Event registration software is the system people use to sign up and pay for your events online, while your team follows who is coming. For associations, the best setup connects registration to the member records: members log in with the account they already have and the member price applies automatically, which is how events work in Assocializa, association management software by Softaliza, on the Advanced and Premium plans.
This guide covers what event registration software should do for a member-based organization, how automatic member pricing works in practice and when a conference needs more than registration.
What event registration software does
At its core, event registration software replaces the sign-up form, the payment link and the attendee spreadsheet with a single flow:
- An event page with the date, the details and the price.
- Online registration, so people sign up without writing to the office.
- Online payment of the registration fee.
- A list of registrants that is always current.
- Communication around the event, such as reminders before it and certificates after it.
For scientific meetings, the same flow usually extends to abstracts, check-in and proceedings. That is why conference registration software is often one part of a broader conference management system.
Why member pricing matters
Member pricing is one of the most visible advantages of membership: members pay less to attend the association's events, and non-members get one more reason to join.
The hard part is checking it. When registration is separate from the member records, someone has to confirm, one by one, whether each person who chose the member price is really a member. The usual results:
- Non-members pay the member price, because nobody had time to check.
- Members pay the full price by mistake and then ask for a refund.
- The office spends the week before the event cross-checking spreadsheets.
- Members create yet another account, with yet another password, just to register.
Automatic member pricing removes the check. The platform already knows who your members are, so each person sees the right price.
How event registration works in Assocializa
Events, courses and activities are part of the Advanced plan, and Premium includes everything in Advanced.
- Create the event, course or activity. Each one gets its own page in your association's platform.
- Set the prices. Define the member price and the price for everyone else.
- Open registration. People register online from the event page.
- Members log in with the same account. Members use the login they already have for the member portal. The platform recognizes them and applies the member price automatically.
- Registrants pay online. Payment methods depend on your country and payment provider. In Brazil, people can pay by Pix, boleto or card; for other countries, our team confirms what is available.
- Calendar and reminders. The event appears in the integrated calendar, with reminders, so members see what is coming and do not miss the date.
- Certificates in the member portal. After the event, members find their certificates in the member portal, next to their receipts and their membership card.
- Check-in on Premium. On the Premium plan, your team checks attendees in at the event and knows who actually came.
Courses and activities work the same way
Registration is not only for the annual meeting. Workshops, short courses and regional activities can each have their own page, online registration and member pricing. On the Premium plan, the Academy adds recorded courses, live webinars, access by member category and learning paths with progress and certificates of completion.
What changes for your office and your members
For the office:
- No manual membership checks before confirming a registration.
- A registrant list that is always current, in the same platform as the member records.
- Fewer emails asking for certificates.
For members:
- One login for dues, events, certificates and the membership card.
- The right price, without codes or proof of membership.
- Certificates in the portal they already use.
What to look for in conference registration software
If you are comparing options, these are the questions that matter most for an association:
- Is it connected to your member records? Member pricing only works automatically when the system knows who your members are.
- Do members use the same login? A separate account for events means more passwords and more support requests.
- Where do certificates go? Members should find them in a place they already use.
- Does it handle courses and activities? Your calendar probably includes more than the annual meeting.
- Is there check-in? You need attendance, not only registrations.
- What about abstracts? Scientific societies usually need submissions and peer review for the same meeting. See our guide to abstract management software.
- Which payment methods can your members use? Check what is available in your country before you decide.
Advanced or Premium: which plan for your events
Advanced, USD 120 per month, covers events, courses and activities with their own page, online registration with automatic member pricing, the integrated calendar with reminders and certificates in the member portal. It also adds full cash flow, auditable online voting, the document library, the news timeline, the community forum and an online store integrated with finance.
Premium, USD 200 per month, adds what scientific meetings need: abstract management with single-blind or double-blind review and committee approval, proceedings generated as a PDF and event check-in. It also includes the Academy, a native iOS and Android app with your association's name and icon, push notifications, membership card and QR credential, and a REST API.
Both prices are fixed, whatever the number of members, and both plans include everything in Essential: the member portal, member records, dues billing and the digital membership card.
When a congress needs its own event website, an event app, live streaming or proceedings with DOI, ISSN or ISBN, Softaliza also offers a separate event platform for congresses.
How to get started
Every plan includes human support, hosting, updates, data migration and a dedicated WhatsApp group with our team. There is no setup fee and no lock-in: you can cancel with 30 days' notice and export your data in an open format. You can also upgrade or downgrade anytime, so you can start on Advanced and move to Premium when your meeting needs abstracts and check-in. Compare plans in our pricing section.
Watch the demo: the complete presentation of Assocializa, plan by plan.