Capital Group Companies is one of the world’s largest investment organizations with a presence in North America, Asia, and Europe. “We’ve been around for 90 plus years and manage more than $2.5 trillion in assets as of March, 2024," explains Ajith Krishnankutty, Vice President of Experiential Marketing. With close to 9,000 associates across 31 offices globally, meetings and events play a key role in driving client and employee experience for the organization. 

BACKGROUND

Aligning events with Capital Group’s strategic goals

In 2018, shortly after joining Capital Group, Ajith began assessing the organization’s existing events program in relation to the larger business strategy. “We needed to think through the transformation of data, technology, talent, process, and experience,” he says. Capital Group's events program, which involved over 300 annual hosted and attended events, lacked a unified approach, with largely undefined processes that were scattered across the organization. Ajith’s team identified opportunities to strategically align events with organizational goals while scaling the program through automated technology, which would in turn provide important efficiencies for the business.

First, Capital Group needed to differentiate its event strategy within a competitive landscape for the Financial Services industry. Ajith recognized the need to leverage technology and provide innovative experiences for their clients in order to set their events apart. While Capital Group had a longstanding relationship with Cvent, they primarily used only the Registration solution. Ajith explains, “We really needed to look at the possibilities of how we could essentially use Cvent as a platform, rather than a tool.” 

GOALS

A critical shift in integrating events into the marketing mix

With a consistent and unified meeting strategy in place, Ajith began assessing the Capital Group’s larger program requirements. “The focus became on looking at our clients’ unmet needs, the structure of the events, and the reason behind the execution of those events,” he says. Moreover, they needed to better understand how to cater to their clients’ industry-specific requirements. “From a financial industry perspective, it’s all about exclusive access, so how do you give that exclusive access to these investment professionals?” he explains. With strict industry regulations in mind, Capital Group needed to carefully design their events program to meet those requirements. “On the hosted side, it’s about being incredibly thoughtful and intentional about the enrichment and client engagement,” Ajith adds. “On the sponsored side, it’s about brand and reputation.” 

As a leading asset manager with a 90+ years history, Capital Group recognized the need to adapt its strategies to new market developments, such as entering the ETF space. As a result, their go to market strategies needed to evolve in how they viewed events within the larger marketing mix. They recognized the limitations of traditional tactics like white papers in being able to quickly address market volatility and investor concerns. Events provided a more immediate and impactful platform for engaging with clients and delivering relevant information. By bringing events directly within the marketing function, they could more fully capitalize on these opportunities. “Events are now an integral part of our marketing channel, and we’ve been able to touch more clients and have much more meaningful dialogues as a result,” says Ajith.

APPROACH

To address this challenge, the team adopted a data-driven approach. They analyzed average cost, lead time, and capacity metrics across their events to establish a baseline data set, and then overlaid additional criteria like experience, content, and technology needs. This resulted in establishing a three-tiered approach, namely Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 events. Each tier is defined by specific requirements like execution time, capacity allocation, and associated costs. To streamline the event planning process and facilitate decision-making, the team developed their Event Builder technology solution. This tool enables the team to collaborate with clients and create customized event experiences based on their specific needs and preferences. They can easily estimate the time and cost required for each event, allowing for real-time adjustments and modifications. 

This flexibility proved invaluable in optimizing event planning and execution. Ajith’s team is now able to streamline the planning process from an average of two or three months to a matter of weeks, resulting in a roughly 75% increase in time savings. This accelerated planning cycle allows the team to be more agile and responsive in meeting business needs. They’re also able to extend calendar planning to a rolling cycle of 18 months rather than nine months, enabling long-term strategic planning and providing a clearer roadmap for future initiatives.

In assessing each new solution, Ajith explains that the process is driven by a desire for tech stack optimization and improved efficiency. He says, “We were looking at where planners spend their time, and it came down to tasks like managing hotel room blocks in Excel and dealing with a lot of manual work.” As a result, they now use a host of solutions designed to automate processes and alleviate pain points, ultimately streamlining the workflows for their event management and marketing teams. “Even simple things like GDS integrations or Passkey can save someone a week’s time,” Ajith insists. 

