The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is a prestigious public research university located in Austin, Texas. Established in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System, which encompasses a network of thirteen academic institutions and five health institutions across the state. UT Austin serves over 50,000 students and offers an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.

GOALS

From an events standpoint, the directive was clear: UT Austin needed a unified event technology platform that could be managed and supported centrally while allowing for distributed control. The University’s Commons Event Services (CES) unit, driven by the vision of “building a world-changing community, one meeting at a time,” wholeheartedly embraced this direction.

CES, a service-focused unit, adopted Cvent’s Event Marketing & Management platform through a Master Service Agreement, thereby making it available to every department across the entire University of Texas system. “By purchasing a Cvent enterprise-level license with a higher volume contract, we are able to offer Cvent to event planners across the system at a lower cost,” explains Jessica Van Amburgh, Business Development Manager. This move enabled many who previously couldn’t afford Cvent to now have access to the platform.

Jessica and her team of two provide a variety of wrap-around services to their university customers. They assist in building events, train new Cvent users, and ultimately empower CES’ customers to take control of their own events.

The team emphasizes the importance of the platform’s extensive features, which extend from pre-event marketing and registration to post-event surveys and analytics. The seamless integration between Cvent’s Registration tool, Attendee Hub, and Event App solutions has been invaluable. This integration not only creates a smooth experience for attendees but also provides event planners with clear engagement data that spans the entire event.

One of the most beneficial aspects of using Cvent for the CES team is the ability to quickly onboard a department and train their users to build and manage their own events while ultimately allowing the owners the needed control to execute their events. Event owners benefit from the support and expertise of the central team but appreciate the autonomy to set up, brand (within acceptable limits), run, and report on their events independently.

Powerful event registration, including efficient payment processing

For UT Austin, Registration is the most heavily used tool among all Cvent products licensed. From event marketing and website creation to event registration, each of the university’s hundreds of diverse events begins with Registration. The CES team collaborates with university constituents to identify the features that will help them achieve their event goals while adhering to the unique policies of the UT system. They assist in branding the registration website and marketing materials to align with the specific school or department, create personalized journeys for different invitee segments, and more. Most impactfully, they train users to manage their events on their own and empower departments to create events that are unique to their college, school, or unit’s brand. “The flexibility Cvent Registration offers our customers is incredible—it’s a game changer,” says Jessica. 

Delivering the mobile experience today’s attendees expect with the Attendee Hub

CES is witnessing significant growth in the use of the Cvent Attendee Hub Event App, particularly for any event with 200 attendees or more. While some utilizeAttendee Hubweb platform for virtual experiences, many within the UT System also leverage the native Event App to provide a powerful in-person tool.

In familiarizing themselves with its features, they relied on Cvent’s support specialist for guidance. Jessica says, “They had nothing but positive feedback about Cvent’s Attendee Hub support specialist.”  in fact, they were so pleased with the experience that they are already brainstorming different ways to use the app for next year’s conference. “The MD Anderson team was thrilled with Attendee Hub,” Jessica shares.

Streamlining event check-in with OnArrival 

No one enjoys long lines for event check-in, and UT Austin’s constituents are no exception. To address this, the CES team invested in Cvent’s OnArrivalcheck-in and badging solution, specifically leveraging the Event in a Box tool. For smaller events of less than 500 people, this solution provides the hardware for UT Austin’s event support staff to use for fast attendee check-in and on-demand badge printing. This includes 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.

Synergizing both Cvent Premium and in-house support for top-notch service 

The CES team has implemented an efficient tiered support model to maximize productivity and ensure successful events. Once the CES team trains UT event professionals on Cvent, they are then given the control to manage their own events—including access to Cvent’s Premium Support for technical assistance. The Cvent Premium Support team then serves as the tier-one support system.

This support model empowers individual event planners to manage and run their events independently, and it affords the CES team the time to concentrate on the most complex events as they aren’t fielding every support question. “We truly could not manage this without the support of our Cvent Account Manager, Client Success Manager, and the Premium Support client services team,” says Jessica. “Having them handle everyday questions enables my team to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as ensuring our events are accessible.” 

