10 Event Industry Trends You Must Know in 2024
If there's one thing we can count on, it's that the meetings and events industry is constantly changing. And 2024 is no exception, as we see the rise of AI, a greater demand for experiential events, and a renewed focus on inclusivity and sustainability.
But there are also challenges to consider, such as rising costs and the need for event, marketing, and hospitality teams to do more with less.
Read on to discover the top 10 meetings and events trends to watch out for in 2024 – and how they’ll impact your strategies in the coming year.
- 1. In-Person Events Dominate, but Virtual is Here to Stay
- 2. Venues Must Support Experience-First Events
- 3. AI Experimentation Grows
- 4. Finding New Ways to Reimagine Engagement
- 5. Technology Unites Planners and Venues
- 6. Accessible, Sustainable Events Reflect Brand Values
- 7. Events Shift to Marketing
- 8. Technology is a Key Skill
- 9. Cost Control Places a Premium on ROI
- 10. Centralizing For Scale
1. In-Person Events Dominate, but Virtual is Here to Stay
Undoubtedly, in-person events will be at the heart of most event and hospitality programs in 2024. Face-to-face experiences provide more opportunities for deeper engagement, networking, and interaction, making them business-critical.
According to data from our Cvent platform, 86% of event programs currently include in-person events. And in a commissioned study conducted by Forester Consulting on behalf of Cvent, 89% of global event and meeting strategy leaders say in-person events are important or critical to increasing revenue.
But while in-person events are critical, virtual and hybrid experiences are valuable and here to stay.
Our Annual Planner Sourcing Report (Europe Edition), which surveyed 635 European planners, revealed that 24% are already planning virtual events for 2024, whilst 41% are planning hybrid formats (an 8% increase from 2022). Similarly, 45% of event programs on our platform contain virtual elements.
Why are virtual and hybrid events still so valuable? They help broaden the reach of your event and provide attendees with greater flexibility – not to mention the sustainability benefits.
💡Top tip: Investing in the right technology to execute all types of event formats and seamlessly integrate into your CRM and other MarTech systems will be vital for your strategic success in 2024 and beyond.
Level up with Cvent's personalized registration experience
2. Venues Must Support Experience-First Events
As attendee expectations continue to rise, there’s added pressure for event organizers to find unique venues that can support immersive and interactive experiences.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that attendees are looking for five-star extravagance. According to the North American edition of our Planner Sourcing Report, 35% of respondents say they’re looking for a unique aesthetic when it comes to venue selection.
When choosing a non-hotel venue, planners prefer convention centers (53%), restaurants (50%), and other venues offering unique experiences.
Source: Annual Cvent Planner Sourcing Report
Despite budget restraints, event organizers remain determined not to scrimp on the experience. And they’re looking for unique venues that can support them.
💡Top tip: For venues and hotels, showcasing how your venue can support the interactive experiences is crucial. For event organizers, thinking outside the box is necessary. Consider non-traditional locations for your events that allow you to create experiential events that engage attendees.
3. AI Experimentation Grows
AI was one of the hottest topics in the industry last year, and with good reason. The rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has provided event planners and marketers new ways to automate time-consuming tasks and focus on more creative and strategic endeavors.
In 2024, we’ll see more experimentation with AI across the industry. ChatGPT and other generative AI tools will become more sophisticated and proficient in helping to develop event and campaign content.
Hotel group sales managers can use AI to bring in more business travelers by using predictive analytics to forecast future demand for group sales, target potential business travelers, and anticipate changes in demand.
💡Top tip: While AI can bring significant benefits, it's important to consider the risks. Don’t treat any AI tool as a single source of truth – check any information it provides. Additionally, don’t share confidential or proprietary information with any AI tool.
4. Finding New Ways to Reimagine Engagement
With attendees bombarded with more content than ever, event planners and marketers must find creative new ways to engage with their audiences.
Attendees expect to be fully immersed in the content and event design in return for taking the time and effort to attend an event.
An event’s ability to capture the attention of attendees increases the likelihood of them leaving satisfied, engaging with your brand’s content year-round, and returning to future events.
In 2024, we’ll see more focus on crafting compelling content and breakout sessions, wellness spaces, and greater networking opportunities. Plus, follow-up webinars and repurposed and on-demand content will help foster community engagement year-round.
