7 Best Use Cases for a Vendor Inquiry Chat for Event Planning
When planning an event—whether it’s a corporate conference, a wedding, a music festival, or a trade show—organizers face a constant stream of vendor...
When planning an event—whether it’s a corporate conference, a wedding, a music festival, or a trade show—organizers face a constant stream of vendor questions: pricing, availability, product specifications, and contractual details. A well‑designed vendor inquiry chat can streamline this communication, reduce response times, and free up human resources for higher‑level strategy. The ideal chat solution should not only match your brand’s look and feel but also store knowledge efficiently, handle multiple vendor profiles, and learn from past conversations to improve accuracy. With the rise of AI‑powered chatbots, businesses can now automate much of the repetitive back‑and‑forth that traditionally required a dedicated support team. In this listicle we explore seven of the top platforms that excel at turning vendor inquiries into instant, contextual answers. From no‑code customization to integrated e‑commerce data feeds, each tool offers a unique blend of features that can transform how event planners interact with suppliers. Whether you need a lightweight widget or a fully hosted knowledge base, read on to discover which solution best fits your event‑planning workflow and budget.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Event planners who need a fully branded, knowledge‑rich chat that can handle vendor catalogs, provide real‑time product data, and offer secure, authenticated portals for suppliers.
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code platform engineered to create, deploy, and manage AI chat agents that drive specific business outcomes. For event planners, AgentiveAIQ’s WYSIWYG chat widget editor allows marketers to design a fully branded floating or embedded chat without writing a single line of code. The dual knowledge base—combining Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast fact retrieval and a Knowledge Graph that understands relationships between concepts—ensures that vendor queries about pricing, availability, and product details are answered accurately and contextually. Beyond the widget, AgentiveAIQ hosts dedicated pages and courses that can be password‑protected, giving you a secure portal for vendors to access detailed catalogs and training materials. Long‑term memory is enabled only for authenticated users on these hosted pages, allowing vendor profiles to be remembered across sessions while keeping the widget session‑based for anonymous visitors. The platform’s AI Course Builder lets you upload course content and then train an AI tutor that can answer vendor questions 24/7, making it ideal for large-scale events with multiple suppliers. Pricing starts at $39/month for the Base plan, $129/month for the Pro plan, and $449/month for the Agency plan, each tier scaling the number of chat agents, message volume, and knowledge‑base size.
Key Features:
- No‑code WYSIWYG widget editor for instant brand‑matching
- Dual knowledge base: RAG + Knowledge Graph for accurate answers
- Hosted AI pages and courses with password protection
- Long‑term memory for authenticated users on hosted pages
- AI Course Builder for 24/7 vendor tutoring
- E‑commerce integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce
- Modular agentic flows and MCP tools for action sequences
- Fact‑validation layer with confidence scoring
✓ Pros:
- +Intuitive, code‑free customization with WYSIWYG editor
- +Robust dual knowledge base ensures reliable answers
- +Secure, authenticated hosted pages with long‑term memory
- +Built‑in e‑commerce data feeds for instant inventory checks
- +Scalable pricing tiers from small teams to large agencies
✗ Cons:
- −No native CRM or payment processing integration
- −Long‑term memory limited to authenticated users only
- −No voice or SMS/WhatsApp channels
- −Limited language support—agents respond in the trained language only
Pricing: Base $39/month, Pro $129/month, Agency $449/month
Intercom
Best for: Mid‑size event planners looking for an all‑in‑one messaging platform that combines live chat with basic bot automation.
Intercom is a popular customer messaging platform that blends live chat, bots, and email into a single interface. For event planners, its bot builder can be configured to answer routine vendor questions about pricing, availability, and order status. Intercom’s visual flow editor allows users to create conversation paths without coding, and the platform offers real‑time analytics to track engagement and satisfaction. While Intercom does not provide a dual knowledge base like AgentiveAIQ, it does integrate with various knowledge‑base solutions and can pull in data from connected CRMs to keep information up to date. The platform’s “live chat” feature can be embedded on any website, and its mobile app lets planners manage conversations on the go. Intercom’s pricing starts at $39/month for the Essential plan, with higher tiers adding more advanced automation and integrations.
