Associations choosing event management software often end up comparing M Events and Eventscribe. These two solutions may look similar on a feature checklist, as both systems run a scientific annual meeting competently. However, they're quite different kinds of purchases for organizations.
Your best choice hinges on whether you need a congress production partner or an association event system that connects to your member data and your education program. Eventscribe's end-to-end vendor model makes it a standout for organizations that already have strong internal teams, vendor partnerships, or venue contracts. Meanwhile, M Events' all-in-one model makes it ideal for organizations running complex, multi-room events. Read on to break down each solution's key differences and advantages.
M Events vs Eventscribe At A Glance
Let's break down the key differences between these two association event management solutions.
M Events and Eventscribe overlap significantly when it comes to conference workflows. They diverge more when you consider the vendor model, association breadth, member data, and year-round education.
Two Different Kinds Of Conference Technology Vendor
Eventscribe and M Events ultimately offer two different types of conference management solutions that can serve distinct roles for different companies.
What M Events Brings Together Under One Contract
M Events is a global conference technology company that offers software, AV production hardware, digital hardware, and staffing all from one team. So, you aren't just getting its association event management software, m-anage.com, but a full partner bundle.
Its vendor model is built primarily for medical and scientific organizations, providing on-demand content libraries and event tools. This unified model aims to close the gap between separate vendors for better streamlining and more cohesive outcomes.
This offers significant advantages for organizations or societies running a large, multi-room congress with stage production. Built-in microphones and remote-controlled cameras make it easy to manage events from a unified control interface.
What Eventscribe Is Built To Do
Built for content-heavy conferences and associations, Cadmium Eventscribe offers an all-in-one conference management software that your team runs. The platform covers several key aspects of event management, including:
- Submissions and reviews
- Registration with segmented pricing
- Logistics and room allocation
- Speaker and presentation management
- Exhibitor and sponsor management
- Attendee engagement
- Post-event content and certification
Eventscribe keeps AV and staffing under your control and under your existing vendor relationships. This is important for teams that already have trusted local AV partners or venue-supplied production contracts. Eventscribe also benefits universities and other higher-education institutions through accreditation tracking and continuing education features, such as continuing medical education (CME) tracking.
Which Model Fits Which Organization
Your best conference management software depends on your organization or association's specific needs. A 500-to-5,000-attendee annual meeting tied to a year-round education program would likely benefit from Eventscribe software, especially if a small team runs the meeting and already has AV arrangements.
Similarly, a 15,000-attendee international congress with simultaneous streams and stage production would likely benefit from a bundled partner, such as M Events. That said, M Events markets exclusively to medical and scientific societies. So, an association outside the life sciences should consider whether M Events would be an ideal fit for its vendor roadmap.
Abstract Review And The Wider Range Of Association Submissions
Eventscribe and M Events' solutions both function as abstract management software, supporting reviews and submissions. Eventscribe's end-to-end functionality supports various submission types, while M Events' specializations make it ideal for particular programs and associations.
Where Both Systems Handle Peer Review
Both Eventscribe and M Events support blind review, scoring, reviewer assignment, and committee decisions feeding into program scheduling. M Events goes further with a published conflict-of-interest module, which protects the integrity, trust, and credibility of accredited scientific programs.
Eventscribe differs due to its blind and double-blind settings, topic- or expertise-based assignments, and a Chair role that determines reviewer scoring. It also features session building from accepted submissions.
Submission Types Beyond The Scientific Abstract
Eventscribe's centralized submission tool covers abstracts, awards, scholarships, grants, proposals, and volunteer applications within one interface. Meanwhile, M Events' published focus is on scientific abstracts.
An association running an awards program and a scholarship cycle alongside its annual meeting must typically buy or build a second system. However, that cost rarely appears if you have a system, such as Eventscribe, that covers it all.
Continuing Education After The Meeting Ends
M Events and Eventscribe both track credits at events. The difference is what happens in the eleven months afterward.
Credit Tracking During And After The Event
Both types of conference management software handle credit tracking. However, Eventscribe manages certifications post-event for seamless year-round learning. This native learning management system (LMS) makes it easier to handle the complexities of continuing education.
Turning Congress Content Into Year-Round Education
With Eventscribe's CME tracking, recorded sessions move into Cadmium's LMS products and become credit-bearing education and non-dues revenue. Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) reporting is also available for healthcare programs.
On the other hand, M Events publishes a Virtual Society module that offers year-round access to sessions, courses, and content. However, the full scope of M Events' offerings can't be verified because the company's detail page currently returns a 404 error.
How Each System Connects To Your Member Data
Eventscribe currently offers association management system (AMS) integration across iMIS, Fonteva, Impexium, Netforum Enterprise, YourMembership, Nimble, and A2Z Events. This broad scope of AMS integrations offers several key advantages, including:
- Member and non-member registration tiers
- Member status verification at registration
- Education history written back to the member record
As you compare M Events to Eventscribe, consider the types of member data your association works with. Since M Events' full listings don't appear to be available online, the best approach may be to reach out to both vendors directly to see if they meet your association's unique needs.
Pricing Models And What Drives Total Cost
Both solutions' pricing structures are fundamentally different, but understanding their distinctions and asking the right questions can help make the quotes comparable.
Why The Two Quotes Will Not Look Alike
M Events is a bundled engagement covering software, AV, hardware, and staffing prices against an event or a season, usually resulting in a higher price tag. Meanwhile, Eventscribe requires you to pay software subscription prices against a term and a scope of modules.
Of course, you can't compare headline figures without separating software from production and other needs. M Events' model may be a better value for a society already paying for AV and staffing separately. Likewise, Eventscribe's scope of submission options can make it a great choice for organizations handling abstracts, proposals, and scholarships.
Questions To Ask Before You Compare Quotes
Consider asking these questions to find your best association event management software:
- What software, production, and staffing do you offer, and can they be priced separately?
- Who configures submission forms, rubrics, and reports during review season: our staff or the vendor?
- Is this priced per event or per year, and what happens with a second or third meeting?
- Are abstract review, credit issuance, and certificate delivery included in the base scope, or are they separate?
- Is connection to our AMS included, a paid service, or unavailable?
Choosing Between A Congress Production Partner And An Association Event System
Your ideal choice between M Events and Eventscribe depends on what your association is facing. M Events is built for producing a large scientific congress with stage technology and on-the-ground crew. Meanwhile, Eventscribe can help run an annual meeting that connects to member records and feeds a year-round education program.
Interested in learning more about Eventscribe, Cadmium's event management system? Speak with an expert here.
