Accelevents

Great Interactive online event platform

Comments: Overall we had a great event and got a lot of positive feedback from the participants.

Pros:

1. The customer service was great: any time we had a question, a problem, or a bug, we got a quick response from the team and an immediate solution. Guys, you rock! Thanks a lot. 2. The pricing is pretty well calculated - the per participant per day payment makes it much easier for us to calculate our cost per participant and makes smaller online events possible and affordable.

Cons:

1. The constant updates that are happening in the backstage - some features were coming and going and after some updates the platform was not functioning well. Which was frustrating, but the supportive team was always there to help out. 2. The platform does not have a mobile or PC app.

Accelevents Saved our Auction!

Comments: Accelevents really did save our spring auction. When COVID hit and we had to cancel our live event, we knew our fundraising efforts were going to take a big hit. Then we found Accelevents and the staff helped us get our event online quickly and easily. Our virtual auction was a big success! Now we are using Accelevents again for our holiday auction. We are very happy with the platform and the fantastic customer support!

Pros:

Very easy to use, fast and easy to learn, wonderful customer service, very knowledgeable staff that answered all my questions quickly, and a great price.

Cons:

Would love a bit more customization options for how the website looks and feels. It would be nice to be able to add a short paragraph of verbiage at the top of the auction and fund a need pages. In addition, we would like to be able to reorder the "tabs" so the About tab was first, then the bid on auction items tab, and then the fund a need tab. In other words, we wanted to be able to say a little bit about our organization on the first page that people see rather than having the auction items be the first thing they see.

Less than intuitive interface and documentation

Comments: Awful.

Pros:

I liked the idea of being able to have a live exhibit area.

Cons:

Administrators still had to be designated as speakers to have functionality in that session. Weird to have to register speakers as attendees to be able to see other sessions. We offered to pay money to have an Accelevents person facilitate the event or train us beyond their not-so-helpful documentation and training events. They refused, saying we were too small without even quoting us a price. Live chat support sends you back to the documentation. We finally gave up a week before the event and went elsewhere because we couldn't guarantee we could provide a good experience for attendees.

GREAT option for a first time virtual event

Comments: As a first timer running a totally virtual event, Accelevents was perfect and very affordable for what we needed to do. I loved that you can use either pre-recorded or live videos, and the integrations are very helpful. I would absolutely use this for future events, even if we have a hybrid (in-person and virtual) event in the future.

Pros:

The amount of features was perfect for what we needed and the support was extremely responsive and helpful! Our attendees (mostly seniors) had very few issues navigating (with some help from us), and the issues they had were mostly user error with just a couple kinks from the platform itself.

Cons:

It seems like the platform is still working out some kinks, as if it is newish. There are a few features I wish worked differently, and there were a few features that I were surprised I couldn't enable, like not allowing one email address to register more than once.

Happy User

Comments: In my research to find the right tool, this was the best looking and best priced option. After use, I am still very happy! Seems like a little more development could happen to add features, but honestly I'll be using this product again next year for our auction event either way!

Pros:

I loved the clean look of the site. Also, the response time for the chat feature & fixing issues was very very good. The ability to load multiple pictures & have a designated sponsor section.

Cons:

Reporting features could use some beefing up. Plus a few more glitches than I'd prefer, but those were always fixed quickly - just frustrating in the moment.

Great Customer Service

Comments: [sensitive content hidden] was awesome! A huge help in building out my event when I ran into a problem.

Pros:

The customer service IM chat is a life saver. Helped save me so much time when I ran into an issue.

Cons:

Cross functionality with other platforms

One of the best hybrid event platforms on the market, highly recommend.

Pros:

Accelevents integrates with my current tech stack nicely, but they are exceptional at giving my team the ability to maximize the engagement opportunity for both our attendees and our sponsors or partners. If you're hosting an event and want to showcase different assets or give special attention to special partners or divisions, this is the best way to do it.

Cons:

This is one of those things where it's not about Accelevents, it's purely about event planning in general. Events are complex. Accelevents is actually one of the best ways to help navigate a complex event.... so I guess that goes to show you that I don't have much I dislike :)

Accelevants is AWESOME

Comments: Love it and them.

Pros:

Highly recommend. We are small nonprofit that couldn't afford the higher cost options. Also they didn't have a text to bid option. Accelevants is both functional and affordable AND they have really awesome features.