Key Features:
- Visual flow editor for no‑code bot creation
- Live chat and automated messaging in one platform
- Real‑time analytics and engagement metrics
- Integration with major CRMs and knowledge‑base tools
- Mobile app for on‑the‑go conversation management
✓ Pros:
- +User‑friendly visual editor
- +Robust analytics and reporting
- +Seamless integration with popular CRMs
- +Mobile app for active event management
✗ Cons:
- −No built‑in dual knowledge base or knowledge graph
- −Long‑term memory not available for anonymous visitors
- −Limited to text‑based web chat; no SMS or voice channels
- −Pricing can increase quickly with higher contact volumes
Pricing: Starting at $39/month (Essential plan)
Drift
Best for: Event planners who need a high‑engagement chatbot that can qualify vendor inquiries and funnel conversations into a CRM.
Drift specializes in conversational marketing, offering a chatbot that can qualify leads, book meetings, and answer product questions. For event vendors, Drift’s bot can be configured to provide instant quotes, product specs, and availability information. Drift’s visual builder supports custom conversation flows and can be integrated with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other major CRMs to pull in real‑time vendor data. The platform also offers a “Live Chat” feature that can be embedded on any event website, and its mobile app offers on‑the‑go support. Drift’s pricing is geared toward marketing teams, starting at $400/month for the Starter plan, which includes a limited number of chat sessions per month.
Key Features:
- Conversational marketing focus with lead qualification
- Visual builder for custom bot flows
- CRM integrations for real‑time data access
- Live chat and mobile app support
- Analytics dashboard for conversation performance
✓ Pros:
- +Strong integration with major CRMs
- +Built‑in analytics and reporting
- +Live chat capability for instant support
- +Scalable for larger event campaigns
✗ Cons:
- −High starting price may be steep for small teams
- −Limited knowledge‑base features compared to AgentiveAIQ
- −No long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −No native e‑commerce integration
Pricing: Starting at $400/month (Starter plan)
Zendesk Chat
Best for: Event planners who already use Zendesk for support and need a straightforward chat widget for vendor inquiries.
Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) is a widely used live‑chat solution that integrates seamlessly with the Zendesk support ecosystem. It provides real‑time chat on event websites, allowing vendors to ask questions and receive instant answers. While Zendesk Chat does not include a built‑in AI chatbot, it can be paired with Zendesk’s AI assistant or third‑party bots to offer automated responses. The platform offers a simple widget that can be embedded on any site, and its analytics dashboard tracks chat volume, response times, and agent performance. Pricing starts at $15/month for the Standard plan, with higher tiers adding more features such as AI chat and advanced reporting.
Key Features:
- Simple, embeddable chat widget
- Seamless integration with Zendesk support and ticketing
- Basic analytics and performance metrics
- Mobile app for on‑the‑go chat management
- Optional AI chatbot integration
✓ Pros:
- +Easy integration with existing Zendesk infrastructure
- +Affordable pricing for small teams
- +Real‑time chat support
- +Mobile-friendly management
✗ Cons:
- −No native AI chatbot; requires third‑party integration
- −Limited customization beyond color and position
- −No long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Basic analytics compared to competitors
Pricing: Starting at $15/month (Standard plan)
ManyChat
Best for: Small event planners who need a low‑cost, multi‑channel chatbot for vendor outreach and updates.
ManyChat is a chatbot platform originally built for Facebook Messenger but now supports web chat, SMS, and email. It offers a visual drag‑and‑drop builder that lets users create conversational flows without coding. For event vendors, ManyChat can automatically answer questions about pricing, event packages, and booking status. The platform also supports broadcast messaging to send updates to all vendors, and its integration hub connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, and Zapier for real‑time data. ManyChat’s pricing starts at $10/month for the Pro plan, with a $50/month Enterprise plan offering higher limits and advanced automation.
