UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA CONFERENCE DEPARTMENT

The University of Florida (UF) is a top-ranked public research university recognized nationally for its scale, innovation, and impact. With its land-, sea-, and space-grant designations, UF operates as a hub for research, technology, and economic development, making it one of the most influential drivers of growth and discovery in the Southeast. Comprising sixteen colleges and multiple research centers, UF serves more than 50,000 students with its strong academic offerings, the successful Florida Gators athletic program, and a vibrant campus life.

The power of human connection is central to UF’s mission of driving research, innovation, and impact. To make this possible, UF hosts hundreds of in-person and virtual conferences, symposiums, workshops, and meetings each year—events that spark ideas, showcase discoveries, and foster collaboration. The university’s Conference Department, housed within the Office of Professional and Workforce Development and the Office of the Provost, provides centralized planning, registration, and logistics, ensuring every event runs smoothly, reflects UF’s brand, and strengthens its standing in academic and professional communities.

BACKGROUND & GOALS

Reimagining event registration—in less than 30 days

UF’s Conference Department needed a comprehensive event management solution to replace multiple outdated, internally developed systems that no longer supported the complexities of modern events. They sought a single platform capable of managing both in-person conferences and online non-credit courses, with seamless integration into critical institutional systems. Beyond simply replacing technology, the department wanted a more advanced, user-friendly solution that could scale with growing demand and deliver a better experience for both staff and attendees.

UF’s event technology selection committee initially selected another event technology, investing nearly 18 months in implementation. But the system proved cumbersome, unintuitive, and ultimately misaligned with the University’s needs. With their legacy system set to be sunset in just one month, the team needed a fast, effective solution — and they turned to Cvent.

UF also uses AI-powered CventIQ within the Cvent Supplier Network to make sourcing faster and more precise. AI-powered search helps the team identify venues that match their event requirements more quickly, while the writing and agenda builder assistant helps them build stronger RFPs and communicate more efficiently with venues. Together, those capabilities reduce manual work and help UF move from venue discovery to proposal review with more speed and confidence.

Personalized attendee engagement with real-time event reporting

To keep attendees engaged throughout the day, UF utilizes the Attendee Hub Event App to deliver a seamless and connected experience. Participants can personalize their schedules, navigate venues with interactive maps, and stay informed with real-time push notifications. The team also takes advantage of interactive features like in-app messaging, live polls, and session feedback to encourage engagement and capture valuable insights. Together, these tools create a highly interactive event experience that keeps attendees informed and connected from start to finish.

With the power and flexibility of Cvent’s custom reporting, UF creates tailored, client-ready reports for each event based on what planners want to monitor and measure—whether it’s registration trends, revenue performance, or engagement metrics. Personalized dashboards in Cvent's Access Portal solution allow event leaders to track success in real time, while the Conference Department uses the data to measure and demonstrate its own impact across campus. “Our stakeholders appreciate the ease of access to real-time reports and the ability to track engagement during events,” notes Katie. “Using Cvent’s data analytics, we’ve also been able to demonstrate our own success more effectively. The detailed reports and insights provide a clearer picture of ROI, allowing us to showcase the value of our events to senior leadership.”

Finally, Cvent Surveys capture attendee feedback and help measure impact post-event, providing UF the data needed to refine programming and further demonstrate value to stakeholders.  “Cvent has become a vital conduit in our UF event ecosystem, empowering the University of Florida to streamline, scale, and elevate its event experiences,” shares Katie. “Through Cvent’s innovative solutions, UF continues to connect, inspire, and lead the way toward a brighter, more collaborative future.”

The power of personalized functionality for each event

One of Cvent’s most significant strengths for UF is its ability to personalize functionality for each event. With programs that range from 50 to 1,000 participants and span both in-person and virtual formats, UF knows no two events are exactly alike. “Transitioning to Cvent provides our team with a unique opportunity to enhance our event management capabilities by offering a level of customization tailored to the specific needs of each individual event,” says Lauren Keiser, UF Conference Department Event Manager. “Whether it's customized registration pages, tailored communication, or specialized reporting, Cvent allows us to align every element of the event process with its unique goals. Ultimately, this helps us create a more dynamic and personalized experience for every event we support." 

The next step: Connecting Cvent with enterprise platforms 

Because of Cvent’s inherent integration capabilities, plans are underway to integrate with the university’s financial, enterprise resource planning (ERP), human capital management (HCM), and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. Data sharing with UF’s multiple Learning Management Systems (LMS) is also on the immediate horizon. “As the adoption of Cvent continues to grow across the university and usage expands among diverse units, system integration will become a necessary and strategic next step to ensure scalability, data consistency, and operational efficiency,” shares Katie.

RESULTS

Driving efficiency, ROI, and campus-wide impact

The response to Cvent at UF has been overwhelmingly positive. In its first year, the platform supported over 160 events and processed more than 9,300 registrations. With Cvent, the team generated millions in revenue—while also transforming how the university plans, executes, and evaluates its events. “Cvent’s power is bigger than a single event,” explains Katie. “Our use of Cvent to execute successful events strengthens the university’s position in the academic and professional communities, contributing to its growth and long-term success.”

Cvent has automated processes that once consumed staff time. Manual tasks, such as sourcing and compiling RFPs, processing 10,000–20,000 annual registrations, creating invoices, building attendee communications, and assembling surveys and reports, are now streamlined. With these efficiencies, staff can shift their focus to event strategy and innovation rather than logistics.

Financial results have been equally strong. In just one year, UF has generated over $2 million in event registration revenue, with a projected $3 million for the second year. Expanded adoption across colleges under a unified license has lowered per-unit event costs and delivered a 30% higher ROI compared to the previous system. These savings are being reinvested into new initiatives that strengthen UF’s long-term event strategy.

The improvements extend well beyond operations and finance. Cvent enables UF to deliver professional, customizable, and transparent services for faculty, staff, and attendees. Integrated tools provide real-time reporting, streamlined registration, and engagement tracking across the event lifecycle. Event leaders consistently praise the system’s sleek design, flexibility, and data access, noting an improvement in satisfaction among attendees and speakers alike.

Every UF event now carries a polished, consistently branded look—from small symposia to major summits. This professional presentation has strengthened the university’s identity, reinforced its reputation for excellence, and impressed key sponsors and partners, increasing their confidence in supporting future events.

UF’s success with Cvent has also elevated its reputation nationwide. The inaugural AI² Summit, hosted at UF’s Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative Center, drew 450 attendees from across Florida and beyond, showcasing the university’s ability to deliver high-profile, complex events with professionalism and impact. The event left a strong impression on peer institutions, many of which expressed interest in adopting UF’s model.

LOOKING FORWARD

A model for higher education: Cvent and the University of Florida

UF’s adoption of Cvent demonstrates how higher education can drive transformation through technology, teamwork, and a unified strategy. By centralizing event management, UF has reduced costs, increased revenue, achieved a 30% higher ROI, and delivered consistent, professional experiences across every event. With rapid implementation and measurable success, UF has become a model for how universities can leverage event technology to advance their mission and expand their influence. Katie reflects, “It’s really gratifying to create a world-class event management system for my alma mater that other universities see as a model for what they too can do.”