Simplify Networking and Staffing at Your Events

As we continue to prepare for Cvent CONNECT 2018 in Las Vegas, we realize that outside of education sessions and news about product developments, peer-to-peer networking (and business meetings) is the main reason people attend. That goes for both attendees and exhibitors. Corporate event planning is a multi-faceted exercise, but ensuring that everyone who attends our annual user conference makes the most out of their time and fosters the relationships they're looking for is critical to our event's success. Here are three areas you can focus on to make your meetings, conferences, and trade shows a dynamic, enriching experience for your attendees and exhibitors when it comes to networking.

Attendee Networking Made Easy

One of the most rewarding parts of an event is when attendees are able to meet like-minded individuals. Pre-event tech, this could mean attendees doing this "old school," i.e. having to track down individuals in airports, hotel lobbies, mixers, nights out, happy hours, etc. Your attendees are constantly on-the-go and demand flexibility. Now, event technology (we drink our own champagne and use Cvent Appointments) allows attendees to build their own professional profiles and set meetings with other attendees that share mutual interests, making it easy to make and foster valuable new connections. Attendees, via a mobile-friendly portal, can view, request, accept, decline, and modify their appointments. Missed meeting opportunities can become a thing of the past. Takeaway: Making it easier for your attendees to make connections makes them more likely to return to your events.

Seamless Sales & Executive Appointments

Prospects and customers often come to corporate events to meet specific people at your organization, like customer support, training reps, sales executives, or account managers. We have an onsite trade show at Cvent CONNECT, and with our tech, we can help drive more sales pipeline for our exhibitors by allowing them to seamlessly set up effective meetings with prospects and customers before the event. In the long run, this builds a great deal of value around the event, helps attendees connect with the right vendors, and helps exhibitors and sponsors collect more high-quality leads by enabling easy meeting scheduling with the right attendees. Takeaway: Heavy traffic at booths and set appointments during your event will help exhibitors see the value of your events, and make them ones "not to miss."

Simplified Staff Scheduling

This one's for you. You and your team are going to be extraordinarily busy once you're onsite. Having a critical area, meeting space, or even "human sign" in the wrong place can be a nightmare. But making your staff’s schedule onsite and making sure that their time is optimized can be challenging. Don't rely only on text messages and walkie-talkies, simplify who needs to be where and at what times by managing staff schedules on their behalf. You’ll be able to quickly see employees’ staffing commitments and appointments and plan accordingly, leaving no snack break area unattended! Takeaway: You've worked too hard on your events to leave anything to chance. Locking in staffing assignments sets you up for success and makes it easier for you to improvise when you have to. Addressing your attendee's and exhibitors specific needs onsite goes a long way toward enhancing the brand of your events, and keep them returning for more.

Want more planning tips? Check out this post for more onsite recommendations!