Pandemic or Not, Events Go on Without a Hitch Using HeyForm

2020 has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. We've all had to get used to expecting the unexpected and navigating through waves of uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, compelling us to rethink everything from organizational operations to daily work routines. Large events, such as exhibitions and conferences, have been particularly affected—many were either canceled or transitioned to online formats.

This new reality is something Jenny and her colleagues at her event management company have been grappling with since March 2020. With mandatory stay-at-home orders and the closure of nonessential businesses, the impact on Jenny's company, which typically organizes around 75 events annually, was immediate and profound. Events were being canceled left and right, and almost all employees had to adapt to working from home. Amid this chaos, Jenny turned to HeyForm to gather crucial information in an organized, swift, and efficient manner.

HeyForm: A Lifeline During the Pandemic

Jenny's company had been using HeyForm for over six months, and it quickly became apparent that it was the best tool for navigating the pandemic-induced crisis. HeyForm was instrumental in querying hundreds of exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees about their preferences regarding the money they had already paid for various events.

"Things were starting to fall through the cracks," Jenny explained. "From my previous experience, HeyForm is both powerful and flexible, and it seemed like the perfect tool for the job. Utilizing the forms to their full potential was the best decision we made."

Many of Jenny's clients opted for virtual events instead of in-person gatherings during the pandemic. Despite the challenges, the company continued to use HeyForm to create new, branded exhibits and sponsorship applications for these virtual events.

Rapid Adaptations to Cancellations

Jenny swiftly modified event cancellation forms using HeyForm, allowing exhibitors and sponsors to request full refunds, roll their payments over to future events, or participate in virtual events and receive partial refunds.

HeyForm equipped Jenny with the tools she needed to add a professional touch to the data-collection process. She could create PDF templates linked to specific online forms. Whenever an exhibitor or sponsor filled out an event cancellation form or an application for a virtual event, the PDF template was automatically populated with the submitted information. These could then be attached to personalized auto-response emails.

"From helping us track data and status to attractive thank-you pages that users saw after filling out forms, HeyForm helped us provide a great experience to our exhibitors, clients, and sponsors," Jenny said.

Streamlined Email Communications

Event managers and contract administrators received notification emails once exhibitors or sponsors submitted a response via HeyForm, along with the PDF copy of their responses. Users also had the flexibility to modify the sender and reply-to fields for the emails sent to sponsors and exhibitors.

"This reassured exhibitors and sponsors about the legitimacy of the correspondence," Jenny noted. "It also made the forms appear quick and easy to fill out, despite the conditional rules we had set in the backend."

Integrations for Smoother Workflows

Thanks to HeyForm's Google Suite integrations, event coordinators could automatically obtain submitted information in the secure format needed to update databases and financial records. Easy integration with Slack and Telegram ensured seamless communication of updates both within and outside the organization.

"Without HeyForm, managers would have had to manually track thousands of emails and accurately update financial records," Jenny said. "The data we had or were receiving was inconsistent. With HeyForm, we were able to create a structured process for managing information gathering. Amid the constantly shifting dynamics of the pandemic, HeyForm helped us deliver quality to our clients."

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably changed the landscape of event management, but tools like HeyForm have made it possible for companies to adapt and thrive. By providing a flexible, powerful, and user-friendly platform, HeyForm has helped Jenny and her team navigate unprecedented challenges and continue delivering high-quality experiences to their clients. Whether you're dealing with cancellations, transitioning to virtual events, or simply looking for a more efficient way to collect and manage data, HeyForm is a valuable ally.

If you haven’t tried HeyForm yet, now is the perfect time to see how it can transform your event management processes. Give it a try and experience the difference for yourself!

FAQs

1. What is HeyForm?
HeyForm is an open-source form builder that allows users to create engaging conversational forms for surveys, questionnaires, quizzes, and polls without needing any coding skills.

2. How can HeyForm help with virtual events?
HeyForm enables event organizers to create branded exhibits and sponsorship applications for virtual events, streamline data collection, and automate communication processes, ensuring a seamless transition from in-person to online events.

3. Can HeyForm integrate with other tools?
Yes, HeyForm offers integrations with Google Suite, Slack, and Telegram, among others, making it easier to update databases, financial records, and communicate updates within and outside your organization.

4. How does HeyForm handle data security?
HeyForm ensures that all submitted information is securely formatted, helping you maintain accurate and consistent records without compromising data security.

5. Is HeyForm suitable for small businesses?
Absolutely! HeyForm is designed to be user-friendly and flexible, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes, including small businesses looking to streamline their data collection and event management processes.