Cons:

Sometimes inputting the data can be glitchy; however, their customer service reigns supreme so we have always figured it out together and fast.

Super affordable and effective for silent auctions.

Pros:

The price is right! Easy to include images, easy to process payments, easy to edit and update. Overall user-friendly.

Cons:

Their sales/customer reps are obnoxious! Originally, they offered me a coupon to join and then wouldn't let me use it. Now I keep getting emails from them even though I've unsubscribed.

Great Product!

Comments: Customer Service was great. When I had questions on functions or how my event was going to run, I got a response quickly and they were very easy to work with. I look forward to using Accelevents for my next fundraiser.

Pros:

One stop shop for your next fundraiser! I was able to do a silent auction as well as sell raffle tickets. Payments were easy and I had no complaints from my attendees to our event regarding the process. I loved I could easily share on social media to get the word out on fundraiser. I did not utilize the ticket portion but would expect that would be smooth as well. Price was comparable to other products offered so I definitely made the right choice going with Accelevents!

Cons:

I do not have anything bad to say here! Would highly recommend this product!

Our Accelevents online auction was great!

Comments: Great overall experience. We hit our fundraising goals in our one week auction and our bidders really liked the online and mobile Accelevents experience.

Pros:

Our organization just completed an online auction as a fundraiser and we used Accelevents as our platform. Everything went very smoothly and the whole experience was a plus, plus, plus! One real benefit to Accelevents was their 24/7 online support. This was particularly helpful to me because I often worked imputing auction data at night, so any questions or small issues that surfaced after business hours could be easily addressed. The team at Accelevents was very responsive and helpful. Our bidders loved the auction site, the mobile capabilities, and found the checkout and payment process was a breeze. At the end of the auction Accelevents provided downloadable spreadsheets of the entire bidding process as well as the winning bidders and their payment details. Another win-win for us was the affordability of the Accelevents rate structure. A final benefit to using Accelevents is that we can keep our account information online so that we can use the platform over and over for future raffles, bidding or donation opportunities. I would highly recommend this service for any of your auction or online donation needs.

Cons:

Sometimes when I was inputting text for an auction item the cursor popped back to the beginning of the paragraph. It was frustrating and slowed me down. However, when I reached out to the Accelevents team, they acknowledged the problem right away and confirmed they were working to fix it. This kind of a proactive response which takes ownership of the problem is very helpful, in my opinion.

Bringing our silent auctions to the next level

Comments: Absolutely fantastic. In the past we have never made over $900 on our silent auction portion of our reverse raffles ... with Accelevents, the past 2 years we have raised $2900 and $1900. So well worth the money.

Pros:

I have now used this product for 2 silent auctions at our Band Parents Reverse Raffle. In the past, we would make under $1000 on our silent auctions and would have to deal with the vultures hovering around the tables. With the Accelevents silent auction, people are bidding constantly and I LOVE that my guests get a text message once they are outbid. No longer do they have to run over to the tables constantly to see if they are still the top bidder. They have it all in the palm of their hand. Also, as the primary organizer of the event for 2 years, as "go time" approaches, paranoia sets in and I start to second guess whether everything is set to go. This year I messaged them in the wee hours of the morning the night before the event and got an almost immediate response as well as getting some last minute questions answered just hours before the event started. I haven't had the chance to use the other portions of the product, but if they are anywhere near as good as the silent auction, I'm positive they won't disappoint! Thanks Accelevents!!!

Cons:

Really have no cons to speak of. These peeps rock!

I used to recommend Accelevents, but...

Comments: I started out a fan of this software. I used this in March of 2020 to do a silent auction for our nonprofit. The platform worked pretty well and seemed reasonably priced. One thing during that experience did rub me the wrong way. I was chatting with Accelevents' [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN]. He made a rude scoff about how someone might not have an email address. I explained to him that we serve the elderly and disabled population and that many of them may not have an email address. It didn't feel right. Fast forward now (November, 2020). I started setting up my second auction. When I went to activate it, they had increased their pricing by 35% in just eight months! I can appreciate a rate hike, but this seemed extreme. Therefore, I asked customer service if they would work with me on the pricing since I have been a proponent. They straight out said no. I'm moving on to another platform. I miss the days when customer service mattered.

Pros:

The software has a solid auction platform.

Cons:

The customer service. No one without an email could participate.