💡Top tip: Events are arguably the most effective engagement channel, and they provide an increased number of engagement touchpoints. So, having the right event technology in place will be critical to capture and analyze this data and build engagement scores for individual attendees.
5. Technology Unites Planners and Venues
The hospitality sector has faced ongoing staffing shortages in recent years, while marketing and event teams have been asked to do more with fewer resources or less budget.
In 2024, technology will be an important solution to these challenges.
Why? Technology improves collaboration between event organizers, suppliers, and venues. For example, venue diagramming tools can help event teams share design room layouts and seating designs with a chosen venue in real-time, improving communication and helps build closer working relationships on both sides.
💡Top tip: Event planners should consider using single-platform and cloud-based technology to store all previous bids and contracted rates. This will make it easier to negotiate with hotels and venues to get the best deals.
6. Accessible, Sustainable Events Reflect Brand Values
Consumers increasingly expect brands to demonstrate their commitment to social issues like sustainability and DE&I. As an extension of a brand, meetings and events must follow suit.
Sustainability
Sustainability is on everyone’s mind. In one survey, 78% of respondents said their organizations plan to have net zero goals by the end of 2024.
But while a priority, sustainability remains a challenge, with cost being a major concern for nearly 40% of respondents in the Fourth Annual Benchmark Report by ICE, in partnership with Cvent.
💡Top tip: Embracing sustainable initiatives doesn’t have to be costly. Start small by prioritizing sustainable venues and suppliers, opting for locally sourced food options, and reducing single-use plastics at your event.
Accessibility
Some 16% of people worldwide have a disability, according to the World Health Organization. Across the US, this rises to 1 in 4 adults, or 27% of the population.
Put simply, ensuring your events are accessible and inclusive to all is fundamental. Plus, if your events aren’t welcoming and accessible for everyone, you’re likely missing out on the opportunity to reach a much wider audience.
💡Top tip: Ensuring your meeting or event is accessible includes asking the right questions during the registration process, being intentional about the onsite experience, and providing staff training. For more tips, check out this blog post, Accessibility in Events: Tips and Best Practices.
7. Events Shift to Marketing
ICE's Fourth Annual Benchmark Report observed a significant shift in the organizational placement of in-house corporate event teams in 2023.
Most event teams (71%) now find their home within a company’s marketing function, a substantial increase from the 55% reported in 2022.
This trend signifies a growing recognition of the strategic importance of events in marketing.
Planners are using MarTech solutions and integrating event data into CRM systems, while marketers are building broader campaigns around events and understanding the value that face-to-face activity brings. Events and marketing have become inseparable bedfellows for the future.
💡Top tip: Successful events and event marketing campaigns will require close collaboration between event and marketing teams to ensure they meet objectives. Understanding stakeholders' priorities is essential for increasing the chances of success.
8. Technology is a Key Skill
Technology has become a crucial pillar of any event or hospitality strategy. As a result, more organizations will prioritize technology to track, automate and deliver engaging campaigns and experiences.
Employers who develop their team’s skills in areas such as AI, data analysis, and automation will pave the way for ongoing career success.
One sign of the increasing importance of technology is the emergence of a key technology-based role: the event technologist. With 63% of event technologists currently found in the meetings and events department, they provide a valuable resource for combining tech expertise with an in-depth knowledge of the event planning process.
💡Top tip: Technology competency is crucial for all roles, and keeping up with technological advancements, such as AI, will be critical for your success. Not sure where to start? Consider upskilling with relevant industry training and certifications.
9. Cost Control Places a Premium on ROI
High costs continue to challenge marketing and event teams in 2024. According to the 2024 Amex Global Trends Forecast, 67% of respondents predict an increase in overall meeting spend in 2024.
For 36% of the planners who took part in Cvent’s Planner Sourcing Report, cost inflation is deemed the biggest challenge on the horizon. A large majority (77%) believe the cost of holding a meeting or event of the same size and complexity in 2024 will increase by up to a fifth compared to 2023.
Because of the continued uncertainty around event costs, 85% of these respondents said they had built contingency into their budget for 2024. This contingency will see planners find new ways to do more with less by reducing costs and increasing efficiencies.
Meanwhile, 48% of North American planners say that cost-saving measures will predominantly shape their event planning priorities in 2024. The vast majority (83%) said they’d switch venues for savings of 6% or more, with half agreeing to switch for up to 10% savings. This reflects the challenges all organizations face when balancing budgets against the design experience and event ROI.
