Stova Reviews

“Efficient for event sign-ups, needs better support

Pros

You can get a simple event registration page running in no time. It handles the job of signing people up and you can easily send them confirmation details.

Cons

The company has changed from Aventri to a merged brand called Stova and since then the help team hasn't been great. I'm also unsure about the new company's future plans.

“quick event registration setup

Pros

Setting up registration pages hasn't taken much time for me and I've found it easy to manage attendee communication.

Cons

It started as Aventri and later merged with MeetingsPlay to become Stova and since then the customer support hasn't been very strong. I'm also unsure about the direction the platform is heading.

“powerful features but frustrating experience

Pros

It offers a wide range of features in my experience, covering most event-related needs effectively.

Cons

Using it is not user friendly at all. The platform only offers a limited number of integrations and customer support wasn't helpful. It honestly felt like they expected appreciation just for offering the product instead of actually treating me like a customer.

“Good for hybrid events

Pros

This platform gave us a simple way to run a global event that had both in-person and online attendees.

Cons

Learning the system and training several team members took a significant amount of time.

“hybrid event management done right

Pros

Using it has been a convenient way for me to manage international hybrid events without too much complexity.

Cons

Getting familiar with the platform took some time, especially when onboarding several staff members.

“powerful features but daunting setup

Pros

The platform provides a strong set of tools in my experience and I've found the reporting, analytics and support options very helpful when everything is running smoothly.

Cons

Getting started with it was much harder than expected, even with help from support. The setup process felt overwhelming and honestly, I never looked forward to having to use it. The pricing is also on the expensive side, especially once extra fees are added in. We also ran into problems with payment processing and integrating it with the other systems already established in our business was far from simple.

“overly complicated interface

Pros

The help team gets back to you incredibly fast usually in just a few minutes.

Cons

The website isn't very simple and is overly complex for straightforward events. The design feels old and the full version is so convoluted that it requires too much effort to understand.

“quick support with clunky interface

Pros

Whenever I've reached out for help, I've received quick responses from the customer service team which I really appreciate.

Cons

The site isn't very user-friendly and feels overly complicated for handling simple events. The interface also looks a little outdated and the extended version is far too complex and takes too long to understand.

“poor UX

Pros

If money is no object, this platform can do pretty much anything you can imagine. You can tailor its functions heavily to match your organization's specific requirements.

Cons

User experience needs improvement unless you are a skilled programmer. Without extensive coding knowledge, you'll require a lot of assistance during setup.

“tough to setup

Pros

With this tool, I've noticed a high level of customization which lets me tailor things closely to specific requirements when needed.

Cons

The user experience still needs improvement, especially for anyone who isn't a highly skilled developer. Without strong coding knowledge, getting everything set up usually takes a lot of extra help.

“fast setup and clean interface

Pros

Getting everything installed and set up was easy for me and I found the interface clear and easy to work with.

Cons

At times, the connection can be unstable and the quality during meetings drops occasionally.

“agile and simple to use tool

Pros

The performance has been impressive in my experience and I haven't found it difficult to use at all.

Cons

Honestly, I like everything about it. The handling is simple, easy and detailed and it doesn't let you down. You can buy it with confidence.

“simple tools and helpful tutorials

Pros

One thing I really appreciated is the absence of fees, along with how simple it was to set up events and learn the platform through clear tutorials.

Cons

I did run into a recurring issue when trying to reach customer support which was frustrating at times. Other than that, I didn't notice many real downsides, except that the website design could feel a bit more modern.

“Affordable but has room to grow

Pros

The cost was a perfect match for what we were looking for. Since we don't have a massive number of people signing up, it was a great fit. It even offers extra features we can grow into later on.

Cons

I've discovered a couple of things the system can't handle though I know no product can do everything. It's also not a major problem. There are so many different screens that it's occasionally tough to recall where to go for more advanced edits.

“Easy setup, can't transfer test data

Pros

The system is very easy to operate. The instruction we received was very detailed and connecting it to our customer database went off without a hitch.

Cons

We built our registration pages in the practice environment. It would be helpful if we could move them to the real event on our own, without having to wait for the support team.