Other solutions such as the Attendee Hub and Mobile Event app support audiences regardless of event format. The integrated Registration and Attendee Hub solutions ensure a seamless data flow for event managers, creating a single source of truth for attendee and event data. These solutions also drive attendee engagement while allowing Capital Group to gather valuable insights. With automated data synchronization, event organizers can make informed decisions and deliver personalized experiences for their attendees.

Capital Group is also able to leverage Onsite Solutions like OnArrival to ensure a speedy check-in experience, eliminating lengthy queues and hours spent pre-printing and organizing badges. Session scanning and attendance tracking through RFID or NFC badges not only capture session attendance, but allow event professionals to monitor capacity and track attendance for requirements like continuing education credits. This consistent technology experience provides an ecosystem for Capital Group to leverage the right data and technology across the event lifecycle.  Ajith notes, “From a pre, during, and post-event perspective, Capital Group uses almost every piece of Cvent technology.”

Driving ROI through data-driven decision making 

Ajith notes that the ongoing adoption of Cvent solutions over the last several years has helped transform how the business views event technology. “There’s a fundamental shift in looking at the technology as a platform versus a tool,” he explains. “And now, we look at it as a platform.” He adds that importantly, it’s not just this Cvent technology that Capital Group utilizes. “We’ve started to integrate Cvent with many other software platforms, like Salesforce,” he says. “From a data perspective, it’s vitally important because now everything is in one place.” 

By leveraging these integrations, Capital Group is able to seamlessly manage Cvent in relation to their larger tech stack, unifying their data to get more value out of their investment. Not only does this help centralize operations so they can manage the entire event lifecycle through these integrated tools, but sales and marketing teams can learn about attendee preferences and behaviors to improve audience targeting. From the marketing perspective, this data is then integrated into the system of record to help improve customer engagement and accelerate the sales pipeline. “Data is incredibly important, especially when you're looking at data at multiple folds,” insists Ajith. 

He says they look at both operational data - how the portfolio is functioning in terms of factors like event execution and spend - and post-event return on investment. “The question is then, how do we drive a journey in terms of nurturing that lead and getting a qualified lead?” he says. Integrations with platforms like Salesforce and Marketo allow Capital Group to not only holistically view that data, but integrate it into multiple parts of the organization. “Capital Group has always done a phenomenal job in really looking at that data holistically, and Cvent has been great in helping us compile that data to make it much more consumable and actionable,” he says. 

Embracing innovation through a close Cvent relationship

Cvent has maintained a consultative approach in helping the organization identify opportunities for technology solutions to maximize operational efficiency. “Cvent really played a great role in terms of looking at where we are spending our time and how we can convert that to more efficiency using technology,” says Ajith. Bringing in their IT department to implement the technology as an enterprise solution was critical to the successful adoption of Cvent across the business. “It’s not just about technology, but rather operating smartly,” Ajith says. “I think the ability for Cvent to really show what that North Star looked like was incredibly useful, and I think it really changed the landscape and the way we thought about technology and the business.”

In considering the near future, Ajith looks forward to seeing the innovation tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring. “For me, that’s what is inspiring and I see that as an opportunity,” he says. “Understanding how to use AI to drive data insights and how technology can be used to drive more efficiency is going to continue as the world evolves.” However, he believes it’s important that we maintain a focus on the people at the heart of the industry in the midst of this rapidly changing landscape. “You have to understand your talent base and then really focus on upskilling your talent,” he advises. He sees a bright future for companies that embrace the power of technology while continuing to invest in their employees, like Capital Group and Cvent. He adds, “So I’m very optimistic in the way Cvent continues to evolve, and everyone at Cvent is amazing . I’m excited to see where the industry as a whole will go next.”

