Introduction
NASUWT, the UK’s largest teachers’ union, represents more than 270,000 members nationwide. For a small events team managing a portfolio of over 100 events each year, delivering safe, inclusive and meaningful experiences is both a responsibility and a priority.
The union’s flagship annual conference takes place over Easter, bringing together more than 1,000 teachers and trade bodies from across the UK to shape the future strategy of the union.
“It’s very dynamic,” explains Sammy Connell, Head of Events at NASUWT. “It’s all about democracy. At any point, a member could decide they want to speak and be invited to the lectern.”
Alongside a packed agenda, the conference includes a large exhibition, advocacy sessions and an extensive wellbeing programme - reflecting the union’s commitment to supporting teachers both professionally and personally.
Empowering lean teams
With limited resources and tight budgets, efficiency is critical.
“We use Cvent for all of our events - and it’s been a bit of a game changer,” says Sammy.
For NASUWT’s small team, technology plays a vital role in saving time on repetitive tasks. “Having the right platform in place means we can be more creative, focus on social impact and build long-term legacy, rather than being tied up with heavy admin.”
The Attendee Hub App is central to this approach. Members attending multiple events use the same app throughout the year, driving strong adoption and familiarity.
“They’ve already got it downloaded. Everything lives in one place,” Sammy explains.
The app has also enabled the union to move away from printed materials entirely. Content updates - from room changes and speaker edits to accessibility announcements, can be shared instantly. For an organisation where accessibility sits at the heart of every event, this real-time communication is essential.
The team also uses the app to share maps, transport guidance, accessibility audits and videos of the venue - helping members feel confident and prepared before they even arrive.
Cvent for Associations
When you’ve got a board monitoring your spend and thousands of members to answer to, every investment is scrutinized. Sammy describes Cvent as a “one-stop-shop", allowing customers to build their package based on the products they need.
I was able to prove that by getting a platform like Cvent on board, we would actually save money
NASUWT host an event (or two) almost every week of the year. One of their main goals was to keep the attendee experience consistent across all of them. “We were able to adopt Cvent across the whole Union, because it was an easy system to use,” Sammy explains how colleagues attended training sessions, upskilling even the less tech-savvy teams and getting internal buy-in across the Union for every event.
A high level of support, pre and post-event tracking and the easily adopted Attendee Hub App were vital selling points for widespread Cvent adoption. For the smaller events, NASUWT could duplicate event setups, “we’re able to map over and pick elements that we need. The work is less intense and having the app reduces administrative tasks,” Sammy describes how Cvent helped to save time and reduce workload.
Cvent could offer the full package in terms of platform, but also as an organisation – Cvent supports its employees, is highly respected and is the sort of organisation that we can work with.
A partnership with Cvent
For NASUWT, technology alone was not enough - partnership mattered just as much.
“Cvent could offer the full package,” Sammy explains, “not just the platform, but also as an organisation. You support your employees, you’re highly respected, and you share values that matter to us as a union.”
From onboarding through to ongoing delivery, the support model has played a key role in long-term success.
“The support from Cvent from the very beginning has been amazing,” says Sammy. “You understand our organisation, our challenges and our priorities.”
Through tailored training, webinars, one-to-one support and proactive product updates, the Cvent team ensures NASUWT remains confident and future-ready.