RESULTS

Proof that UT Austin’s event strategy is working: 80 is the magic number

Numbers tell the story, and for UT Austin, they reveal a successful event strategy. The CES team now supports over 80 colleges, schools, and units (CSUs) using Cvent, with an impressive 80% year-over-year renewal rate. Additionally, 20 new departments have adopted Cvent through CES’s offering just this past year. As far as extending usage, CES has expanded the use of Cvent to other UT campuses, including UT Dallas, UT Arlington, UT San Antonio, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

The UT System, and UT Austin in particular, have realized significant efficiency gains by consolidating seven Cvent licenses and numerous other event technology licenses into a single Cvent platform, all under one contract managed by a dedicated team of three. “Our partnership with the Cvent support team has been crucial to our success,” insists Jessica “Cvent meets a wide range of needs and empowers users to utilize the system in the way that best suits their events.”

UT Austin is excited about the next phase of its growing program success and encourages other higher education institutions to consider Cvent's all-in-one event management capabilities to manage their events programs. “Cvent surpasses any other platform available,” Jessica insists. "It is unquestionably the event platform of choice.”

PRODUCTS USED

The University of Portland, a prestigious private Catholic institution situated in the vibrant city of Portland, Oregon, offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. With a remarkable nine-to-one student-to-faculty ratio, the University of Portland fosters an intimate and supportive learning environment for its 4,200 students. The university’s excellence is consistently recognized, as it has ranked in the top 10 in the “Regional Universities - West” category by US News & World Report for an impressive 28 consecutive years. Additionally, the university has been named the top Oregon school by both Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and Bloomberg Businessweek, highlighting its exceptional value and return on investment.

For example, graduating students used to receive multiple emails instructing them to fill out four different forms in order to register for commencement, order their cap and gown, provide information for the photographer, and register for the sought-after commencement tickets. This process posed several challenges. First, it was confusing for students, who often weren’t sure if they had completed all the necessary steps. Second, the unbranded forms missed an opportunity to reinforce the university’s identity during a pivotal transition from students to alumni. Last, because these separate systems lacked a unique identifier, the events team spent days reconciling the data to ensure each student submitted all the required information.

Having used a variety of event management tools in the past, the Commencement team, led by Sean Ducey, who is now the Director of Conferences and Pre-College Programs selected Cvent as they believed it to be the best platform for achieving their objectives. “I said enough is enough,” says Sean. “I was spending hours looking at data and lists, and I was looking for a solution where we could have consistent data across the experience, so I said, let’s try Cvent.” He notes that the university chose to partner with Cvent due to the streamlined registration process it offers, which incorporates all requested information into one flow. Attendees can also receive a personalized registration experience with custom branding to reinforce the university’s logo and marks. Sean’s team is also now able to capture robust event data for more accurate reporting and analytics.

Sean underscores the importance of integrating the University of Portland’s branding into Cvent’s event marketing and management platform. He says, “We invest significant time and resources into our brand, and it is essential for our audiences to experience this branding consistently throughout every aspect of the event.” Utilizing Cvent, the team seamlessly and consistently infuse the university’s branding into every event email, invitation, and event website—extending this cohesive branding into the in-person experience as well.

Having access to robust, comprehensive event data is also a vital benefit of the Cvent platform for the team. For the events team, this translates into saving days of scouring data to ensure completeness for each student. “Cvent’s reporting functionality is incredible,” insists Sean. “You can dive into more reports than you’d ever need.” For his Alumni Relations colleagues, it finally provides data-supported insights into expected event attendance, a significant improvement from the past when they had no idea who or how many people were attending optional commencement-related events. “Now we can plan more effectively, knowing that 600 people are attending the baccalaureate mass, for example, and give catering more precise numbers,” explains Sean.

Expanding the use of Cvent for iconic moments

For the University of Portland's most recent presidential inauguration, university leaders introduced the inauguration mark, a powerful logo crafted to encapsulate and ground the essence of this historic milestone—the first non-clerical Blackpresident in the school’s history. The events team was resolute in ensuring that this inauguration mark was prominently featured across all touchpoints, symbolizing both growth and forward-thinking while remaining deeply rooted in their traditions. “This unwavering and consistent branding was a pivotal reason we chose Cvent,” explains Sean. “Cvent’s capabilities allow us to perfectly tailor the branding to align with the inauguration mark and the overarching theme we aimed to communicate throughout the event.”

The value of 24/7 Cvent support

When the team at the University of Portland first signed on with Cvent, they were immediately impressed by the extensive support options available. What stood out most powerfully was the sense of never being alone as someone was always available to reach out to for help. “Cvent understands that events don’t just happen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” says Sean. “This round-the-clock availability was a crucial factor in our decision to choose Cvent as our event registration software.”