PRODUCTS USED

BACKGROUND

Founded in 2009, CAIS is a leading Alternative Investment platform that connects independent financial advisors with leading alternative asset managers and bank issuers to transact and engage on a massive scale. “As a fintech organization that operates a two-sided marketplace, our goal is to really automate those processes” explains Andrew DePaul, Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing. 

The CAIS meetings and events program is aimed at bringing together the independent wealth management community in order to facilitate these relationships. “Events have become a really big focus of the organization within the last year or two,” notes Joanna Munjack, Director of Events. Prior to 2022, there was no formal events program or department at CAIS. “Now, we’ve really grown our department and we’re hosting and participating in about 100 events every year,”  Joanna says. “It’s a big aspect of the marketing program and driver of ROI for the firm.”

The success of the Summit ultimately spurred the development of additional CAIS events throughout the year, including Due Diligence events focused on strengthening relationships with specific firms and the newest event series, CAIS Live. They also sought to expand the reach of their Summit while funding the event entirely through sponsorships and partnerships. In addition, they wanted to leverage the marketing automation features of Cvent to ensure their sales pipeline was fully connected to the Summit.

Leveraging these integrated solutions gave CAIS the experience and expertise needed to build a truly robust events program with a small team. “We went from zero to sixty very fast, from having nothing tracked to having the hundreds of events we now have all streamlined in Cvent,” Andrew says. Having everything centralized within one source of truth has allowed Joanna and Andrew to eliminate stop gaps and streamline workflows internally. Joanna insists, “It’s really helped us with the inconsistencies and inefficiencies that we had prior to using Cvent.” 

Andrew agrees, noting that using Cvent solutions have drastically improved processes and helped provide better visibility into event ROI for senior leadership. “It streamlines everything, and it gives us one tool we can go to,” Andrew says. “Everything is managed in one system, and we’re able to send everything over to Salesforce and can give our stakeholders real time data.”

In addition, attendees were able to easily navigate appointment scheduling using the embedded Appointments tool. They could create, reject, or accept appointment requests easily within Attendee Hub, defining appointment details like location and including notes. In addition, CAIS was able to define and manage appointment parameters, set up web and in-app push notifications that would automatically trigger when an appointment was canceled or modified, and manage visibility, permissions, and scheduling rules. This ensured a seamless experience for attendees while providing the needed control for CAIS event managers.  

Automating speaker and exhibitor management for increased efficiencies 

In addition, CAIS used Exhibitor Management and Speaker Resource Center to automate processes related to speaker and exhibitor management. The Speaker Resource Center coordinates speaker activities within a single portal, allowing speakers to self-serve and complete tasks like uploading their bio, updating social links, and providing materials. 

The Exhibitor Resource Center, similarly, automates exhibitor management tasks like uploading profile information, adding documents or resources, and uploading branded assets. Automated alerts ensured they stayed on target to meet important deadlines for the Summit. Joanna adds, “The use of the Speaker Resource Center and Exhibitor Management undoubtedly helps take some of the manual process off our team.” Not only does this save valuable time, but these solutions integrate seamlessly with the rest of the Cvent platform — ensuring they maintain full visibility into all content and reporting in a single location.

With Event in a Box, CAIS is able to create a quick check-in experience for smaller audiences with all the needed hardware shipped directly to them – including iPads with tabletop stands, printers, routers, and badge stock for on-demand printing. They also have access to 24/7 customer support and other resources to ensure everything goes smoothly. OnArrival Premium and OnArrival 360 offer additional capabilities, including session check-in and tracking, signature collection, check-in planner alerts, kiosk mode, and more. With OnArrival 360, they also receive support from an onsite technical expert and have access to additional badge supplies and hardware.  

Session scanning and attendance tracking through NFC badges not only capture session attendance, but allow CAIS to easily monitor session capacity and track attendance in real time via the OnArrival app. “We were excited to use the NFC technology for some of our breakout sessions,” notes Joanna. In addition, using LeadCapture for the events they attend gives CAIS an automated solution for lead generation. Using LeadCapture, they can easily scan, qualify, and rate leads in real time for more accurate follow up. They were able to access detailed reports via the Exhibitor Portal and export them in seconds, giving them an accurate, up-to-date view of all leads.

