When Westminster first adopted Cvent, the goal was to modernise event delivery, streamline abstract management, and reduce the administrative burden on staff. The first major test came with the World Public Health Nutrition Congress, a global gathering of researchers and policymakers. “That event used about 80% of Cvent’s capabilities,” recalls David. “From Registration and event websites to Abstract Management and the Attendee Hub, we used nearly every module. It made the burden of paperwork so much lighter, and the feedback, both internally and externally, was incredibly positive.”
The conference hosted more than forty-five speakers and senior global health leaders, including the World Health Organisation Secretary-General and the UK Health Minister. “It was make or break for us as an institution,” says David. “Without Cvent, we probably would have said we’re not doing it because we wouldn’t have had the internal resources to deliver an event of that calibre.”
The success of that event encouraged Westminster to use Cvent for other flagship programmes, including the fifth International Social Prescribing Conference (ISPC) featuring King Charles III and the King’s Physician. “The process was absolutely brilliant,” David notes. “We had low expectations about what could be delivered the first time, but we were amazed by how professional everything looked.”
The event also served as an introduction to Cvent for hundreds of staff and students. “You could see the staff who aren’t very tech-minded saying, ‘Oh my God, that’s so easy,’” says David. “And the students? For them, it was second nature - they just typed their name, printed their badge, and were on their way.”
Preparing for Martyn’s Law with Cvent Essentials
As the UK prepares to implement Martyn’s Law (the Protect Duty), Westminster has taken proactive steps to ensure every event on campus is secure and compliant. The law applies to any site with 800 or more people present, meaning even small events on Westminster’s busy campuses must meet the same safety standards.
“People were confused at first,” explains David. “They thought it meant 800 people in one event. But because we have at least 2,000 people on our campuses every day, it applies to us all the time.”
To support this effort, Westminster is adopting Cvent Essentials as a universal event management platform - creating a single, secure, and auditable system for every event. “There’s one database, all the information is secure, and we can clearly identify every event happening across the university”.
We had an independent audit that informed us that Cvent was the most secure of all systems.
Creating a unified standard for compliance and efficiency
Westminster utilised Cvent’s Implementation Services team to create a meeting request form and align its room booking process. The new process simplifies how staff and faculty capture key event details while embedding security and safety considerations into every step.
“It was important to get it right,” David shares. “We worked with the implementation team because we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. They showed us best practices, adapted them for a university environment, and it was pretty quick to come up with the form we needed.”
With Cvent Essentials now in place, Westminster is rolling out targeted training for event organisers across both academic and professional services units. Once complete, the university will require all events to be logged in either Cvent or their academic timetabling tool, phasing out a variety of third-party potentially non-compliant tools to maintain consistency and security.
“If an event isn’t in Cvent, it’s considered a rogue event,” David explains. “The goal is to have one system for timetabled teaching and one for events - nothing else.”
Driving cultural and operational transformation
While compliance was a major driver, the benefits of Cvent go well beyond security. “Time - that’s the biggest improvement,” says David.
Cvent has also transformed how the campus community views event technology. “I’m probably the least tech-savvy person I know,” David laughs. “I tell colleagues, if I can do it, anyone can. When people try Cvent Essentials, the reaction is always the same: ‘Oh my God, where has this been all my life?’”
A secure and connected future
For Westminster, the partnership with Cvent is about more than efficiency - it’s about readiness, resilience, and reputation. “We’re in an exciting moment,” David reflects. “We’ll be compliant with Martyn’s Law, we’ll have a system that meets our complex university needs, and we’ll continue building an even stronger partnership with Cvent moving forward.”
Learn more about Martyn's Law and what it means for your events here.
