LONDON -Cvent a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, unveiled the agenda for its two-day industry conference, Cvent CONNECT Europe Virtual, while also announcing more than 3,200 MICE and hospitality professionals have already registered for the online event. Additional sessions and keynote speakers, including the CEOs of some of the region's largest hotel chains and industry organisations, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Cvent CONNECT Europe Virtual is free and open to all MICE, events, hotel and marketing professionals. The key themes and topics for discussion at this year's conference include virtual and hybrid events,MICE and transient business recovery, event programme and event marketing strategies, hospitality and travel trends, and delegate safety, security, and privacy. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with Cvent experts and conference exhibitors in a live, face-to-face setting.

Highlights of the two-day conference include:

  • Expert-led educational content: Each breakout and general session will offer exclusive insights delivered by experienced industry thought-leaders and Cvent experts - giving attendees the most up-to-date information they need to fuel their future success.
  • Schedule appointments to make deeper connections: Attendees can make the most of their time at Cvent CONNECT Europe by making 1:1 appointments with leading industry partners and Cvent experts during the conference. Delegates can begin scheduling these sessions approximately one week prior to the event date.
  • Virtual product and exhibitor booths: Cvent's all-new virtual trade show booths give attendees the opportunity to virtually "visit" booths to learn more about Cvent's current and future products and event exhibitors or sponsors.

Session highlights include:

  • In-Person and Online: How to Plan for and Manage your Hybrid Events: Due to the realities of continued health and safety concerns, travel restrictions, and corporate travel budgets, most event professionals agree that hybrid events will play a critical role in 2021 event programmes. This session looks at how to create a singular event with two distinct experiences (both virtual and in-person) through content, community, and technology.
  • What Venues Need to Know to Host Successful Hybrid Events: A new Cvent survey reveals what event organisers across Europe expect from venues when planning and managing a hybrid event. Hoteliers also share their perspective on how to accommodate changing needs to win hybrid MICE business.
  • Safer Meetings: How Event Organisers & Venues Make Them Happen: This session tackles how venues can reassure event organisers, deliver safer meetings, and how today's vital technologies will aide collaboration in delivering a successful delegate experience.
  • The Top 3 Issues Facing Corporate Planners Over the Next 3 Years: ICE, the In-House Corporate Events community, in collaboration with Cvent, will launch their annual Benchmarking Research on 11th November. During this session Anita Howard, Founder and Director of ICE Awards and ICE, will present the top three findings of the research which includes: running virtual events and best practises, sustainability and implementation and use of metrics when running events.
  • Improving Lead Performance and Conversion: The Event Opportunity: In-person, virtual and hybrid events generate thousands of valuable touchpoints, providing powerful insight into delegate interests and preferences. Designed for marketers, this session explores how to programmatically capture event activity, create actionable engagement scores, and integrate these insights for better marketing funnel performance.
  • The Event Industry Stands Together in 2020 - Are Policymakers Responding?: Events industry associations have worked tirelessly to lobby and inform government policy with data and information to ensure the survival of the 'organised gatherings' supply-chain. In the UK, they've largely been ignored by Westminster, whilst across mainland Europe it appears the opportunity for events may be opening up. So, where does this leave us for the immediate future? Three event industry associations are invited to discuss the issue.

Jamie Vaughan, Vice President, European Sales at Cvent said: "The global pandemic has challenged the MICE and hospitality industries like never before, and the aim of Cvent CONNECT Europe is to deliver the latest industry insights, best practices, and technology to aid organisations in their recovery, and ultimately accelerate the journey to a bigger and stronger industry. Given the current environment, we wanted to make our event accessible to anyone looking to enhance their careers and grow their business. By the end of the conference, we hope all attendees will feel empowered with the tools and information they need to take the necessary steps to help them not only survive but thrive in 2021."

About Cvent

Cvent is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with 4,800+ employees and 21,000+ customers worldwide as of 31 December 2022. Founded in 1999, the company delivers a comprehensive event marketing and management platform and offers a global marketplace where event professionals collaborate with venues to create engaging, impactful experiences. Cvent is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C., and has additional offices around the world to support its growing global customer base. The comprehensive Cvent event marketing and management platform offers software solutions to event organisers and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event marketing and management, virtual and onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. Cvent's suite of products automate and simplify the event management lifecycle and maximise the impact of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Hotels and venues use Cvent's supplier and venue solutions to win more MICE and corporate travel business through Cvent's sourcing platforms. Cvent solutions optimise the event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world to manage millions of meetings and events. For more information, please visit Cvent.com.

Sharon Coleshill
+44 208 334 4005