GOALS
The Navitas Business Partners Conference 2023 was the 16th edition of Navitas’ annual conference. For the previous 15 iterations, Navitas had tied up with a third party to support their registration. They also used a separate conference app, while their in-house web team took care of the event’s website. So they basically had three systems that were not integrated with each other, which translated to event content and data being out of sync as well as loads of manual back-and-forth.
The Navitas global team decided to onboard Cvent after one of their team members attended the Australian International Education Conference (for which Cvent was the official event tech provider) and was impressed with the experience offered by Cvent technology there.
APPROACH
While getting Cvent on board, the team had a few prerequisites. Firstly, they wanted to be able to run the Cvent system themselves so they could have control over the registration management. Says Jodie Lindsay, Head of Global Marketing Services – who, along with her team, were the key organisers of this conference, “For past events, we had always been dependent on an external events team to handle registrations for us. So when it came time to bring this in-house for our 2023 event, it was a steep learning curve for us.”
RESULTS
A remarkable 98% of participants self-registered, confirming that they found the registration process intuitive and user-friendly. This high registration rate not only saved time and resources but also indicated that attendees were satisfied with the platform.
Navitas also utilised Cvent's OnArrival solution to track event participants and digitise the check-in process. Using the conference app, attendees could check in by just scanning a QR code at the check-in desk. “This was really good!” exclaims Jodie, adding, “The team on ground who managed the registration desk loved it! This was the first time we had used an online check-in feature. They loved the idea that they were able to scan a QR code, and the person was checked in. I have nothing but good things to say about the check-in!”
The Navitas team was not only able to deliver a seamless and efficient check-in experience but now also had visibility into who had checked in. This time, the team was able to easily pull a report and identify those who hadn't checked in.
The conference app – built using the Attendee Hub app solution – was also accessed by 98% of registrants. The app acted as a centralised platform for information, ensuring attendees had easy access to all necessary event details, eliminating any confusion or communication gaps. Adds Jodie, “We liked that the Attendee Hub Event App content synced to the content on the website. So, any update on the website automatically came through to the conference app. This was hugely helpful and a time saver! Previously if we had to update something, it meant going to two different platforms.” This streamlined approach saved time and ensured that attendees had the most up-to-date information at all times. The app's gamification feature also received positive feedback from attendees, further enhancing their engagement and overall satisfaction.
Cvent’s support services also played a crucial role in Navitas' successful event execution. The Navitas team found great value in using the Cvent Community, a resourceful platform that provided answers to their queries. “Whenever we were unsure of a particular feature of the platform, we would head to the Cvent Community and submit a question. Super helpful, as there were either articles or a video to watch. That certainly was something that we used a lot!”
LOOKING FORWARD
Jodie summarises their experience with Cvent as delivering on what was promised. “The original reason why we chose to go with Cvent was to handle our registration, build a conference website and have a conference app all within one system. Cvent has 100% met that requirement for us.” She further adds, “By eliminating the need to double handle processes, perform double entry for the website and app, and wait for responses from third parties, we were able to save 30% of our time. So yeah, Cvent has definitely been beneficial."
The Navitas team is confident they will achieve similar success for future events with the Cvent platform. As Jodie says, “I am looking forward to using Cvent at my next event. Our plan for next year is to duplicate the set-up we created this time, and then implement all the learnings from this year onto the next year.”
