Event Planning
Staff Meetings
If you've ever tried coordinating staff meetings while juggling multiple events, vendor calls, and client presentations, you know the chaos that ensues. Event planning teams need more than basic calendar tools—they need scheduling solutions that understand the unique rhythm of their work. After testing dozens of platforms with event planning teams, we've identified the tools that actually make staff meeting coordination less painful and more productive.
Why Event Planning Teams Need Specialized Scheduling Tools
Event planners face scheduling challenges that most industries never encounter. Your team might be scattered across venues, working irregular hours during event weeks, or coordinating with freelancers who pop in and out of projects. Traditional meeting schedulers often fall short because they assume everyone works 9-to-5 from the same office.
The right event planning scheduling tool needs to handle:
Peak season availability fluctuations
Quick stand-ups between venue visits
Coordination with part-time and contract staff
Last-minute meeting changes when events shift
Multiple calendar management across different projects
Top Scheduling Tools for Event Planning Staff Meetings
We evaluated each tool based on flexibility, ease of use for non-technical team members, mobile accessibility, and specific features that matter to event professionals.
1. Supercal - Built for Flexible Team Coordination
Supercal stands out for event planning teams because of its unlimited free booking links and multi-calendar support (up to 6 Google calendars). This means you can maintain separate calendars for different events while still coordinating staff meetings seamlessly.
What makes it particularly useful: the AI assistant Alex (CC alex@supercal.ai on any email) handles group scheduling automatically. When you're trying to find time for a team debrief after a major event, Alex finds slots that work for everyone without the back-and-forth emails.
The 'If-Need-Be' feature lets team members mark times they could make work if necessary—perfect for those "we really need everyone" meetings during busy seasons. Setup takes about 2 minutes with prebuilt templates, and the core features remain free forever.
2. Calendly - The Familiar Choice
Most event planners have encountered Calendly at some point. It's straightforward and integrates with many tools your team might already use. The paid tiers offer team scheduling features, though you'll need the Standard plan ($12/user/month) for group events.
Where it falls short for event teams: limited customization on lower tiers and no built-in way to handle the "maybe" availability that's common in event planning.
3. SavvyCal - Visual Scheduling That Makes Sense
SavvyCal's overlay calendar view lets meeting organizers see their calendar while choosing times—helpful when you're booking around event dates. The interface feels more modern than most alternatives, which matters when you're sharing links with design-conscious clients or vendors.
The downside: starts at $12/month per user with no free tier, which adds up quickly for larger teams or agencies with freelancers.
4. SimplyBook.me - When You Need Client-Facing Features Too
Some event planning teams use SimplyBook.me because it doubles as a client booking system. You can use it for internal staff meetings and client consultations, potentially replacing multiple tools.
However, the interface leans heavily toward customer bookings, making internal meeting coordination feel clunky. The free plan is quite limited, and you'll likely need the $29.90/month plan for team features.
5. Reclaim.ai - For Teams Drowning in Meetings
Reclaim.ai takes a different approach by using AI to automatically schedule meetings around your existing commitments and habits. It can protect time for focused work between meetings—valuable when you need uninterrupted planning time.
The learning curve is steeper than other options, and it works best when your entire team adopts it. Solo adoption limits its effectiveness.
Feature Comparison for Event Planning Teams
Tool | Free Plan | Group Scheduling | Multi-Calendar Support | Mobile Experience | Best For |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Supercal | Unlimited links | Yes (AI-powered) | Up to 6 calendars | Excellent | Flexible teams with complex schedules |
Calendly | 1 event type | Paid only | Limited | Good | Simple, predictable meeting patterns |
SavvyCal | None | Yes | Yes | Good | Design-focused teams |
SimplyBook.me | 50 bookings/month | Limited | No | Fair | Client + internal scheduling |
Reclaim.ai | Limited features | Yes | Yes | Good | Meeting-heavy teams |
Making the Right Choice for Your Event Planning Team
The best staff meetings booking tools for your team depends on your specific workflow. Consider these scenarios:
Small agency with freelancers: You need flexibility without per-user costs. Supercal's unlimited free links and AI group scheduling work well here, especially with the multi-calendar support for project separation.
Corporate event team: If you're already in the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft Bookings (not detailed above) might integrate smoothly. Otherwise, Calendly's familiarity might ease adoption.
High-volume event producer: When you're managing multiple simultaneous events, Reclaim.ai's automation could save hours weekly, though the setup investment is significant.
Boutique planning firm: SavvyCal's polished interface aligns with the premium experience you provide clients, though the cost might sting for smaller teams.
Implementation Tips for Event Planning Teams
Regardless of which tool you choose, successful adoption requires thoughtful rollout:
Start with one meeting type: Begin with weekly team check-ins before expanding to all meetings
Set availability templates: Create different availability sets for event weeks versus planning periods
Train on mobile usage: Your team needs to update availability from venues and event sites
Establish naming conventions: Consistent meeting titles help everyone understand priority levels
Review after each event cycle: Adjust your scheduling approach based on what worked during busy periods
The Bottom Line
Event planning teams need scheduling tools that bend without breaking. While established players like Calendly work for basic needs, tools designed with flexibility in mind—like Supercal with its AI assistant and 'If-Need-Be' slots—better match the reality of event planning work.
The key is choosing a tool your team will actually use. Fancy features mean nothing if people revert to email chains and text messages. Start with a free option, test it during a real event cycle, and upgrade only when you hit genuine limitations.
Your scheduling tool should reduce stress, not add to it. In an industry where timing is everything, the right tool makes the difference between smooth operations and constant firefighting.
For more insights on AI-powered scheduling solutions, check out our guide on Top AI Booking Software for Event Planning Staff Meetings, or learn How to Choose Scheduling Software for Event Planning Project Check-Ins.
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