“perfect fit for growing teams

Pros

The pricing lined up really well with what we needed. Since we don't have a large number of users or attendees, it was a strong match for our current setup. It actually offers more than we need right now which is a big plus because it gives us room to expand and grow into it over time.

Cons

A handful of features turned out to be unavailable but honestly they're pretty minor and I understand no platform is going to cover every single need. There are also quite a few pages and sections to navigate, so it can sometimes be tricky to remember exactly where to go when making more detailed changes.

“user-friendly setup and great training

Pros

The program felt very user-friendly right from the start and I found the training detailed and thorough while the CRM integration went smoothly.

Cons

One thing that could be better is the registration setup process. We created everything in the test environment and it would be much nicer if we could move those over to the live system ourselves instead of having to depend on customer service.

“frustrating formatting and suspension

Pros

Overall, it feels fairly easy to use and I find the software generally user-friendly.

Cons

Editing pages is incredibly frustrating because the text formatting keeps changing on its own, so I end up redoing it over and over. I can press the return key and the very next line suddenly has a different font, different size, or broken spacing which makes the whole process feel anything but simple. Even after clearing all formatting and starting from scratch, it still won't stay consistent. On top of that, the billing support has been completely unacceptable. We've been a loyal customer since 2015 and after getting a notice that our account was at risk of suspension, I worked internally to resolve the payment issue. Then, less than 24 hours after being told the account was only "at risk," it was suspended without warning and we lost three hours of work spent building a full registration page. This was honestly one of the most unprofessional experiences I've ever dealt with and we'll be moving on to another platform like CVENT, Eventbrite, or Salesforce, all of which appear to have far better reviews.

“Great session setup

Pros

My favorite aspects were how simple it was to set up event schedules, the polished look of the mobile app, the wide range of options, getting automatic alerts when sessions reached capacity and the simple process for adding session details.

Cons

The process for signing up for conference talks was a little frustrating because people had to switch between windows repeatedly to read the session descriptions.

“limited design options

Pros

It's a great starting point for people who've never built a conference site or app. It's also a valuable opportunity to learn about the features and operation of event registration tools.

Cons

The appearance and design options for the registration pages and the phone app are somewhat restricted. I'm hoping for more upgrades and choices here down the line.

“professional and packed with features

Pros

What stood out to me most was how simple it was to organize sessions and I found the app polished, professional and full of useful features, especially with how clearly it shows when sessions are full.

Cons

The attendee registration process for the conference was a little harder to manage because attendees had to switch back and forth quite a bit just to read the session abstracts.

“good for beginners

Pros

For me, getting started was pretty easy and I found it especially helpful as a beginner learning how meeting websites and registrations work.

Cons

The design and overall style of the meeting registration pages and the mobile app feel somewhat limited. I'd really like to see more development and improvement in this area going forward.

“responsive support and expanding features

Pros

Customer support has been a highlight for me, as I rarely wait long, always get friendly help and appreciate how they follow up while continuing to expand the platform's capabilities.

Cons

One area that has been difficult is the reporting system. It's pretty complex and without dedicated support, it would be very hard to navigate it successfully.

“cool new features

Pros

The company is always adding new services that have been a major help in managing our events. Their support team is wonderful and regularly exceeds expectations.

Cons

Their fast expansion has made their platform less reliable. We've had the service go down recently. While they fix it fast, it's still a disruption for us and our customers.

“Easy signup management

Pros

Handling the list of people who signed up for my events is simple. I'm also a big fan of the built-in questionnaire function.

Cons

When I download the participant list as a PDF, the formatting is poor and hard to read. I always have to use the Excel file instead.

“frustrating training and useless support portal

Pros

Honestly, the only positive I've experienced is that their customer service team seems organized which helps when dealing with an otherwise confusing system.

Cons

When we tried to get out of our 3-year contract after enduring months of tough training, our sales rep kept insisting that "this tool is incredibly simple" and that there were endless features if we would just complete the training. We did complete the training, at least the free version. Then it wanted another $2,500 for 16 hours of private team training. If the product is supposedly that simple, why would anyone need that much paid training? I truly cannot stand this software. Every time I have to learn a new feature, I dread it. Most of the time, I end up emailing customer service because I still cannot locate what I need on my own. Using this software makes about as much sense as a purple llama named Tuesday who hated his doorknob because of a fuzzy coffee cup. Even their so-called client support portal is laughable. It is supposed to return useful articles and tips when you search for help but instead it gives back the most irrelevant and useless nonsense imaginable. It is never helpful and never relevant.

