and rebooking offer sent at the appropriate interval for anniversary events. Event archive where every completed event is stored as a template -- the timeline, vendor list, and run sheet available as a starting point for similar future events. The institutional memory that stays in the business when a coordinator leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Tools like Monday.com, Asana, or Notion can be configured for event planning and work well for small teams running a straightforward event type. Custom software makes sense when your process has specific structure that generic tools can't enforce -- version-controlled client approvals, vendor task confirmation with deadline tracking, per-event budget and profit reporting, or proposal generation from a brief. It also makes sense when you're running multiple event types -- corporate, social, wedding -- with different workflows, and you want the software to follow the correct process for each type automatically rather than relying on the coordinator to remember.
The planner marks a timeline item or document section as ready for client review. The client receives a notification and opens their portal to see the item in context -- the full timeline, not just the section being approved. They click approve or submit a change request with a note. The approval is recorded with a timestamp and the planner is notified. If a change is requested, the planner updates the plan and resubmits for review. The history of each approval and change request is stored against the event record -- the audit trail that protects both the planner and the client if there's a dispute about what was agreed and when.
Yes. The system is configured with event types -- each type has its own brief template, budget category set, vendor checklist, and timeline structure. A corporate conference brief collects different information from a wedding brief, and the workflow reflects that. Vendor types differ too -- a corporate event needs AV and catering suppliers; a wedding needs a florist, photographer, and officiant. The planner selects the event type at creation and the system applies the right structure. Reporting can break down profitability and volume by event type so you can see which segment of the business to grow.
A focused event management platform covering enquiry management, event planning workspace, vendor coordination, client portal, and budget tracking typically ships in 12-14 weeks at a fixed cost. A more complete build adding post-event automation, multi-planner workflow, and accounting integration typically takes 16-20 weeks. Timeline depends on the number of event types you need to configure, the complexity of your proposal and contract workflows, and whether you need a branded client-facing mobile experience alongside the web portal. We scope the project before pricing it -- you get a fixed cost for an agreed scope.
Tell us how you run events today -- the types of events, the number running concurrently, and where coordination breaks down. We'll scope the right system and give you a fixed cost.