💡Top tip: With ROI under continued scrutiny, ensuring you have the right KPIs in place for each of your events and buy-in from your stakeholders will be crucial. Use technology to help get visibility across all your meetings and events and identify where you can find efficiencies and reduce costs.
10. Centralizing For Scale
Organizations are now assessing how to centralize their event technology, much like they have centralized their CRM and marketing technologies. Working with a single system reduces expenses and empowers overextended teams to work more effectively.
Consolidation isn’t just about cost and resource efficiencies. Increasingly, organizations are adopting a centralized tech stack to help drive growth.
A centralized and integrated tech stack helps teams better connect with suppliers, spend less time consolidating and merging data, and more time using technology to understand attendee interests and accelerate revenue.
💡Top tip: Ensure your event data isn't siloed from other internal systems. Use a robust event platform that can integrate with your core systems to create a single source of truth and improve measurement.
2024: A strong year for the meetings and events industry
The world of meetings and events is constantly changing, with new trends emerging, such as the rise of AI and the drive to find new ways to engage audiences. Staying on top of these waves is crucial for continued success.
Use these trends to stay ahead of the future of meetings and events and prepare your strategy for 2024 and beyond.
For deeper insights into the 2024 trends shaping meetings and events, register for our upcoming webinar, the 2024 Event Trends Forecast.
Victoria Akinsowon
Victoria is the Team Lead for Content Marketing in Europe at Cvent. She has over five years of experience in developing and executing content marketing strategies that drive growth for businesses across industries. In her spare time, you’ll find her either learning a new language, travelling or reading a good book.
EXP REALTY
Creating value-driven experiences for in-person attendees with Cvent solutions
in-person conference attendees
total event revenue
increase in attendance
BACKGROUND
eXp Realty is one of the world’s fastest growing, entirely independent virtual real estate brokerages. The global organization includes a community of over 84,000 real estate professionals who are connected digitally through their cloud-based platform. Ciara Baker, Senior Event Manager, and Jorja Johnston, Events Project Lead, together support eXp Realty’s growing events portfolio. This includes their annual user conference, EXPCON, their Shareholder Summit events, and other small meetings or internal events.
GOALS
Scaling events with Cvent to match unprecedented growth at eXp Realty
When Ciara joined the organization in early 2021, the company was experiencing unprecedented growth. “The last in-person event that they had was in 2019 for about 2,500 attendees, and then between 2020 and 2021, the agent base grew by 72%,” she explains. While this was a benefit to the business, their team was stretched thin. “Ultimately, we really needed to scale our efforts in terms of event space, in terms of registration process...really everything,” she adds. In outlining their vision for EXPCON 2021, to be held at The Mirage, Ciara and Jorja identified two primary goals. “The two things we’re looking to accomplish there are agent attraction - so bringing real estate agents into the company - and certainly providing education for our agents,” Ciara says.
With the added complications of the pandemic, Ciara and Jorja knew they needed a robust event management solution to power their annual conference so agents could stay connected with one another while navigating industry changes with the latest insights. eXp Realty’s previous event management platform simply could not scale to match the growth of their events. “It was drastically difficult to manage changes in attendees and groups,” notes Ciara. This was especially true in managing attendees for invite-only events. They also needed to improve the onsite experience by eliminating long registration lines. “Once I heard that piece of feedback, I knew Cvent was clearly where we needed to go,” Ciara says.
As a result, she and Jorja spearheaded a new partnership between Cvent and eXp Realty. They adopted several Cvent solutions to ensure their first in-person event in nearly two years was a success. These included Cvent’s Registration solution, OnArrival 360, and Exhibitor Management. These integrated tools would work together to create a seamless onsite experience for attendees while streamlining internal processes and providing a consolidated view of event data for the eXp Realty team.
"Ultimately, we really needed to scale our efforts in terms of event space, in terms of registration process…really everything. I knew Cvent was clearly where we needed to go."