Perfect Product for Non Profit

Comments: We hosted an event and utilized Accelevents for ticketing and managing our silent auction. Ticketing was easy to set and we could customize per our specific needs. Silent Auction set-up, execution and checkout was the easy, straight forward and user friendly. Customer service and help options were phenomenal….it's old school customer service....hard to find these days. We will use Accelevents for ALL our future needs.

Pros:

Super user friendly Excellent Customer Service Many 'a la carte' features for NP various needs (auction, ticketing, etc.) Only pay for what you need Very cost effective for our small NP with little money to spend Phenomenal customer service No app needed for auction bidding

Cons:

Wish we could group text all guests at event via software

Great prorgam!

Comments: The non-profit organization where I work has used AccelEvents for a variety of events and purposes, including silent auctions, drawings, and text-to-give for small and large events. The most absolutely consistent factor has been the customer service - they are awesome! They are always quick to reply and generally are able to help me find an easy solution. In terms of the program, it is easy to use and we have had interns and volunteers trained and using the program within minutes at our events. The look is clean and smooth, and the back-end interface is relatively intuitive and straight-forward. The cost is also perfect, especially for a small non-profit with a limited budget, as the low flat fee allows us to know our costs up-front and keep the majority of what we raise to put toward our mission. We've tried a few other programs but you cannot beat the value for this product.

Pros:

Easy to use on both the front- and back-end; Low cost but great value; Fantastic customer service

Cons:

Some limited options with customization and graphics

Makes bidding easy!

Comments: Very good, easy to chat with an associate for assistance at any given time. I would definitely use this product again!

Pros:

It was easy to set up and upload all of our auction items. Once everything is in the system it is easy to make any changes or add things. The look of the website for the end-user is very nice! Everything is pretty customizable to fit your needs and the parameters of your auction. Plus taking care of the items after the auction closes is so easy! It automatically sends a link to individual who had the highest bid to finalize their payment and then that information automatically updates in the log. Then you can add notes if need be or manually alter information. Very quick and easy!

Cons:

I wish there was an actual app to download. We had an event where people where having a hard time getting the URL to work, sometimes it would take refreshing the page 4-5 times to actually get to the site. It would have been nice if there was an app they could download and then just search for our event.

Great Event Managing Site

Comments: Accelevents has made a huge difference for my fundraising events. It is so easy to put together an event and set up tickets. Since this is a school event I have to keep close track of purchases and profits, and Accelevents makes it easy! Their percentage they take is pretty low compared to other event sites, and you can automatically work it into ticket prices through the website. Their customer support is also very helpful.

Pros:

I enjoy using Accelevents to help create and manage events for high school fundraising. The site makes it easy to put together a website for the event, is very customizable, and there are a lot of different options for tickets and fundraising. One of my favorite things is they have added an update that lets you create seat-specific tickets for your venue! I was able to create a map of my room for a Paint Night event and let buyers choose their seats in advance!

Cons:

Only parts of the website are editable (header, logo images) so there could be more customization.

The online/mobile auction solution I've been looking for!

Comments: I volunteer with a number of local non-profit organizations and often find myself working on silent auctions. For the past couple of years, I have looked into solutions for moving our auctions online, in order to increase visibility and participation. But most of the solutions would cost us the bulk of our fundraising. For small community organizations like PTOs, the giant platforms are just not a viable solution. Then, I found Accelevents. Exactly the type of solution that I was looking for, at exactly the right price. Set-up was easy and didn't require any huge investment in time or cost. I could build our auction at my own pace, as items became available. The user experience was equally as simple -- without requiring cumbersome account set-up from people who wanted to participate in the bidding. And the text-to-bid option was a huge bonus, making the bidding process simpler and more exciting. When people are busy enjoying themselves at a party, they don't want to be running around checking clipboards. With text notifications and bids, they didn't have to! The bidding came right to them! The integration with Stripe made the check-out process much simpler and faster for everyone involved. Our entire auction was closed out in under 24 hours, even when half the participants were not actually at the event. (That was a huge win too -- people did not have to be at our sold-out event to participate in the auction!) Finally, the support I receive along the way was exceptional. Questions were answered within hours -- and often within minutes. I would HIGHLY recommend Accelevents to anyone looking to bring their auction --of any size--online.

Successful collaborative fundraiser, because of an Excellent 24/7 Support Team!