Their Cvent Client Success Manager also played an instrumental role in helping the team set up each event, meeting regularly to guide them through each phase—from initial setup to reporting and onsite logistics. This consistent, hands-on support ensured the team always had expert guidance, making the entire process seamless and empowering. Sean says, “What was most powerful for me is that I never felt like I didn’t have someone to reach out to.”

RESULTS

An event platform that grows with the University of Portland

The tremendous success the team experienced using Cvent for commencement and the inauguration was all Alumni Relations needed to see to make the decision to adopt the platform for their events. The momentum is undeniable as more groups and departments eagerly jump on the Cvent bandwagon to power their events. 

LOOKING FORWARD

One of the most compelling recent applications of Cvent is in powering programs that generate revenue from unused dorm space during the summer. Sean’s team has initiated a pre-college program where high school students can stay on campus for an exploratory two-week program, allowing them to experience college life and determine if the university is the right fit. Another innovative use is accommodating students from other colleges who come to the Portland area for internships. In both cases, Sean is leveraging Cvent to build a comprehensive website for these programs, manage registrations—including the submission of transcripts and proof of internships for the internship program—and facilitate payment for programs. “Cvent’s flexibility and robust capabilities have been game changers for us,” Sean insists.

He also underscores the unwavering reliability of Cvent and notes that his positive experience with Cvent is echoed by many others. “It’s across all their customers,” he insists. “There’s just a loyalty toward Cvent because of their ‘can do’ attitude and their commitment to helping you have a successful event.” He is excited to see what new technologies they can utilize in the near future as they continue to create memorable experiences for all of their students, faculty, alumni, parents, and the wider community. 

PRODUCTS USED

BACKGROUND

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private research university in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1880 by Robert Maclay Widney, it is the oldest private research university in California. The university is composed of one liberal arts school and 22 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, enrolling roughly 21,000 undergraduate and 27,00 post-graduate students from all fifty U.S. states and more than 115 countries. The Office of Orientation programs manages all programs for new students, both graduate and undergraduate.

GOALS

Modernizing orientation at USC: A fresh approach for today’s students

Recognizing the evolving needs of incoming students, the Orientation team at USC embarked on a transformational journey. They saw an opportunity to enhance their traditional, two-day onsite orientation program, aiming to better align it with the expectations and preferences of today’s students.

With 59% of admitted students residing outside of California, USC acknowledged that many could not attend the in-person summer orientation – leaving students feeling disenfranchised and disconnected from their peers. Additionally, USC understood that the massive amount of information shared during the short orientation timeframe sometimes left the students who could attend in-person feeling overwhelmed, leaving them without the  opportunity to fully absorb and process the valuable insights provided. 

In turn, USC recognized the need to establish an orientation experience that fostered a sense of inclusivity, ensuring that all students – regardless of their geographic location – felt connected and equipped, from admission through their arrival on campus for classes.

Delivering the right information in a just-in-time approach using Cvent solutions

Adopting a hybrid approach to accommodate in-person and virtual attendees, USC leveraged various solutions such as emails, webinars, on-demand videos, and optional in-person sessions, all powered by Cvent. This approach enables them to engage new students and their families with the right information at the right time. “We really had to expand that hybrid opportunity,” notes Lisa. “We needed an orientation program that keeps students and their families excited about their USC experience—and we found Cvent to be the best solution for powering this experience.”

With the help of Cvent, USC manages the hybrid orientation program using a number of integrated event technology solutions. The flexibility of Cvent’s Registration solution allowed USC to create differentiated registration paths and attendee types, making it easy to foster personalized experiences for students based on their attendee profile, audience type, and audience segment. This ensured they had accurate data for all attendees and provided a more tailored attendee experience. Moreover, Cvent’s payment processing solution offered a straightforward means of collecting fees through a seamless, automated process for additional guests or onsite orientation expenses.

Integrated email marketing solutions within Cvent allowed USC to quickly and easily facilitate weekly emails to keep students informed and engaged across their orientation journey. These topics progress in line with the students’ journey, from registering for orientation to financial aid, student life, and auxiliary services. Importantly, the USC team is able to track and measure marketing engagement and overall campaign performance directly in Cvent for real time insights.