Ciara Baker, Senior Event Manager
APPROACH
Building a fully integrated MarTech stack
With a packed agenda spread across several days, Ciara and Jorja needed to manage roughly 75 sessions for nearly 5,400 in-person attendees. This included a pre-conference day, two full days of concurrent breakout sessions across several different tracks, general sessions and keynotes, an awards gala, certification sessions, and one-off experiences like VIP meet and greets. They therefore set up a complex registration process with multiple pathways and fees through Cvent’s Registration solution. Ensuring ease of registration not only reduced friction for attendees, but also eliminated hours of manual labor for the small team of two. With all their registration data seamlessly flowing from the event website to the registration site, any changes in the backend were automatically updated. This meant the team didn’t have to waste valuable time updating attendee information, modifying registrations, or syncing attendee lists. In fact, attendees could self-modify their registrations with ease. The eXp Realty team was also able to account for unique tiers of agents using differentiated attendee types and could offer more add-ons and featured ticket types like VIP tickets. With these improvements in the registration build, they increased their overall revenue from the event to over $1 million.
Moreover, Ciara and Jorja were able to integrate Cvent with HubSpot allowing for an automated flow of data within their MarTech stack. “We primarily use Cvent for our main registration pathway and then we bleed all of that information over to HubSpot,” notes Ciara. This means they could automate and optimize their marketing campaigns and better prove the impact of sales with more targeted data, all seamlessly managed through the integration. They could prioritize event leads for their sales teams faster, provide a more personalized experience to improve attendee engagement, and send more targeted and relevant follow-up communications with contacts allocated to the right scoring and lead nurturing programs. Eliminating cumbersome manual work also benefited the team greatly. Ciara notes, “It’s super helpful to avoid the manual process of having to download and reupload lists, so it’s been great.”
An exceptional in-person experience at EXPCON
Onsite, Ciara and Jorja needed to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for their attendees. They worked closely with their venue to meet safety requirements through signage, masks, and hand sanitizing stations, in addition to implementing several other measures. These efforts ensured attendees could safely enjoy the full onsite experience. “Ultimately, I can’t tell you how excited everyone was to be back,” Ciara insists. In fact, they nearly doubled their number of attendees onsite from their previous in-person event, an impressive feat given that the pandemic was still ongoing.
As an additional means of ensuring duty of care, they utilized Cvent’s OnArrival check-in and badge printing solution to create an entirely contactless first touchpoint for attendees. Here, attendees could breeze through check-in with self-service kiosks using a QR code on their phones. Up-to-the-minute reporting meant event managers could maintain accurate attendee counts at all times. On-demand badge printing also ensured attendee information was always accurate, mitigating the need to pre-print badges altogether. The experience was a clear success and Ciara notes, “The biggest piece of feedback we received was how much smoother registration was.”
In addition, onsite technicians from Cvent provided dedicated support for the eXp Realty team. “We used the OnArrival 360 team and they were truly a godsend,” Ciara shares. “We developed a really good relationship with them and I can’t recommend that team enough.” The OnArrival 360 team supported eXp Realty from initial badge design to managing the hardware shipment and onsite support coordination. They also configured all equipment, trained staff, were able troubleshoot instantaneously, and managed equipment teardown post-event. Jorja notes, “That team was so great to work with, especially when you’re under a lot of stress. They came in and saved the day, and I can’t say enough about how having that team gave us a sense of comfort just knowing there was always someone there to help.” Given the success of their OnArrival implementation, wait times were reduced by more than 50% overall. “We certainly hit our goal and check-in was less than 30 seconds per person, which was awesome to see,” adds Ciara.
"We used the OnArrival 360 team and they were truly a godsend. We developed a really good relationship with them and I can’t recommend that team enough.”
Ciara Baker, Senior Event Manager
RESULTS
Reinforcing the value of in-person events for stakeholders
Onsite, the team also managed their first in-person Expo in nearly two years. With nearly 40 featured exhibitors, Ciara and Jorja needed a technological solution to streamline processes and provide consolidated reporting. Cvent’s Exhibitor Management solution helped automate many of the time-consuming tasks associated with the Expo. All exhibitors could access key information in a central location thanks to the Exhibitor Portal. Here, they were able to self-manage tasks like registering booth staff or uploading documentation, as well as access detailed reports. This not only ensured a positive and valuable experience for exhibitors, but eliminated the need for time-consuming back-and-forth communication on the part of the eXp Realty team.
