Community is a powerful driver of long-term value in event strategy, shaping how audiences connect, learn, and remain engaged long after an event ends.
In this interview, Vanessa Lovatt, founder of Event Tech World and strategy consultant for the Financial Times' eventsprogram, explains how her approach has evolved, and what people need to do differently to create trusted, sustainable communities around their events.
Key takeaways
- Community transforms events from one-off experiences into ongoing relationships: While attendees come for the content, it is the sense of belonging and trust that keeps them coming back long after the event ends.
- The shift from scale to depth is redefining community success: Larger member numbers mean little without meaningful engagement; the most effective event communities are smaller, more focused, and built around shared challenges.
- Technology should enable community: The biggest mistake event organizers make is treating community tools as an afterthought; they should be designed into the event strategy from the very start.
Community is one of the constants identified in Cvent’s 2026 Trends Report that continues to define exceptional events. This expert interview series explores why these fundamentals still matter, how they’re showing up in 2026, and what successful teams are doing to apply them more intentionally.
Why does community building remain a core fundamental for events?
"Community creates trust. As AI accelerates, that sense of trust becomes even more important, not less.”
Community building remains fundamental because people no longer engage with events as one-off moments. While attendees may come for the content, they return because they feel recognized, supported and part of something that continues beyond a single date in the calendar.
In a world where content is everywhere, and much of it is increasingly generic, community is what creates trust. As AI accelerates, that sense of trust becomes even more important, not less. Strong communities create spaces where people feel confident learning from peers, sharing challenges, and contributing openly.
When done well, community turns one-time attendance into long-term engagement, advocacy and shared learning. It is what transforms an event from a transaction into an ongoing relationship.
What has shifted in how communities are built?
"The shift has been from scale to depth.”
One of the biggest changes has been the shift from volume-driven community models to relevance and depth. Earlier approaches often prioritized scale, large member numbers and rapid growth, but that rarely translated into meaningful engagement.
Today, success comes from clarity: knowing exactly who the community serves, what problems it helps solve, and how it creates safe, useful spaces for honest conversation. At Event Tech World, this shift has led to smaller but far more engaged groups, stronger participation and clearer commercial outcomes.
The result has been trust. Members contribute more openly, partners gain deeper insight, and the community becomes something people actively want to be part of - not just consume from. That sustained engagement is what keeps people coming back, both online and in person.
Where do people most often misunderstand technology and community building?
"The biggest blind spot is treating the tech stack as a set of tools rather than a system.”
One of the most common misunderstandings is viewing event technology in isolation. Platforms are often purchased to address individual tasks without a clear view of how data, engagement, and insights should flow across the entire event lifecycle.
This is rarely intentional. Responsibility for the bigger picture is often fragmented across teams, making it difficult for anyone to design an integrated system. But without that joined-up thinking, opportunities for insight and long-term engagement are missed.
There is also a tendency to over-invest in functionality and under-invest in adoption. Technology delivers value only when teams are confident in its use and when it is clearly aligned with real objectives such as engagement, learning, or revenue impact. Community tools, in particular, are often added too late. They should be designed in from the start.
What does “good” look like when embedding technology into events?
"Good technology should quietly enable better experiences, not dominate them.”
In 2026, effective technology for eventsis almost invisible. It works quietly in the background, enhancing the experience without becoming the focus.
That means a joined-up tech stack where data is clean, accessible and meaningful. Technology should support personalization, ongoing conversation and measurable impact; not just registration and check-in.
Most importantly, good looks human. Technology should help people find the right conversations, the right peers and the right moments to engage, before, during and long after the event. When tech serves connection rather than competing with it, communities thrive.
What are the first steps to building stronger communities around events?
"If you’re not clear who the community is for, everything else becomes noise.”
The first step is clarity. Organizers need to define who the community is for and what problem it helps them solve. Without that focus, even the best tools and content will struggle to create meaningful engagement.
Second, communities should be designed for continuity. Planning should start well before tickets go on sale and extend long after the event ends. Community is not an add-on; it is an ongoing strategy.
Finally, ownership matters. Communities do not run themselves. Someone needs to be accountable for nurturing conversation, listening to members and responding thoughtfully. Without dedicated ownership, even well-intentioned community efforts will stall.
What should people start or stop doing when developing community-led event strategies?
"Likes, scans and clicks are not the same as connection.”
One of the most important shifts is moving away from engagement metrics that look good on a slide but offer little practical insight. Superficial signals do not reflect whether people feel connected, supported or valued.
Instead, listen more closely. The strongest communities are built by observing behavior, asking better questions and creating space for members to influence what comes next.
Community-led event strategy is not about control; it is about trust. And when that trust is built intentionally, it becomes one of the most powerful drivers of long-term value.
Event Tech Worldis a community of senior event and marketing leaders who share real-world experiences with event technology and discuss what works, what doesn't, and how to achieve better results from tech investments.
Explore more insights in Cvent’s 2026 Event Trends Report.