They also now host all live webinars within Attendee Hub to introduce new students and their families to important topics and connect them with key individuals and offices across campus. “With Cvent, we’ve created an experience where every student, whether they’re online or come to campus, get consistent onboarding information in a way that’s not overwhelming,” explains Lisa. “Cvent allows us to put out a top-notch orientation for our students and their families.”

Importantly, embedded feedback surveys offer insights at the session and event level for USC staff to enhance their planning strategy year over year. “We use premium Surveys to collect all of our data, and it really simplifies our process as it’s tied to both the event and the sessions,” notes Christine D’Arcy, Cvent Administrator. She adds that the “ease of use is amazing, and the power behind the system is really important to us.” By coalescing feedback in a single system with on-demand reports, she says their team spends far less time aggregating reporting after the close of the event.

RESULTS

USC and Cvent: Achieving excellence through a valuable partnership 

USC’s orientation team acknowledges Cvent as a valuable partner, attributing their selection of Cvent to its strong support team providing round-the-clock assistance and superior event management solutions. “The support we get from Cvent is amazing,” states Christine. “Cvent’s 24/7 support was a major driver for us selecting them as our event platform.” 

The USC team further highlights the significance of Cvent’s continuous product development, which empowers them to continuously innovate across their program. They also credit their close partnership with their Cvent client success team. “Our Cvent client success team understands our needs, brings ideas to the table, and helps us solve problems,” insists Christine. “We never feel like we’re alone in this and our partnership with Cvent enables us to focus on improving our program rather than dealing with technical details.” 

She adds that the training provided by Cvent helps USC event managers stay up to date with the latest product improvements. Christine states, “The fact that we have this huge database of knowledge, training, and resources helps us grow our system and keep up with trends in technology, and it allows us to put out a really top-notch product for our students and our guests.” Leveraging available resources like the Cvent Community and Cvent Academy training ensures the USC team never misses important updates or opportunities to grow their knowledge about their Cvent solutions.

In addition to the impressive statistics, USC’s team gauges their success by the reduction in constructive comments received. Previously, the team frequently received calls from concerned parents who lacked essential information. However, according to Lisa, these calls have become a rare occurrence.

USC has experienced enhanced performance and efficiency by leveraging Cvent to power its new orientation programming. The user-friendly platform and centralized event management have resulted in notable efficiencies for USC with reduced staff time in modifying registrations and processing refunds, faster check-ins onsite, reduced material costs using solutions like OnArrival and Attendee Hub, time savings in event prep, and reduced staff time in compiling survey data. They’ve also seen a significant reduction in support calls to their team from parents or students who lacked essential information. “The exceptional performance of Cvent has allowed my team to fully concentrate on their tasks, resulting in significant benefits for both our team and USC as a whole,” summarizes Lisa. “It is an investment in your programming, and the fact that my team has been able to be more effective certainly is a value added and it has been very successful.”

PRODUCTS USED

Wichita State University (WSU) is a dynamic public research institution with more than 17,000 students and a campus that has doubled in size over the past decade. At the heart of its bustling event scene is the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC), the hub for events that range from small group meetings to large banquets. With student organizations driving most of the event demand, RSC hosts a wide range of events that bring the campus to life.

SOLUTION

Powering Interactive Floorplans through Cvent Event Diagramming 

To streamline the event booking process, the RSC Events Team offers a self-service option accessible from their website that allows users to search for available spaces based on room capacity and configuration preferences. Powered by Interactive Floor Plans — a feature within Cvent’s Event Diagramming solution — event organizers can view photos, explore various room configurations, and visualize the space before making a selection.

With just a few clicks, users can find the ideal room and choose the setup that best fits their needs. Their selections are then automatically captured within the embedded request form. Once approved, this Cvent-captured data seamlessly integrates into the university’s room scheduling software, eliminating manual entry and ensuring a smoother, more efficient process for both the RSC Events Team and those organizing the gathering. 

RESULTS

Driving impressive request volume with Cvent Event Diagramming

Over the past two years, RSC has experienced a 50% increase in room requests through the platform. This surge in self-service bookings now drives approximately 4–5 booking requests each day through Cvent Event Diagramming. By empowering users to explore and select spaces independently, the tool has freed up valuable time for the RSC Events Team, enabling them to focus on larger, more complex events while still delivering a seamless and efficient experience for all.