As new Cvent users, Ciara and Jorja were excited by the clear impact event tech had on their first in-person event in two years. “These events are an opportunity for everyone to get together and see how much is going on,” Jorja explains. “Everyone is so excited and already asking when the next EXPCON will be, and it’s just exciting to see that spark of interest across the entire company."
In fact, they saw increased visibility for their own department thanks to the success of the event, which they were able to present through quantifiable data to their leadership through the Cvent reports. “We’ve only used Cvent for one in-person event so far and we’ll be continuing to use Cvent for the foreseeable future,” Ciara adds. “Ultimately, just seeing that we’re already being recognized for the use of Cvent shows that we’re doing something right.”
"These events are an opportunity for everyone to get together and see how much is going on. Everyone is so excited and already asking when the next EXPCON will be, and it’s just exciting to see that spark of interest across the entire company.”
Jorja Johnston, Events Project Lead
LOOKING FORWARD
Advancing eXp Realty's total event program
Ciara’s own professional journey has actually been directly impacted by her use of Cvent. When the pandemic first hit, she - like many in the industry - was unfortunately furloughed from her hospitality position. “I had knowledge of Cvent and decided to take the certification courses online,” she says. By accessing curated online training and taking advantage of Cvent’s industry certifications, Ciara was able to bolster her resume. “Cvent’s training and certification program was really good for personal development,” she explains. “We’re just constantly trying to level up and we can’t get there without doing things like this.” She adds that she enjoyed how widely available the program is, particularly at a time of upheaval for the industry. “One thing I love is that it's so accessible,” she shares. “I didn’t have to contract with the program in order to do the training. So I just learned a ton and getting that background was really helpful.”
Soon after, she joined eXp Realty. Ciara made immediate impact by helping to establish a dedicated events team and by bringing Cvent to the attention of their leadership. Thanks to her efforts in spearheading these initiatives as well as driving EXPCON to new heights of success, Ciara has been promoted twice since joining the team. “I think the success of our event has been getting a lot of attention, not only from our agents and stakeholders, but from our leadership as well,” she says. “We have doubled our attendee base and we are now getting into bigger and brighter opportunities within our event. Knowing what we’re doing is bringing in agents and really working is incredible.”
With their events portfolio firmly at the forefront of their organization’s marketing mix, the impact of the program on eXp Realty’s overall business is undeniable. “Events are one of our main attraction tools, and I just can’t tell you the boom that happens after each of these events and how many agents join the company,” Ciara insists. In the near future, she and Jorja foresee a growing partnership with Cvent. In fact, during their recent annual Shareholder Summit, they were able to deploy new Cvent solutions like Premium Surveys. As they continue to scale their events, both Jorja and Ciara looking forward to expanding their program’s success. “We’re excited to continue getting into bigger and brighter opportunities with our event,” Ciara says.
GOALS
- To return an annual conference to in-person, scale attendance, and reduce long check-in lines
APPROACH
- Integrated Cvent with Hubspot for a fully automated MarTech stack
- Delivered check-in and badging with OnArrival 360 and onsite support from Cvent
RESULTS
- 50% reduction in wait time
- $1 million+ event revenue
- Doubled attendance
Georgia Bankers Association
Creating organizational efficiency with automated Cvent event technology
app adoption for in-person events
sessions managed across two in-person events
registrants managed across two in-person events
The Georgia Bankers Association (GBA) is the trade and professional organization representing the interests of banks and thrift institutions in the state of Georgia. Jenna Lynn Warner, Professional Development Coordinator, works closely with GBA members to facilitate professional development opportunities for all areas of the bank. Her team manages a significant number of in-person events each year with tailored professional development opportunities for their various members.
Navigating Crises with Cvent Event Technology
In the spring of 2020, GBA had to navigate the challenges of the global health crisis by quickly evaluating which previously-planned events to pivot to virtual and which to cancel altogether. “A large majority of our events changed format, which was a struggle,” says Jenna Lynn. Despite the difficulties of the moment, there were opportunities that came with the unexpected pause in live events. “We were usually so bogged down in in-person events that we never really had time to look up from our desks, but because of COVID we had time to think through what we could do differently that would help us in the future and help sustain our association,” she explains. Her team identified several key areas to help improve the member experience, including creating a more user-friendly registration process and automating reporting structures. The antiquated, manual processes bogged down the small team of three, meaning they had less time to devote to creating a stellar attendee experience. They also needed a way to better connect with their bankers and expand their reach within the bank. “That’s where Cvent came in,” says Jenna Lynn.
