Federal Conference is a full-service event management company that has successfully planned and delivered more than 15,000 meetings, conferences, and tradeshows worldwide. CEO Paul Trapp and Chief Operations Officer Stephen Davis have leveraged the power of the Cvent platform for years, allowing them to effectively serve the association, commercial, and government spaces.
Fighting Manual Event Planning
“Life before Cvent was painstaking, quite frankly,” says Vice President of Sales Phillip Saims. Event Planner Faye Crenshaw agrees, noting sourcing for their various government programs was incredibly time consuming. “I would say over fifty percent of my time was spent just sourcing an event, nothing else,” she says.
The team would spend days calling venues and tracking bids on Excel spreadsheets. With manual data tracking, Federal Conference had difficulty measuring negotiated savings for their clients. The team knew they needed an automated solution to scale their business offerings for clients.
Sourcing a Technology Solution with Cvent Supplier Network
Adopting a host of Cvent solutions over a multi-year partnership has proven to be a key factor in Federal Conference's unparalleled success. In particular, the Cvent Supplier Network has revolutionized the sourcing process for Federal Conference’s team. “The Cvent Supplier Network is like a one-stop shop," says Faye. "I put all my information into a database and because they have such a wide visibility, people call me. I don't have to call them. So, it saved me a lot of time, energy, and money."
With curated searches via key filters, the team can speed through venue searches for hundreds of monthly events. They can easily track bids and negotiated savings directly through the tool to showcase ROI for their clients.
Proving Event Impact through Client Success
By focusing on the value event technology provides their clients, Federal Conference is able to prove the impact of events to their stakeholders. Phillip explains, “Federal Conference’s goal is actually to make a difference in people's lives. So, whether it’s an annual conference, convention, or a board meeting, we want to make sure that that event is meaningful and impactful for each person.”
The team works to strategically guide their clients in proving event impact. Phillip identifies three primary goals in using Cvent with their clients: reduce costs, increase top-line revenue, and improve engagement. “Helping clients understand the analytics Cvent provides so that next year’s conference becomes more engaging, robust, and memorable is important," he adds.
Igniting a Lasting Partnership with Cvent
By enabling their clients with automated efficiencies and a strategic vision, Federal Conference has seen impressive growth across the organization. “When we started the company, we bootstrapped it. This year, we finished with $51 million in top-line revenue. We do 3,000 events a year across the globe, and are the second fastest growing company on the Inc. 500 list" explains Paul. The team views their investment in Cvent technology over the last several years as a key contributor to business growth.
By enabling their small team to better source, manage, and analyze client events, Federal Conference has positioned themselves as an undeniable industry leader. Importantly, the relationship with Cvent helps Federal Conference impress key stakeholders, raising the profile of the organization. Paul explains, "I think before, we were using two sticks rubbed together to make fire. I think Cvent's a flamethrower."
Watch the Video