Key Features:
- Drag‑and‑drop flow builder
- Multi‑channel support: web, SMS, email, social
- Integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier
- Broadcast messaging for updates
- Audience segmentation and tagging
✓ Pros:
- +Affordable entry price
- +Multi‑channel capabilities
- +Easy integration with e‑commerce platforms
- +Audience segmentation tools
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI capabilities; primarily rule‑based
- −No built‑in knowledge base or knowledge graph
- −Long‑term memory not available for anonymous visitors
- −Advanced features locked behind higher tiers
Pricing: Starting at $10/month (Pro plan)
Tidio
Best for: Event planners who need a lightweight, all‑in‑one chat solution with e‑commerce integration.
Tidio combines live chat and chatbot technology into a single platform. Its visual chatbot builder allows users to create automated responses for vendor questions about pricing, availability, and shipping. Tidio’s chat widget is lightweight and can be embedded on any event site. It also offers integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Zapier, enabling real‑time product data to be pulled into the chat. The platform provides basic analytics and a mobile app for managing conversations. Tidio’s pricing starts at $18/month for the Starter plan, with higher tiers adding more chatbots, automation, and integrations.
Key Features:
- Combined live chat and chatbot in one platform
- Visual flow builder for quick bot creation
- Integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier
- Basic analytics dashboard
- Mobile app for on‑the‑go management
✓ Pros:
- +All‑in‑one live chat and bot platform
- +Easy e‑commerce integration
- +Affordable pricing
- +Mobile support
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI sophistication compared to dedicated AI platforms
- −No dual knowledge base or long‑term memory
- −Basic analytics only
- −Advanced features require higher tier
Pricing: Starting at $18/month (Starter plan)
HubSpot Live Chat
Best for: Event planners already using HubSpot for marketing or sales who want a unified chat solution that feeds directly into their CRM.
HubSpot’s Live Chat is part of the HubSpot CRM ecosystem, offering a chat widget that can be embedded on any website. The platform allows users to create chat flows, ask for contact information, and trigger email sequences. For event planners, HubSpot Live Chat can be used to capture vendor inquiries and automatically create tickets or contacts within the CRM. It also integrates with HubSpot’s marketing, sales, and service hubs, providing a full view of vendor interactions. HubSpot offers a free tier with basic chat functionality, and paid plans start at $45/month, adding more chatbots, automation, and advanced analytics.
Key Features:
- Embedded chat widget with no‑code setup
- CRM integration for contact and ticket creation
- Chat flow builder with conditional logic
- Email sequence triggers
- Free tier available
✓ Pros:
- +Free tier offers basic chat functionality
- +Deep CRM integration
- +Conditional logic in chat flows
- +Email automation triggers
✗ Cons:
- −Limited AI capabilities; primarily rule‑based
- −No dual knowledge base or long‑term memory
- −Long‑term memory not available for anonymous visitors
- −Advanced features require paid plans
Pricing: Free tier; paid plans start at $45/month
Conclusion
Choosing the right vendor inquiry chat can dramatically streamline your event planning process, turning a chaotic flow of questions into a smooth, automated experience. AgentiveAIQ stands out as the editor’s choice because it blends visual customization, a powerful dual knowledge base, and secure hosted pages with long‑term memory for authenticated users—all at a transparent, tiered price point. Whether you’re a boutique event organizer or a large agency managing multiple vendors, AgentiveAIQ offers the flexibility and intelligence needed to keep conversations relevant and efficient. However, if you already rely on a CRM ecosystem like HubSpot or Zendesk, or if you need SMS and voice support, other platforms may fit your existing stack better. Ultimately, evaluate your specific needs—branding, data integration, automation depth, and budget—and test a few solutions to find the perfect fit for your event workflow. Ready to elevate your vendor communications? Sign up for a free trial or contact a sales rep today to explore how AgentiveAIQ or any of these platforms can transform your event planning experience.