As a relatively new user of Cvent, evaluating the effectiveness of the platform against other options was important. After seeing how fellow industry associations leveraged Cvent, the GBA team was inspired by the depth of the technology partnership. Knowing that the American Bankers Association already utilized Cvent increased their certainty that Cvent was the right choice. “We really look to the American Bankers Association for a lot for guidance, and we know our bankers do as well,” notes Jenna Lynn. She adds that when her team first pitched Cvent to their leadership team, seeing the American Bankers Association’s use of the platform created an immediate sense of confidence in the decision.
Empowering GBA Team Members to Succeed with Cvent
During the onboarding process, Jenna Lynn was tasked with quickly getting her team up to speed on the tool. “As the admin, my job was to get everyone on board, which was a bit of a daunting task,” she adds. Her anxieties were alleviated thanks to the dedicated training and resources she received from Cvent. “I was impressed by the Cvent Community and the Cvent training modules, and I jumped in instantly,” she says. “I don’t think I waited, as I was just so excited. I knew this was going to be great for the team so I started training and I was just so amazed at how many resources you can find.”
She also appreciates how easily customizable the solution is for GBA’s specific use cases, a tip she shared with her team as they familiarized themselves with the platform. By adopting the integrated Cvent Event Marketing and Management platform, GBA was able to eliminate manual processes and create automated efficiencies that would help sustain the business during COVID and beyond. “It was almost like having an extra person all of the sudden, which was wonderful,” insists Jenna Lynn. “It relieved us and we knew instantly we could start depending on our reporting.” GBA no longer needs to manually track or manage registrations for their events, whether virtual or in-person. “For the first time, our bankers could actually register themselves, which was amazing,” she adds.
“I was impressed by the Cvent Community and the Cvent training modules, and I jumped in instantly…I knew this was going to be great for the team so I started training and I was just so amazed at how many resources you can find.”
Jenna Lynn Warner, Professional Development Coordinator
Her team also adopted Cvent Payment Services as a secure, reliable solution for payment processing. Traditionally, GBA relied on invoicing and refunds via check, a highly manual process that was open to human error. Using Cvent Payment Services meant fully automating fee collection and refunds for both GBA and their registrants. This in turn provided GBA team members full visibility into their payments, sales, and refunds through financial reporting directly in Cvent. “Just that small step of when someone pays via credit card, they can then be refunded on that same credit card within five to seven business days…that was incredible,” says Jenna Lynn. What once took four or five steps across multiple team members can now be facilitated through the single click of a button. “It’s so efficient, especially for auditing,” she adds. “We never imagined a solution like this was out there, but we’re so glad to have access to it now.”
Creating Safe In-Person Experiences with the Cvent Attendee Hub & Mobile Event App
As the pandemic progressed, Jenna Lynn’s team looked to specific committees for guidance as far as virtual versus in-person events were concerned. “We take each event on a case by case basis,” she advises. “What we’ve learned overwhelmingly is that of course people want to be together again.” With this feedback in mind, GBA began planning in-person meetings for 2021. To ensure onsite safety, they work closely with their chosen venues to facilitate daily temperature checks, sanitizing stations, appropriate social distancing, and other important measures related to duty of care. They also leveraged the Cvent Mobile Event App, a native app included in the Cvent Attendee Hub, to create a touchless onsite experience for their attendees. “The mobile event app allowed us to go paperless, which eliminates all those touchpoints and that was very important during COVID,” says Jenna Lynn.
“The mobile event app allowed us to go paperless, which eliminates all those touchpoints and that was very important during COVID.”
Jenna Lynn Warner, Professional Development Coordinator
GBA began hosting in-person events again in early 2021 using Cvent for registration. GBA’s Annual Meeting in June 2021 served as the premier event of the year. “It attracts all of our bank presidents, CEO’s, board members, and senior leadership from all over Georgia to one place,” explains Jenna Lynn. With over 500 attendees, they knew the use of the Cvent Mobile Event App would be key. Built as a fully integrated part of the Cvent Attendee Hub, the mobile app served as a powerful engagement tool in the palm of their attendees’ hands. GBA could instantaneously communicate with their attendees via push notification, as well as allow attendees to build their own agenda, self-manage session registration, find speaker and session information, and much more. They could also engage with sessions and speakers through interactive features and network with other attendees. Importantly, they could also access sponsor and exhibitor information directly in the app. Moreover, all registration data was automatically synced between the Event Management system and the Attendee Hub, ensuring a seamless workflow for GBA. For the Annual Meeting specifically, they created 47 sessions and managed 15 speakers. They were also able to include custom pages dedicated to venue information, WiFi details, and floor plans.
