Reimagining Your Meetings and Events in the Post-Pandemic Era with Technology

Will Kataria, Director of Sales, Cvent
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Will Kataria, Director of Sales, Cvent

Over the last 18 months, our industry has undergone a rapid digital transformation. The nearly complete, albeit temporary, pivot to virtual events due to COVID-19, helped accelerate our reliance on technology to manage, market, and host these digital experiences. We condensed monumental technological innovation into a span of less than two years.

And now, organisations are preparing for the advent of hybrid events, which combine elements of both the in-person and virtual experience. For example, the Singapore Tourism Board recently publicized government support for hybrid events and 91% of event organisers in Singapore are looking to subscribe to a hybrid model. Australia is hosting its Australian Tourism Exchange 2021 in June 2021 at the International Convention Centre Sydney along with a virtual component for international buyers who are unable to travel due to border restrictions.

While we are seeing acceptance again for safe, in-person events, hybrid events cater to both sides of the equation: those who can’t wait to get back to normal and those who are still restricted by the effects of the pandemic.

In short, the global pandemic has changed the world of meetings and events and the time is now to reimagine what your organisation’s total event programme looks like in a post-pandemic era.

At Cvent, we believe that a smart mix of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events is the future – and that successful event programmes will incorporate all three event delivery models. However, the issue many event organisers currently face is how to plan and manage these different event types, track their success, and prove event ROI? That’s exactly why we created the Cvent Attendee Hub®.
Launched in August of 2020 for more than 28,000 people at our user conference Cvent CONNECT, it’s our end-to-end virtual and hybrid event management solution.

The all-in-one nature of our platform is a key differentiator. In a recent PCMA study, respondents said that finding one virtual event platform to perform all the functions they needed was one of the most common reasons why they were not satisfied with event technology. We recognised that this was a prominent pain point that we could alleviate and address.

We launched the Attendee Hub at a crucial time. While the meeting, events, and hospitality industries were reeling from the impact of the pandemic, we were in a unique position to quickly deliver the solutions and tools our customers needed to keep their business running. And now, as recovery continues, we’re well-prepared to help our customers navigate the complexities of this new event world and provide a platform for all events – whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid. We’re also offering industry professionals complimentary access to our comprehensive library of virtual and hybrid event trainings and certifications through the end of the year to give them the tools they need to adapt to the current environment and prepare for the future

The Cvent Attendee Hub enables organisations to:

• Leverage one platform, saving the trouble of integrating and implementing multiple disparate systems, for a consistent, fully branded experience at each step of the event lifecycle including promotion, registration, and all aspects of the event experience including an available native mobile app.

• Deliver high quality content, live, simu-live, or on-demand, to any user, on any device, anywhere in the world – all within a secure digital environment that ensures customer and data privacy.

• Generate actionable event insights including attendee engagement scores, session & web analytics, and dynamic feedback for faster, smarter, and more personalised sales and marketing follow-up.

• Deliver added value for event sponsors and exhibitors with robust virtual booths, live video conferencing, sponsored sessions, and appointments tools to increase lead generation and drive brand awareness.

• Capture and analyse event data across all event types to share with key stakeholders and better inform decisions to enhance future experiences and maximise event ROI.

• Access 24/7 support from Cvent’s award-winning 800+ customer care team, plus virtual event-specific offerings for full project management, webcast & speaker support, and advanced video production.

While nothing can replace the in-person experience, virtual and hybrid events offer a unique opportunity for organisations to expand their reach, engage new audiences, and maximise the impact of their total event programme, and the right technology partner can help to bring those programmes to life.

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Event Management