Concept3D vs. LiveWhale: Which Platform Fits Your University's Needs?

University event management can be complex, especially with the challenge of centralizing events organized by a variety of departments across campus. Digital event calendars are a must for centralizing event listings, making it easier for both prospective and current students to participate. 

Here we compare two leading digital calendar platforms — Concept3D’s Localist Events software and LiveWhale Calendar. Whether your priority is customization, ticketing, event calendar management, or accessibility, we’ll highlight where each tool shines.

With over 90% of prospective students consulting college websites during their school search, having the right digital tools is key to attracting students. While LiveWhale and Concept3D share some overlapping features, they are fundamentally different in their focus:

Localist Events is designed to help higher ed institutions boost student engagement for events, and automates many of the tasks a school’s marketing or IT departments would normally be tasked with: admin and permissions, review and approval workflows, omnichannel event promotion, and more. 

Our centralized event calendar has advanced filtering options, allowing users to sort events by custom categories or formats, such as in-person events, virtual events, or hybrid events. But what makes Localist Events stand out is the software permits you to register attendees, provide tickets, and take payments directly from the platform, simplifying guests’ experience — and event organizers’.

After attendees register for your events, Localist Events’ built-in email marketing tools can help encourage attendance by notifying guests about event updates or sending attendance reminders via email. Once the event is over, Localist’s advanced analytics give you detailed insights about event engagement and performance.

LiveWhale keeps event management straightforward with clean, simple, and interactive calendars. Users can switch between daily, weekly, or monthly views to see what’s happening on campus. Events can also be filtered by type, and with a single click, users can add events directly to their personal calendars. 

However, there are no features supporting event registration or ticketing. That means that if you’re selling tickets to the drama department’s spring musical, or have limited seats at a free recruitment event, you won’t be able to manage those events with LiveWhale Calendar alone.

On the administrative side, there are few permissions levels, and its event submission form has no login or authentication, meaning that anyone on the internet can submit. These issues may make it challenging to maintain software security while giving all departments access to create and promote their own events. This may result in an administrative burden, as the admin with access has to create all the events for the other departments on campus.

Universities looking to populate event analytics from their calendar solution may also find LiveWhale limited, as it only provides basic event performance data.

LiveWhale Calendar is a budget-friendly solution, making it a great option for institutions looking for an affordable calendar without too many bells and whistles. Its features cover the basics effectively, with an intuitive editor that supports self-managed content. While its simplicity may be preferred by some, schools needing more robust calendars complete with event management solutions may find it lacking. 

With similar pricing, Concept3D’s Localist Events delivers excellent value by providing comprehensive event management features and sophisticated digital experiences tailored to meet a variety of institutional needs. With flexible pricing packages, Concept3D gives universities the freedom to scale their solutions as they grow, delivering long-term benefits and ensuring customer satisfaction.

When comparing Concept3D’s Localist Events and LiveWhale Calendar, it’s clear that each platform serves different needs. While LiveWhale offers a simple, affordable event calendar with basic features, Localist Events goes further with total end-to-end event management including ticketing and email marketing tools. Localist Events provides robust, accessible, and scalable solutions to enhance recruitment, engagement, and inclusivity.