Jenna Lynn explains that the attendee base wasn’t what one may typically consider a “digital crowd,” meaning there were very real concerns around app adoption. “We weren’t sure how people would feel going from these jam-packed folders full of information to this little app,” she says. That’s why her team was thrilled to see the results in their post-event reporting. “We were so excited to see after our event was over that we had over 50% of our attendees participate on the app, so we consider that a huge success,” she says. In fact, they saw 316 total logins across the event.
This level of measurable success inspired the team to use the mobile app through the Attendee Hub for another in-person event, the GBA Leadership Conference. Here, over 400 registrants were able to access more than 34 sessions within the app as well as 8 speaker profiles. They saw a login rate of 90% among primary registrants, with over 226 total logins over time. Again, attendees were able to view exhibitor profiles, speaker information, sessions, and custom pages within the app. Exhibitors were able to sponsor sessions within the app, and attendees could view session documents as well as stay up to date with push notifications.
“Overall, the feedback we've received since the adoption of Cvent is overwhelmingly positive… I think it will really help further propel us forward as an organization.”
Jenna Lynn Warner, Professional Development Coordinator
Future-Proofing the Industry through Event Technology
By using the integrated Cvent platform for their in-person events, GBA created a consistent member experience across the attendee journey. From registration to the onsite experience and post-event reporting, GBA eliminated disparate point solutions in favor of one single source of truth. “Overall, the feedback we've received since the adoption of Cvent is overwhelmingly positive,” says Jenna Lynn. She adds that the feedback makes the hard work her team has put in worthwhile. Importantly, the expertise her team has gained as event technologists in just a short time has broadened their professional skillsets. “With the adoption of this software, it’s personally made my day much more exciting,” Jenna Lynn offers. “I’m excited to get into Cvent and see those numbers, those dashboards right in front of my face. It’s so easy and it’s made us so much more efficient as a team during a time where it was very crucial that we worked efficiently.”
As they plan for 2022, there is a distinct opportunity on the horizon for both GBA and the industry as a whole. GBA is looking forward to integrating their membership database with Cvent and leveraging new Cvent solutions and features. “I think it will really help further propel us forward as an organization,” says Jenna Lynn. While the difficulties of the past few years have certainly impacted the organization, she believes additional time afforded by the pandemic was a silver lining. “Something that the year of COVID did for us was that it pushed us outside our comfort zone and outside of what was considered normal,” she insists. “We learned that just because it’s the way we’ve always done something, it isn’t always the best way to do something. So it was a good time to look for an opportunity to change.”
She sees this as a universal lesson for the industry as the events landscape continues to evolve. Jenna Lynn considers it to be a bright future with the advent of hybrid events. She explains, “I think it’s important for leaders in this industry to look at what were the good things that came out of this year….what things can we keep instead of just going back to the normal way? Could we potentially be gaining more attendees by having a hybrid environment? I think that’s a huge plus.”
“It’s a common misconception that we sometimes think we don’t need technology like Cvent because we’re smaller. But we do desperately need this technology…and I’m looking forward to the future and I feel like we’re able to lead the way.”
Jenna Lynn Warner, Professional Development Coordinator
She notes that while they are in the early stages of their Cvent journey, GBA is looking forward to the future thanks to their use of event technology. “I’m inspired by what others are doing, but I’m also really proud of what we’re doing,” she says. She notes that as a small organization, it would have been easy to stay in their comfort zone and maintain their manual process. “It’s a common misconception that we sometimes think we don’t need technology like Cvent because we’re smaller,” she explains. “But we do desperately need this technology…and I’m looking forward to the future and I feel like we’re able to lead the way.”
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The Georgia Bankers Association is the trade and professional organization representing the interests of banks and thrift institutions in the state of Georgia.