“fantastic support and event tools

Pros

What I've noticed is that it keeps adding new services and I've found both the platform and their outstanding support incredibly useful for my event management needs.

Cons

Because they've been growing so quickly, the software has had some inconsistencies. We've run into a few recent service outages that were resolved fast but they still caused inconvenience for both us and our clients.

“event registration made simple

Pros

Handling my event registration lists has been extremely simple and I also use the survey feature quite often.

Cons

One thing I wish was better is the PDF export for attendee information, because it's not very readable right now. I end up relying on the Excel version every time instead.

“useful custom reports

Pros

Most useful part for me is the ability to build my own data reports. I can locate the specific information I'm looking for right when I need it. I also love that the event website refreshes in real-time as I make edits. The new test version is a huge improvement!

Cons

My only grievance is the cost, which is quite steep. Any problems I run into are solved promptly by their excellent support crew. They reply rapidly and will pass the issue to a specialist if required. I also like that I can give my opinion after a support ticket is closed.

“custom reports and live updates

Pros

The custom reporting feature has been the most valuable for me since it lets me pull exactly what I need and I enjoy seeing updates reflect instantly on the website.

Cons

At this point, I really do not have any major complaints aside from the higher price. Whenever I run into an issue, their support team handles it quickly and does a fantastic job of resolving it. They usually reply fast, escalate things when necessary and I also value being able to leave feedback on every ticket.

“usable platform but costly add-ons

Pros

At this price point, I found that it delivered the basics well, including running events, offering a mobile app and managing onsite badge printing.

Cons

The pricing was also a drawback because we later discovered that many of the tools we needed came with additional fees and we didn't learn that until we were already onsite at the event. A lot of the work also had to be done manually which ended up taking our team a significant amount of time. We also ran into printing issues onsite and the team supporting us at two of our events was difficult to work with.

“post-sale issues

Pros

The�assurances�we received before buying were about its simplicity, how well it would connect with our other systems, and clear, upfront costs.

Cons

After we signed the agreement, many of the features we were assured of seemed to vanish. They switched to a pricing model where they charge for every individual component, even though it was sold as an all-in-one package. I need a developer for every small adjustment and the confusing redirects during the sign-up process have seriously hurt my registration numbers.

“broken promises and extra charges

Pros

Before purchasing, I was introduced to it as a user-friendly and well-integrated platform with clear pricing.

Cons

Once the contract was signed, all of those promises seemed to disappear. They later switched to a line-item pricing model for modules that had been sold as one complete solution. On top of that, I need developer support for every change I want to make and the redirects throughout the registration flow are seriously hurting my attendee conversion.

“helpful support and simple setup

Pros

When I first started using it, I found the setup very easy and I appreciated how quickly I could get help through chat whenever I had questions.

Cons

The only downside for me was that I needed a very specific price reduction and the site couldn't accommodate that. Since it was such a particular pricing need, I wouldn't really say it was the program's fault.

“useful tool with limited builders

Pros

From my experience, it covers the core functionality I need, even if it's not as advanced or simple as some other platforms I've used.

Cons

Where it really falls short is the website builder and the email builder. We've had to rely on quite a few workarounds because neither one feels very simple and the templates they provide are fairly restrictive.

“flexible registration and badge tools

Pros

What I like most is the flexibility in managing registration workflows and I've found it especially helpful for organizing badges and integrating with lead collection tools.

Cons

The website and e-registration module could use work in both design and functionality. It's also frustrating that the mobile app is no longer included in the desktop plan pricing and the separate mobile option feels too expensive, so we've had to rely on a third-party solution instead.

“great templates and amazing support

Pros

Being able to turn routine events into templates while still customizing experiences has been very valuable for me and I've consistently had great experiences with their support team.

Cons

The website options are still fairly basic, although they do the job well enough given my limited technical skills. That said, they're currently in beta with a brand-new website feature that already looks very promising.

