As we enter into our sixth month of quarantining and social distancing, a sense of community is more important now than ever. One way we harness the power of connection at Cvent is through Employee Community Groups (ECGs). ECGs can have a profound impact on an individual’s experience at their place of work not only by building a sense of community and belonging but by creating a collective voice within an organization. One of our longest standing ECGs is called Fierce, a space for LGBTQIA+ and allies to connect and discuss our experiences. The goal is to educate the Cvent community on LGBTQIA+ (Queer) issues and policy and advocate for queer-positive positions in Cvent and our local communities.
The onePULSE Foundation
Back in June to celebrate Pride Month, Cvent Fierce was able to connect with Pulse Nightclub Owner Barbara Poma to be a keynote speaker at this year’s events. Barbara invited us to learn how she came to own an establishment that became the epicenter for the Orlando LGBTQ+ Community. She also recounted the experience and aftermath of the tragedy from 2016 where 49 people lost their lives at Pulse. Cventers listening in on the session learned that since then, Barbara has turned pain into progress with the birth of onePULSE Foundation whose purpose is to create a sanctuary and community honoring those affected. Barbara’s story resonated deeply with Cventers across the globe. So, when we learned of onePULSE Foundation’s annual 4.9k Rainbow Run, now in its 4th year, Cvent Fierce led the charge rallying Cvent Nation to rise to the challenge of giving back and promoting positive change.
Working as a Team
These days the term “fatigue” finds its way into our everyday conversations – Zoom fatigue, quarantine fatigue, and news fatigue to name a few. However, an amazing thing happened after the first announcement of Team Cvent’s official participation in the event. Excitement, creativity, and camaraderie were immediately felt. Cvent is a company with a formidable cultural identity all its own and it didn’t take long for ideas of friendly competition to form, including department participation challenges and race day costume contests. We will be leveraging our very own CrowdCompass Mobile App and including gamification to truly participate together in a photo scavenger hunt on the day of the race. Race organizers are even compiling a Spotify playlist for the event and Team Cvent has been buzzing in our internal chat forums with words of encouragement, shared training tips, fun memes, and polls. We are finding that there are so many ways in which we can truly come together even while apart. And whether it’s supporting a great cause, making a commitment to being active, taking part in a game, or listening to the same music, there is one undeniable truth: we are doing this together.
People Coming Together
Like our CEO Reggie Aggarwal said at the record-breaking Cvent CONNECT Virtual this year, "The greatest movements in history start by people coming together for a collective cause. Events bring unification something we need now more than ever. When we come together barriers are broken, relationships are built, communities are strengthened, and we drive positive change." But because coming together for events and celebrations of important themes like inclusivity and diversity looks different now than ever before, we are finding more creative ways to stay connected. By participating in this event and utilizing our technology, we have found a way to come together, support a great charity, and boost employee morale. Currently, Team Cvent has 59 racers participating in the CommUNITY Rainbow Run with a grand total of $4,000 raised.
If you or someone you know are interested in running with us on September 12, we encourage you to sign up here and register with Team Cvent.
Authors
Amanda Greenspan-D’Souza, CMP is a Meeting & Event Planner for Cvent. In addition to planning both internal and external events, she is also involved with Cvent's ECGs and is the Education & Events Chair for Women In Leadership. Shannon Fleshman, CMP is an Implementation Consultant for Cvent and is based in Orlando, FL. She also sits on the Cvent Fierce leadership board. Aly Manse, Client Success Manager with the Strategic Advocates team for Cvent. Aly helps drive initiatives for Higher Education clients at Cvent and is involved with employee community groups like Fierce and the Austin office's sustainability project.