Think Business Events & Australian International Education Conference
Learn how Think Business Events executed the Australian International Education Conference in a fully virtual format with the help of Cvent
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Virtual appointments
Total session views
"Cvent’s end-to-end solution allowed the Think Business Events and IDP Education teams the confidence to go full steam ahead in pivoting AIEC 2021 due to continuing pandemic restrictions. With such a short turnaround time in adapting the event from hybrid to virtual, it was great having the support of the Cvent team to ensure the event was a success."
Kim Stevenson, Director, Think Business Events
A Foray into Virtual
The Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) is a preeminent event for the international education sector in Australia that has been connecting people and ideas for more than 30 years. This conference welcomes many delegates, speakers, and chairs from the education sector, from around the globe every year.
After the disappointment of having to cancel the 2020 in-person iteration of the event, IDP hoped to move their 2021 event to a hybrid format. However, their plans were dashed. With the ongoing effects of the pandemic and only 10 weeks out from the conference dates, there was no real choice but to run AIEC 2021 in a fully virtual format. As the official organiser, Think Business Events (TBE) had to move quickly and execute their back-up plan to ensure a seamless switch to virtual.
Transitioning with Confidence
Spread over 4 days, the virtual conference was expected to have over 230 speakers, 70+ sessions and a virtual expo with over 50 exhibitors. Despite the complexity of the event, Think Business Events was confident they would deliver. Having used Cvent previously for several other virtual events, the team at TBE knew that transitioning AIEC from a hybrid to a virtual format would be completed with minimal fuss, and they would get timely support from the Cvent Client Services team.
"Cvent has been a core component to organising our events. Having one platform that links registration, programme and speaker management has been a big time-saver. The all-in-one platform has reduced the number of hours we’ve needed to cross-check information across different platforms and spreadsheets.”
Ariane Dwyer, Conference Manager, Think Business Events.
The Virtual Experience
Along with pre-conference processes such as registration and speaker management, the AIEC team utilised the Attendee Hub, Cvent’s virtual event platform, and several of its in-built features like gamification, seamless transition overlay, session duration tracking, feedback survey, and push notification, for both the live days of the conference as well as before and after the live event. Some of the key features that made an impact to the event were 1:1 appointments and messaging, both of which were heavily used, and which led to the creation of 1,873 virtual appointments between attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors.
To ensure everyone got ample opportunities for engagement, the organisers made sure to have inclusive family-friendly social events as part of the programme. This was particularly helpful for those delegates who were in the midst of home-schooling and lockdown. Inviting children and other family members to attend these sessions made the conference agenda more manageable for everyone and created a point of difference.
To boost engagement, the AIEC team and TBE created an on-demand video catalogue to showcase their ‘Inspire’ and ‘World in Focus’ video presentation series, which comprised 60 pre-recorded content-driven sessions. These videos were available on the Virtual Attendee Hub when it was launched two weeks prior to the live event. To prolong the life of the event content, the live session recordings were added to the on-demand catalogue and all 200 sessions (50 hours of learning) were made available up to 3 months after the event.
Proving the Value of Virtual
By leveraging the end-to-end solutions offered by Cvent, coupled with the flexible and expert conference management from the Think Business Events team, AIEC was able to successfully meld virtual networking, learning and fun into a single education conference for delegates from across Australia and the globe.
The virtual conference had a total of 1,225 registrants and saw an overall participation rate of 85% with average session attendance of 56%. The sessions received 9,200 live views and an additional 5,221 on-demand views after the event.
The TBE team also valued the assistance provided by Cvent’s dedicated project team, who helped with everything from troubleshooting and speaker prep to green room and on-the-day support.
All in all, the event marked a successful collaboration between IDP, TBE and Cvent.
“Cvent is a dedicated, customer-focussed and reliable technology partner. We received great feedback from our delegates with regards to the registration and virtual platform experience, and the Cvent team were always professional, timely and easy to work with.”
Josephine Williams, AIEC Conference Manager, IDP Education
Think Business Events (TBE) is an experienced professional conference organiser that excels in planning conferences for associations, academic groups, and government bodies.
The Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) is a non-profit event, held every year in Australia, for international education practitioners, teaching staff, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to learn about major industry trends and network with their Australian and international colleagues.
The conference is jointly presented by IDP and the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA). Though IDP retains the intellectual property of the conference and manages all the logistics, the event is co-branded IDP and IEAA.