“planner-friendly and dependable

Pros

To me, this tool feels like it was built with event planners in mind and I found it reliable and quick to configure when I needed something efficient under time constraints.

Cons

There are definitely some useful hidden features in Aventri but you may never come across them unless you really dig into the platform and use every part of it. I also think Aventri could do a better job supporting the kinds of marketing tools media companies rely on. For example, I needed to add a Google conversion pixel to the confirmation page to track registrations from Google ads but even after multiple conversations with Support, there wasn't a way to make that happen. We had to use Google Tag Manager as a workaround but that still doesn't track the confirmation page. Just something they should consider.

“reliable meeting planner features

Pros

From day one, the software has felt simple to use and easy to navigate, giving me everything needed to manage programs effectively.

Cons

At this point, I don't have any negative feedback to share.

“packed with event tools

Pros

It brings together everything required to run successful events of any size which makes it easy for me to rely on a single platform.

Cons

Because the platform comes with such a large set of features, there's also a lot to learn at the beginning. It can take some time to get familiar with all the tools but it's support team and helpful webinars made that learning curve much more manageable.

“powerful event tools suite

Pros

All the tools needed to build, publish and manage events are included and I can easily handle emails, preferences and session registrations without extra effort.

Cons

The Salesforce integration is available but it hasn't felt as powerful as we'd like. If this tool expanded and turned it into a fully bi-directional connection, it would be perfect for our needs.

“affordable with decent support

Pros

Navigation feels smooth overall and the platform has been easy to work with, while the responsive support and lower cost have made it even more practical for me.

Cons

The system does have a few limitations. It doesn't support AND/OR conditional formatting and the survey reporting could definitely be better.

“reliable registration with useful reports

Pros

Having used it since the beta phase, the system now feels very familiar and the reporting tools have made handling admin tasks much easier for me.

Cons

From the admin side, especially when managing networking meetings, I'd really like stronger reporting and better search capabilities. That module is noticeably behind in reporting and it may end up pushing us to switch to another platform.

“powerful event management tools

Pros

A wide range of tools, from floor plans to websites, is available in one place which allows me to manage everything without switching between systems.

Cons

Because the platform includes so many features, it's easy to forget parts of what was covered in training. Still, the customer support team is always available to guide you through anything you need.

“feature-rich and user-friendly platform

Pros

The variety of features and modules stands out and the user-friendly setup has made it easy for me and others to adopt, especially with such reliable support.

Cons

Editing and formatting the website can be frustrating from time to time.

“fantastic support and follow-up

Pros

Quick responses from the support team have made a real difference and I've found that they stay involved until every issue is fully sorted out.

Cons

There is honestly very little to complain about with this software. The only downside I have run into is that, on rare occasions, emails sent through their marketing system end up getting filtered into the recipient's spam folder.

“simple registration and reliable support

Pros

Over time, it has become a dependable choice for conference registrations, with an simple setup and strong reporting that works well for me.

Cons

There isn't really anything I outright dislike. The only issue I've run into is that if you allow registrations using the same email address, there's no built-in alert to let someone know they may already be registered and that's the one part I didn't care for.

“responsive support and steady improvements

Pros

One thing I really appreciate is that whenever help is needed, responses come through quickly and issues are handled efficiently which keeps things running smoothly.

Cons

I've been using etouches since 2012, so at this point I'm very familiar with how it works and the terminology it uses. That said, getting started with it can be pretty confusing. Dealing with the account-level setup and the various uploads needed to link speakers to sessions used to be a very tough process. Still, etouches seems to keep evolving and improving those workflows which is definitely encouraging.

“registration reporting keeps revenue on track

Pros

From an accounting point of view, the reporting tools have been especially useful for tracking trends and keeping everything aligned with our goals.

Cons

A few of the reports can take some effort to sort through, although that may partly come down to the way our team originally configured them rather than the system itself.

“powerful platform with responsive support

Pros

After comparing several options, this platform stood out as more user-friendly, making it easier for me to bring event management in-house without added complexity.

Cons

One area that still feels limited is the eSurvey module. It really should offer functionality that's more in line with other tools such as SurveyMonkey.