RESULTS

Doing more with less: Fostering strong partnerships to scale event program growth 

The successful growth of the events program at CAIS is a credit to the close partnership between their marketing and events teams. Streamlining their event marketing processes has been invaluable, due in no small part to the use of the Salesforce integration with Cvent. This integration creates automated data flows across the event lifecycle, allowing CAIS to automatically sync contact lists and updates – thereby eliminating manual labor and the capacity for human error. “The MarTech integration we’re using with Salesforce is great for real time updates into campaigns, creating and updating contacts, and so on,” Andrew elaborates. They can also automatically sync contact updates and activities as well as automate task and opportunity creation within Salesforce, making it easier for their team. Leveraging the integration to track overall marketing engagement and campaign performance allows CAIS to rely on data-driven decision making in strategizing their overall events program.

Another key to successfully scaling their program lies in their growing relationship with Cvent. “We have a lean team, and everyone is doing more with less,” says Joanna. “Looking at how we can take on more of the support services Cvent offers is important so we’re not spending all of our time on time-consuming tasks.” She notes that the feedback loop her team maintains with Cvent is invaluable. “It’s been a tremendous partnership,” she says, adding that Cvent not only listens to CAIS’ feedback, but implements the changes “pretty immediately.” In fact, by working closely with Cvent’s Professional Services, Client Services, and Account Management teams, CAIS was able to make their second Summit an even bigger success than the first. 

In fact, Andrew says continuing to centralize CAIS’ event management within Cvent is an important takeaway for his team, particularly when looking at previous events. “With implementing Cvent, I’d say the biggest learning for us is leaning into everything that the platform offers,” he says. “We tried to use parts of HubSpot or other email marketing tools to do what Cvent could have already done, so this year we’ve pivoted and gone back to using Cvent for everything.” He notes this includes managing invitations out of Cvent, using registration types, and leaning more into the capabilities of different Cvent solutions. “As a result, we’ve had a more seamless experience with registration and numbers have gone up – all by doing simple things and using what Cvent offers out of the box,” he insists.

MOVING FORWARD

Extending the attendee journey to better prove event ROI

In fact, extending the life of their content and ensuring post-event engagement has been a key focus for CAIS. “I would say one of the primary areas where we’re taking the events and activating them through all of our different marketing channels is through the video content,” Joanna says. “The plan is to have it put onto the Attendee Hub and then streamline it through our different campaigns for our attendees.” She adds that repurposing this content for attendees gives it an extended shelf life that helps prove the value of events as a marketing channel. “It’s that continual engagement that’s so vital,” she insists. Andrew agrees, noting that recycling content creates a “selling point” for the next Summit. He says, “It’s all built into drip campaigns and hype emails we have going out about the next year’s Summit.” 

Importantly, leveraging the data found in Cvent’s on-demand reporting has helped Joanna and Andrew better prove event ROI to their leadership. “When we’re resourcing and budgeting, we’re really looking at the pre and post-event impact,” says Joanna. “And what we’ve seen is that it’s proving events are really a strong ROI for the firm.” She adds that the value they’ve seen from hosted events in particular is helping to shape their future strategy. She says, “Moving forward, we’re trying to make sure we have the right balance of hosted events versus events we’re participating in.” 

Andrew adds that another goal in the near future is to simply lean more fully into the tools at their disposal. “What’s next for CAIS, especially when it comes to events with Cvent, is just leaning more into the technology,” he says. “I think there’s so much more we could be doing to lean into everything Cvent has to offer, and we’re finding new opportunities every day as we work with Cvent to uncover all the things we can do.” This mindset has truly created a powerful environment where events can thrive at CAIS in the near future and beyond.

PRODUCTS USED