Comments: Our collaborative fundraiser raised moneyfor each of 8 collaborators, with additional funds generated from offline purchases of paintings after the auction was over. In addition, this software helped each of our collaborators to build a better networking relationship with each other.

Pros:

This was my first time coordinating an online Mobile Silent Art Auction collaborative fundraiser. Most of our collaborative confidence, in the possibility of a successful fundraiser, in spite of my inexperience, came from the incredible 24/7 excellent AccelEvents support team. The buyers bidding on the art especially liked the efficiency of being able to view and select their choice of paintings online. Even the buyers who took the time to come to the in-person art show on the first or last day of our 7-day online art auction, came with a list of their selections from the paintings they had seen online. We liked having the opportunity in our collaborative fundraiser, to introduce each collaborator, with logos, pictures, videos, and their website, as well as sharing more information about our collaborative theme of "Forests."

Cons:

An animated tutorial, walking me through all the steps might have helped to both lower my awkward beginner's fear-level of being so inexperienced, and also more rapidly increased my ability level. This might have helped me to reduce the number of questions I asked the awesome AccelEvents team, even though their team would still be needed.

Surprised by Expert Service

Pros:

Accelevents offered our small nonprofit the opportunity to finally convert to an online auction platform without damaging the bottom line. Moreover, their expert customer service was unparalleled! Always available by chat, email, or phone call, the Accelevents team of professionals shepherded our event from beginning to end with their excellent service, constant availability, and accurate explanations. They even went out of their way to have their designers add a feature I requested. Thank you, Accelevents, for bearing with our first attempt at online bidding!

Cons:

There were some checkout features that we could have perfected, perhaps, before the event but most certainly could only be resolved through having experienced them firsthand.

Auction Platform Is Awesome

Comments: The overall experience with Accelevents is phenomenal. Their pricing is straightforward. The platform is clean. The platform is very easy to use.

Pros:

The pricing on this software provides incredible value. It is easy to use and understand. The system is very responsive. Bidding is simple for all bidders. Pricing is very straightforward.

Cons:

Only negative is that on the backend there is no way to sort items alphabetically, by price, etc. To find an item, you have to search. Also, for the way the items list on the front-end, the drag and drop makes it easy to arrange them, but it takes a long time to manually sort items in this way. There is no simple way to sort the way items appear.

Awesome Team! Great work!

Comments: We used both Auction and Raffle feature of Accelevents for Altera's Annual Fundraiser Golf Tournament. Jonathan and Zach have been very supportive and very prompt in answering our question. We really appreciate extended support during and after the event. Website is very easy to use. Mobile bidding is the way to go in this era of technology. Texting feature was the most helpful and hassle free way of bidding on your favorite item or submitting the raffle ticket. It saved us a lot of trouble of signing up the participant for an account, before they can bid. Accelevents have made this process very easy. However, it would have been nice to be able to bid online too, since few participants accidently gave submitted their office number, instead of mobile number. There were few glitches but the team was very fast in addressing them and finding a workaround very quickly.
The team is always thinking ahead of demands from the customers! Which is very impressive! It would be nice to see what they have more to offer in future revisions of their product. I would recommend using Accelevents for your next auction/raffle events.

Great Tool for non profits

Pros:

This platform was very easy for my busy non profit team to upload silent auction items. It provided our patrons with a fun and easy way to donate to our cause.

Cons:

We had a few glitches in loading on some browsers, but the support line helped us out quickly. We got feedback from participants that they wish they couldn't remember their passwords from the year before.

A great product for a small organization like us

Pros:

We are a small non-profit organization and for us, every dollar we spend matters and must be maximized. We host fundraising events about twice a year and have used Accelevents for these events for two years. It is much less expensive than competitors and is very easy to use. Customer support is excellent, always available. We have never had an issue! I am extremely confident in this product and recommend it to everyone.

Cons:

The website builder is a little bit glitchy and sometimes I need to restart my browser.

Accelevents pros and cons

Comments: It was a good entry inexpensive platform. Selected because of the ability to used their streaming service. Found the lack of flexibility with some features to be frustrating

Pros:

Like the ease of using the streaming and ease of uploading information into the platform

Cons:

There was a lack of flexibility and customization of messages and controlling when you send communications or the ability to track them. Also the streaming did not like that you could see the staff as a speaker you should be able to choose who goes to broadcast. Finally the frustration in the timing for sessions. There was no flexibility to make adjustments on the fly or if a session goes longer or ends earlier.